Bobbing for apples could spread coronavirus, warns eye expert

APPLE BOBBING could help to spread coronavirus, an eye surgeon has warned, as he urged participants to each use their own bowl of water.

David Allamby, an ophthalmologist and director at the London Cataract Centre, has warned Hallowe’en revellers to exercise caution when taking part in the game.

Mr Allamby says apple bobbers are at risk of transmitting infections such as conjunctivitis and coronavirus.

Research has shown Covid-19 can spread through tiny droplets from an infected person’s mouth or nose. Mr Allamby said: “Immersing your face in water shared with others has the potential to spread infections such as Covid19 and conjunctivitis.

“In rare cases conjunctivitis can be a result of a sexually transmitted infection passed on via the eye.

“Gonorrhoea can bring on a rare but dangerous type of bacterial conjunctivitis. This can result in serious damage to the eye including loss of vision. Chlamydia can also be spread through the spreading of bacteria in your eye from sharing towels, washcloths and, in this case, water. My advice to anyone wanting to take part in apple bobbing this Hallowe’en is to make sure everyone has their own bowl of water,” he said.

Traditionally played on Oct 31, apple bobbing involves trying to grab on to an apple floating in water using only your mouth. It means revellers’ faces often get soaked, and even sharing water with family members in a Covid bubble could lead to a potentially nasty eye infection.

High risk zones, such as Greater Manchester and Merseyside in Tier 3, have effectively been banned from trick or treating or celebrating Hallowe’en outdoors due to tightened coronavirus restrictions. This is due to different households being banned from mixing, which also applies to families knocking on other families’ doors as well as having contact with others on the streets – driving celebrations inside.