A video encouraging the equestrian world to think about how they could be unwittingly spreading coronavirus has been created by the British Grooms Association (BGA).
The short film promotes the importance of hand-washing — one of the key weapons in preventing the spread of Covid-19 — by showing how many objects a person touches simply by going about their day-to-day tasks.
The BGA put white powder on the actor’s hands to represent germs, to bring to light how it is possible for the virus to be spread, particularly if someone is not taking precautions.
“The inspiration behind the video came at time when there was lots of uncertainly about the virus and how it can spread, so we wanted to educate people and highlight the risks of transmission,” BGA chief executive Lucy Katan told H&H.
“By highlighting the importance of washing your hands, how long coronavirus can live for on items around the yard, and how easily it can be spread, we hope that we have contributed in helping to raise awareness and assisting everyone to be responsible in these times.”
Coronavirus – How it can be spread on a yard⚠️ T H I N K ⚠️Are you spreading coronavirus without realising?Do you know how long it can survive on different objects around the yard and how easy it is to spread around the yard?For more usful advice go to: https://bit.ly/BGA_coronavirus #StaySafePosted by British Grooms Association on Tuesday, March 31, 2020
The short clip follows a rider as she opens feed room and stable doors, picks up a feed bucket, turns on a tap, grabs tools and then absent-mindedly brushes her cheek with her hand, showing that the white powder remains on all surfaces, which could then be touched by other people.
The latest advice from the World Health Organisation states it is not certain how long the virus survives on surfaces, but this could be from a few hours up to several days.
The BGA urges yards to disinfect tools, brushes, buckets and other touch points, such as door handles, frequently and to minimise the sharing of items, where possible.
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Lucy is an experienced news journalist, reporter and presenter. Since joining the Horse & Hound team in 2015, Lucy has reported from major global sporting events including the Tokyo Paralympic Games and multiple European Championships, as well as Badminton, Burghley and London, to name a few. She has covered current affairs and sports news across the full spectrum of equestrian disciplines and racing, as well as human and equine welfare, industry news and court cases.
