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There have been no reported cases of COVID-19 due to contact with the faeces of an infected individual and the <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331846/WHO-2019-nCoV-IPC_WASH-2020.3-eng.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">WHO</a> states that risk of faecal-oral transmission of COVID-19 is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969720348932?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">low</a>. Prevention of transmission from respiratory droplets from person to person and via <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3922161-preventing-covid-19-transmission-via-surfaces" target="_blank">surfaces</a> should be the priority.   However, human waste is hazardous and can contain numerous pathogens so should be safely managed in all settings. 

In order for transmission via faeces to occur, humans must shed the virus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994857-how-do-we-detect-covid-19-in-human-faeces" target="_blank">in their faeces</a>. Other factors that influence the likelihood of <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983108-what-is-faecal-oral-transmission" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">faecal-oral transmission </a>include <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983110-how-long-can-sars-cov-2-persist-in-the-environment" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">environmental persistence</a>, the amount of infectious virus <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994851-amount-of-infectious-virus-shed-in-faeces-and-infectious-dose" target="_blank">shed in faece</a>s, and the <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994851-amount-of-infectious-virus-shed-in-faeces-and-infectious-dose" target="_blank">infectious dose</a>.

Want to know more about faecal-oral transmission of COVID-19?

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983108-what-is-faecal-oral-transmission" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">What is faecal-oral transmission?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983111-can-transmission-occur-via-aerosolized-faeces" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Can transmission occur via aerosolized faeces?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983110-how-long-can-sars-cov-2-persist-in-the-environment" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">How long can SARS-CoV-2 persist in the environment?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994851-amount-of-infectious-virus-shed-in-faeces-and-infectious-dose" target="_blank">Amount of infectious virus shed in faeces and infectious dose</a> 

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994855-has-sars-cov-2-been-detected-in-human-faeces" target="_blank">Has SARS-CoV-2 been detected in human faeces?</a> 

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994857-how-do-we-detect-covid-19-in-human-faeces" target="_blank">How do we detect COVID-19 in human faeces?</a>  

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/4341544-how-do-we-conduct-surveillance-for-covid-19-in-wastewater-and-sludge" target="_blank">How do we conduct surveillance for COVID-19 in wastewater and sludge?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994862-if-covid-19-is-a-respiratory-disease-why-would-it-be-detected-in-faeces" target="_blank">If COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, why would it be detected in faeces?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994865-are-there-special-considerations-for-sanitation-and-covid-19" target="_blank">Are there special considerations for sanitation and COVID-19?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/4228725-do-sanitation-workers-need-to-take-special-precautions-while-handling-faecal-waste" target="_blank">Do sanitation workers need to take special precautions while handling faecal waste?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983135-do-sanitation-workers-face-other-risks-that-require-preventative-actions" target="_blank">Do sanitation workers face other risks that require preventative actions?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983195-can-water-sources-be-contaminated-with-sars-cov-2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Can water sources be contaminated with SARS-Cov-2?</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983196-guidance-for-water-treatment" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Guidance for water treatment</a>

<a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983197-water-quantity" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Water quantity</a>

- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983108-what-is-faecal-oral-transmission" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">What is faecal-oral transmission?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983111-can-transmission-occur-via-aerosolized-faeces" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Can transmission occur via aerosolized faeces?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983110-how-long-can-sars-cov-2-persist-in-the-environment" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">How long can SARS-CoV-2 persist in the environment?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994851-amount-of-infectious-virus-shed-in-faeces-and-infectious-dose" target="_blank">Amount of infectious virus shed in faeces and infectious dose</a> 
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994855-has-sars-cov-2-been-detected-in-human-faeces" target="_blank">Has SARS-CoV-2 been detected in human faeces?</a> 
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994857-how-do-we-detect-covid-19-in-human-faeces" target="_blank">How do we detect COVID-19 in human faeces?</a>  
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/4341544-how-do-we-conduct-surveillance-for-covid-19-in-wastewater-and-sludge" target="_blank">How do we conduct surveillance for COVID-19 in wastewater and sludge?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994862-if-covid-19-is-a-respiratory-disease-why-would-it-be-detected-in-faeces" target="_blank">If COVID-19 is a respiratory disease, why would it be detected in faeces?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3994865-are-there-special-considerations-for-sanitation-and-covid-19" target="_blank">Are there special considerations for sanitation and COVID-19?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/4228725-do-sanitation-workers-need-to-take-special-precautions-while-handling-faecal-waste" target="_blank">Do sanitation workers need to take special precautions while handling faecal waste?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983135-do-sanitation-workers-face-other-risks-that-require-preventative-actions" target="_blank">Do sanitation workers face other risks that require preventative actions?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983195-can-water-sources-be-contaminated-with-sars-cov-2" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Can water sources be contaminated with SARS-Cov-2?</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983196-guidance-for-water-treatment" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Guidance for water treatment</a>
- <a href="https://resources.hygienehub.info/en/articles/3983197-water-quantity" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Water quantity</a>

Author: <a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/knee.jacqueline" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Jackie Knee</a>

Review: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-heath-a92a6727/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tom Heath</a>, <a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/dreibelbis.robert" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Robert Dreibelbis</a>, <a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/cumming.oliver" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Oliver Cumming</a>, <a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/gallandat.karin" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Karin Gallandat</a>, Kate Medlicott<br>Last update: 13.08.2020

Want to know more about faecal-oral transmission of COVID-19?

Editor's note