Kenyans do not need to stop going to the gym for fear of contracting Ebola through sweat, shared exercise equipment, or working out alongside an infected person, an infectious disease specialist has said.
Felix Riunga, consultant infectious diseases specialist at Aga Khan University Hospital, says that the risk of transmission in gyms is extremely low, as Ebola mainly spreads through contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person who is already showing symptoms of the illness.
‘The probability is extremely low,’ says Dr Riunga, explaining that the likelihood of infection depends on exposure circumstances and how the virus is spreading in a particular area.
He adds that this risk must be considered in the context of Kenya’s outbreak, where no evidence of widespread community transmission has been found.
Even if an infected person visited a gym, the likelihood of transmission would depend on their stage of illness and whether they left infectious body fluids on equipment that could enter another person’s body.
‘Most of the infections come from symptomatic patients, and people generally become more infectious as Ebola progresses,’ says Dr Riunga.
He says that the amount of virus in an infected person’s blood increases as symptoms develop, so people who are seriously ill are a greater concern in terms of transmission.
Ebola symptoms include fever, muscle aches and joint pain, so it is unlikely that someone seriously ill would exercise in a gym.
‘You can almost guarantee that’s not the person who will be at the gym,’ he says.
Dr Riunga also says that people should avoid confusing Ebola with Covid-19, as the latter can spread through infectious particles in the air.
‘You have to understand that it is a totally different infection,’ he says, adding that Ebola is not considered an airborne disease.
Instead, Ebola spreads when infectious blood or other bodily fluids enter another person’s body through broken skin or the eyes, nose, or mouth.
This means that sharing equipment such as treadmills, weights or exercise mats with an infected person does not automatically put someone at risk.
However, transmission is theoretically possible if infectious body fluids contaminate the equipment and another person subsequently comes into contact with the fluids through broken skin, or through their eyes, nose or mouth.
‘If I was with a highly infectious person, they could deposit all that on the treadmill. If my skin was broken, then that could be a route of exposure,’ says Dr Riunga.
The same principle applies to changing rooms, showers and locker rooms. The concern is contamination with infectious body fluids, not simply sharing the space.
Dr Riunga says that Ebola transmission is more commonly associated with households caring for infected people, healthcare workers treating patients, and people handling bodies during burial practices.
‘Almost all cases, like everything, fall into one of two categories: households or healthcare settings, where transmission is more commonly observed,’ he explains.
Although the risk at the gym is extremely low, the virus can survive outside the body under certain conditions.
‘Blood in particular has been shown to survive in the environment for various amounts of time. That’s why healthcare workers should take precautions when handling clothing and personal belongings of infected patients,’ says Dr Riunga.
However, this does not mean that every surface touched by an infected person poses a significant risk. Whether transmission could occur depends on the nature of the contamination and how another person comes into contact with it.
Dr Riunga therefore recommends that gym users continue to exercise while observing routine hygiene measures, such as wiping down equipment after use and carrying personal towels.
‘It’s not where you will get it. They should continue practising,’ he says, urging people not to abandon their exercise routines because of fears that gyms are likely sources of Ebola infection.
He adds that people should be careful not to stigmatise others based on their nationality or country of origin, emphasising that the location of individual cases is important when assessing the risk of exposure.
Dr Riunga also issues a warning about misinformation that leads people to deny an outbreak or disregard public health advice.
‘People think it’s not there, and the propaganda is that it’s made up,’ he says, warning that such beliefs can undermine efforts to control the disease.
Instead, he says, people need to recognise symptoms, seek medical attention, and cooperate with public health officials.
‘While good hygiene remains important, there is no reason to stop going to the gym solely out of fear of contracting Ebola through sweat or shared equipment,’ says Dr Riunga.