Overview
- People with cardiovascular, central or peripheral nervous system, respiratory, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, nasopharyngeal inflammatory, and endocrine diseases are urged to exercise particular caution.
- Children, pregnant women, and older adults are advised not to participate due to the risk of complications.
- Participants are told to measure arterial blood pressure before entering the water and proceed only if readings are normal.
- Guidance calls for warming muscles, entering feet-first, and avoiding head-first dives to prevent cerebral vessel spasm and possible loss of consciousness.
- Officials recommend limiting immersion to about one minute, using handrails or assistance when exiting, drying off promptly, and moving indoors ahead of mass Epiphany plunges on 19 January.