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Ensure healthy, safe swimming

Though it hasn’t exactly felt that way this month or this spring, swimming weather should be right around the corner given that Memorial Day weekend — the unofficial start of summer — draws near.

Swimming, in theory, should be a carefree activity with the opportunity to both cool off and get some exercise.

But even chlorinated pools or seemingly clear freshwater lakes can harbor something unseen and unpleasant, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

From 2012 to 2016, Michigan had 11 outbreaks of illnesses linked to swimming in treated and untreated water, including pools, hot tubs and lakes. More than 600 estimated recreational water illnesses, confirmed or suspected, were reported — and that likely is an underestimate, according to the MDHHS.

Many of these illnesses, unfortunately, can be traced back to humans. We’re not talking infants normally in diapers, either.

While chlorination and cleaning can take out some of the bacteria introduced by contamination, it can’t hold it all at bay when someone fouls the pool. Even sweat or dirt can cause problems for other swimmers.

So, during Healthy and Safe Swimming Week, the MDHHS asks: Don’t pee or poop when swimming. Yes, this should seem obvious, but the numbers above indicate otherwise.

This means:

— Stay out of the water if you have diarrhea;

— Shower before you get in the water;

— Again, don’t pee or poop in the water — not cool;

— Have younger children take hourly bathroom breaks from the water to keep them from doing the same.

If this seems a little too much fuss, well, think how you might feel if you knew you — or, worse, your kids — were paddling around in someone else’s waste.

Some of the other MDHHS recommendations for Healthy and Safe Swimming Week include:

— Make sure everyone knows how to swim;

— Use life jackets appropriately;

— Provide continuous, attentive supervision close to swimmers;

— Know CPR.

When treating home swimming pools:

— Read and follow directions on product labels;

— Open chemical containers safely, using proper protective equipment, in a well-ventilated area.

— Never mix different pool chemicals with each other, especially chlorine products with acid;

— Add pool chemical to water — not water to pool chemical;

— Store pool chemicals securely.

For more information and safety tips about preventing swimming illness and injury, go to www.cdc.gov/healthyswimming and www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.html.

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