Ministers in the United Kingdom claim to have seen evidence that Covid-19 could be transmitted by farting in public. One of them said they have read “credible-looking stuff on it” from data on other countries, reported The Telegraph.
According to the report, the source claimed that there was evidence of a “genomical-linked tracing connection between two individuals from a [lavatory] cubicle in Australia.” Apparently, there are also “well-documented cases of diseases spreading through waste pipes during lockdowns in Hong Kong when the U-bend had dried out.”
There is no confirmation of the same, however, and one Minister told The Telegraph that Covid-19 is a “respiratory disease, transmission and shedding is mostly taking place through the mouth and actually mainly from the nose.”
A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he was not aware of such claims. “We keep the latest scientific evidence review,” he said.
The claim was first made by an Australian researcher last year. He had said, “I think that what we should do in terms of social distancing and being safe is that … you don’t fart close to other people, and that you don’t fart with your bottom bare.”
Dr. Andy Tagg had claimed, “Well, SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in faeces and has been detected in an asymptomatic individual up to 17 days post-exposure.” He had added, “Perhaps SARS-CoV-2 can be spread through the power of parping – we need more evidence… So remember to wear appropriate PPE at all times and stay safe!”
SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, has been found in the faeces of infected patients. However, it is not confirmed whether transmission is possible through farting.