Health expert reveals how dangerous HYROX poop incident really is after ‘biohazard’ concerns

As everyone is freaking out over the HYROX poop incident being a major biohazard, a health expert has explained how dangerous it actually is. 

During the race in Beijing last week, Australian athlete Joanna Wietrzyk soiled herself and continued to finish the rest of the race with poop running down her legs. She actually ended up winning the entire thing. 

Joanna carried on using the same equipment that other competitors had to use after, including a rowing machine, which has left people seriously concerned. And according to an infectious disease specialist, everyone’s right to be freaking out. 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Joanna Wietrzyk (@joannawietrzyk)

Professor Ramon Shaban, a communicable disease expert from the Sydney Infectious Disease Institute at the University of Sydney, told news.com.au that “many gastrointestinal infections and diseases, such as the highly contagious norovirus” are spread through the faecal-oral route.

Basically, someone defecating in a public area creates a very high risk of spreading severe infections and stomach bugs, because the particles spread to people through their mouths. Yeah, a grim thought. That means it’s very likely that people in the nearby area at the HYROX event could have got sick.

“Whenever people come together at mass gathering events or events of this nature, it is always important to consider what both individuals themselves and organisers can do to lower the risk of transmission of infection from one person to another,” the expert continued.

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“But there are two parts to this. One is individuals themselves, and two is the organisers of any kind of event. Both parties have a responsibility to ensure that they conduct themselves in a way that minimises the risk of the transmission of any kind of infectious agent.”

Credit: Burak Basturk/MEI/SIPA/Shutterstock

He explained that gastrointestinal infections such as norovirus and giardia cause severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea for days. Not pleasant. 

“After the incident, the organising committee immediately closed off and isolated the affected area and track, and completed comprehensive disinfection,” HYROX China organisers assured everyone. “Relevant equipment was removed from the venue, and waste was disposed of in accordance with municipal waste-management standards.”

HYROX has since added a specific new “faeces” rule, which states that “if a racer’s blood, vomit, urine, or faeces poses a welfare or contamination risk to the racer or to other racers,” they will be withdrawn on medical grounds. 

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Featured image credit: Burak Basturk/MEI/SIPA/Shutterstock and Joanna Wietrzyk/Instagram