Air travel during the pandemic: what should I know - and how safe is it?

[marmar]

Air travel during the pandemic: what should I know – and how safe is it?
As many countries begin to ease travel restrictions, we spoke to three experts for their views on the risks of travelling by plane

Aditi Malhotra
Fri 19 Jun 2020 06.00 EDT


(Guardian UK) As countries around the world gradually allow businesses to reopen, domestic and international air travel is also restarting. China and US, the world’s two largest air travel markets, for example, have recently eased travel restrictions, with an eye toward reviving trade and tourism.

But in the absence of a coronavirus vaccine, cure, or uniformly-implemented health and safety guidelines, travelers are bound to contemplate the risks of air travel. What must they know if they do decide to get on an airplane, and what can they expect at the airport?

What are the risks of transmission when it comes to air travel?

Qingyan Chen: The coronavirus can be transmitted by respiratory droplets, which can be classified as large and small.

Large droplets, expelled by coughing, can travel up to 6ft. In an air cabin, these can land on surfaces like arm rests, tray tables, and seat bags, putting passengers at risk of getting sick – if they touch droplets from a person infected with coronavirus.

There is also the risk of transmission if, say, an infected passenger coughs into their hand and then shakes another person’s hand without hand-washing.

Studies show small droplets can be air-borne in the aircraft cabin from several minutes to several hours if passengers cough or talk. ................(more)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/19/coronavirus-air-travel-plane-airport

[lagomorph777]

1. Just. No.

I don't hate the airlines any more than the average person (in fact many are customers of my employer).

But sadly, now is not the time to lock myself in a sealed tube for several hours, packed shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of strangers.