Diving with a bacterial infection vs. a virus?

[bluebanded goby]

While reading an online diary by Tanya Streeter about her training for an imminent world record attempt in one of the freediving disciplines, my curiosity was piqued by this comment:

And I was starting to get a sore throat. ... my cold had got worse overnight so Paul (who has an ear infection) and I went to the doctor after breakfast. After a blood test I was diagnosed with a low white blood cell count due to a bacterial infection, which caused a nice case of sinusitis and strep throat. I can’t breathe at all through my nose! ... So I was prescribed Cephalexin, Sudafed and Otrivine (exactly the same as this time last year -- all the doctor did was change the date on the letter required for the AIDA judges!) for a few days, but told I could dive as I do not have a virus.

Is this normal thinking in dive medicine -- that it's okay to get in the water if what you have in the sinuses/throat is a bacterial infection, but not if it's a virus? I'd never heard this line of reasoning before.

Also, I thought that white blood cell typically goes up with a bacterial infection, whereas it may be lower than normal if you have a virus such as a cold. No?

 

[grumpygrouper]

Hi
IMHO I wouldn't dive with either a viral or a bacterial infection. The symptoms would be the same so the end results in diving would be the same, not good.


Happy and Safe Diving

Ron

 

[ssra30]

I don't think that viral vs bacterial infection should make a difference as far as decision to dive is concerned in this case.
I think there is a miscommunication somewhere in there between the MD and the diver. Also, generally low white blood cell count tends to be more common with viral infection rather than bacterial infection so the statement is rather questionable.

 

[DocVikingo]

I agree that this statement seems a bit confused.

It possibly is in part based on the expectation that a bacterial infection would respond to the antibiotic prescribed, while a viral infection would not, but that's a stretch.

Best regards.

DocVikingo