16/04/2020
Sauna and wellness in Corona times
Please note: At the moment we want to address the health issues when using the in-house sauna in a non-public area!
Naturally, here too, the general hygiene conditions must not be disregarded!
You can make your own contribution to the hygiene of your sauna as follows:
- Do not invite people who do not belong to your core family
- Disinfect all surfaces after using the sauna
- Pay attention to regular and above all thorough hand hygiene
- Avoid touching your face
- Sneeze and cough in the bend of your arm if necessary
Sauna & Wellness plus Corona?
No one will deny that saunas have a positive effect on physical and mental health. But how does it look like when viruses, such as the new corona virus, complicate our lives? Is it still advisable to go to the sauna? We take the answer for granted: Yes! After all, right now it is essential to support the immune system. How a sauna session positively supports your immune system is explained below:
How does an infection with the corona virus proceed?
As with influenza viruses, coronaviruses initially multiply in the throat and pharynx area. In a COVID-19 infection, it is mainly the lower respiratory tract that is infected. The pathogen first multiplies rapidly and then causes an immune reaction, in many cases attacking the lung tissue and, in the worst case, causing pneumonia.
Using the sauna and the virus
First of all, it is wrong that the coronavirus cannot survive outside temperatures above 27° C! In this case it could not survive in the human body (approx. 36°C) and therefore we would have no problem!
But it is a fact: “At a temperature of 55 to 70 °C (damp heat), viruses [in general – ed.] denature their viral shells within a few minutes and thus lose their infectiousness”.[1]
Viruses do not like the hot and humid ambient air in the sauna. Especially if the temperatures are set to 80-90°C. Breathing in this hot air can also have a supportive effect against the pathogen. Regular sauna visits strengthen the body’s own immune system, which means that the body is generally better protected against viruses and other possible diseases.
In order to counteract an infection with COVID-19, you can take a sauna, but also use salt or dry salt inhalation. In addition to the above-mentioned benefits, salt activates and promotes the self-cleaning function of the lungs and is also anti-inflammatory. In addition to removing bacteria, allergens such as pollen and dust as well as viruses in the entire respiratory tract, the lungs are also cleansed in this way, thus stimulating blood circulation.
Therefore, sauna and salt or dry salt inhalation are well suited to strengthen the immune system in the long term in order to better resist the corona virus.
Swimming pool use
The chlorination of pool water kills any viruses present in the pool. However, it does not protect against viruses that have already entered the body, because they are not affected by chlorine or other disinfectants!
General hygiene in pools and wellness areas, when lock-down ends
Saunas and wellness areas have always required very high hygiene standards. Regular inspections by external hygiene institutes check and document their compliance. This applies to all areas where guests may come into skin contact.
When the lockdown is ended and public areas can be used again, there will certainly be regulations that will guarantee the safety of every single person. We will provide more detailed information about these in due course.