Every day, Le Parisien takes action to answer your questions about the coronavirus. Today we are interested in the questioning of Mireille, who wonders if she risks catching the disease during sexual intercourse.
First of all, remember that the coronavirus is transmitted by droplets and secretions that are projected when you sneeze or cough. You can also catch it when you are in physical contact with a person already suffering from the disease, for example by shaking their hand or, a fortiori, kissing it.
On its website, the World Health Organization defines sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as those which "are mainly transmitted during sexual intercourse". This is the case with AIDS, for example. Covid-19 is therefore not strictly speaking, since there are many other modes of transmission.
Incubation period up to two weeks
According to the WHO cited this time by the New York Times, coronaviruses are usually not transmitted sexually. This means that having sex is not necessarily more dangerous than hitting your back, for example. To protect yourself as much as possible from the risk of catching the Covid-19, a small guide provided by the town hall of New York recommends in particular to "wash before and after sexual intercourse" and to "wear a condom".
However, in the current period of confinement and with the social distancing rules that apply, having sex is not recommended, as is any physical contact. And this, in order to respect the sanitary barriers which limit the risks of catching the Covid-19. In fact, your partner can be infected without knowing it himself, since the incubation period (during which you do not feel any symptoms) varies from 5 days to around two weeks, according to different studies.
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