Hygiene Tips for the Airport and the Airplane
With the rapid spread of Covid-19, events being cancelled worldwide and many large international companies putting a restriction on travel, airports and airplanes understandably seem like places to avoid. With thousands of people passing through every day from lots of different places, airports can be risky environments. As Covid-19 grips the worlds attention, and causes some serious effects on the travel industry, many frequent flyers are asking, is it safe to travel? The World Health Organisation is advising against travel restrictions however they are recommending that travelers that are sick should avoid or delay travel to the affected areas and the elderly and those with underlying health conditions should do the same.
There is no way to avoid the fact that being in a crowded and/or confined space puts you at a greater risk of getting sick, but the most important thing to remember if you are flying during the outbreak is not to panic and take sensible precautions when you can.
Here are some tips you can follow to help avoid getting sick at the airport.
Avoid crowded areas. Food courts, shopping areas and busy gates should be avoided whenever possible. Find an empty gate to relax in, away from the crowds.
Avoid high touch traffic surfaces. For example, railings on stairs, escalators or travellators, vending machines and sockets with switches. Pack a power bank so that you can keep your devices charged while avoiding touching sockets.
Get out of the airport whenever you can. Being out in the fresh air is much better than being inside the airport. If you are airside and cannot leave, check to see if the airport has an outdoor area, perhaps an observation deck or a patio attached to a restaurant and spend your airport downtime there. If you have a long layover then it’s worth leaving the airport and heading to a local park or walking path. You can find information and directions to local parks at most major international airport in the Sanctifly app. Download it for free today.
Follow the health precautions recommended by the World Health Organisation i.e. wash or sanitize your hands whenever possible, avoid touching your face and cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue and dispose of it immediately.
So those are the guidelines for airports, but what about on the plane? Air travel seems like the perfect environment for spreading diseases and viruses, you are in close contact with a large group of people, in a locked cabin breathing recycled air. However, the risk of catching Covid-19 or another virus while on an airplane is not that much greater than the risk on other forms of mass transport. The World Health Organisation states that you are at risk of potentially catching infectious diseases if a person sitting in your row or two rows in front or behind is infected and is coughing or sneezing. There is no real need to worry about the people that are further away from you on the plane.
Airplane air is frequently filtered through hospital-grade HEPA filters that remove 99% of bacteria from the air, making it cleaner and less dangerous than the air on a bus or train with the windows closed. HEPA stands for high-efficiency particle air. A HEPA filter is a mechanical air filter that works by forcing the air through a fine mesh that traps harmful pathogens, removing them from the air. In a plane, this filtered air is mixed with fresh air and recirculated within the cabin very regularly.
The real worry about being on a plane is that you are left with very few options should the person next to you be sick. On a train or a bus you can get up and move away from the, however because most planes fly full, the opportunity to get up and move is not always available. The best we can do as frequent travelers is to protect ourselves as much as possible and take precautions whenever we can.
Here are some health and hygiene tips for the plane to help you avoid getting sick.
Pack disinfectant wipes in your carry on and wipe down the seat, seat belt, tray table and arm rest before you sit down. If you are by the window don’t forget to wipe down the wall beside you too.
Choose a window seat whenever you can. A window seat puts you in proximity to less people and reduces your risk of being close to a sick person.
Do no take complimentary pillows or blankets. While airlines will have procedures in place to thoroughly clean any items distributed to traveling passengers it is best practice to avoid using anything that is not your own.
Use card payments or exact change whenever possible. Cash is a high traffic touch item and runs the risk of transmitting germs from one end of the plane to the other.
Avoid using the bathroom if you can. Bathrooms are small, enclosed, high traffic areas within the plane and so become high risk areas for viruses to spread. If you do need to use the bathroom, ensure you wash your hands thoroughly before returning to your seat.
Turn on your overhead air vent on. Although the air in the cabin is generally safe, turning your air vent on can help disperse any pathogens in the air around you and ensure you are breathing the freshest possible air.
Follow the health precautions recommended by the World Health Organisation, i.e. wash or sanitize your hands whenever possible, avoid touching you face and cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue and dispose of it immediately.
Remember your health an well-being is always important, and especially when you are traveling. Take care of yourself and others and Travel Well. For more information on how you can prevent the spread of Covid-19 and help boost your immune system to fight it check out this post.
