EYECARE: Coronavirus BRIEFING: Crisis Response Tactics How Safe Is it to Use a Public Bathroom? By Staff Wednesday, July 8, 2020 12:10 AM With dirty door handles, heavily trafficked toilet bowls, and proximity to strangers, public restrooms can be a germophobe’s worst nightmare. But the COVID-19 pandemic adds a new layer of risk, and infectious disease doctors are urging people to be cautious.A recent study published in Physics of Fluids outlines the potential dangers of toilet plume—clouds of droplets that can rise 3 feet from a flushing toilet and be inhaled by an unsuspecting user. Aside from the obvious ick factor, simulations found that coronavirus remnants in a person’s stool can make their way onto other surfaces or linger in the air nearby.Read the full story in WebMD.