There is no reason for people to avoid flying due to fear of swine flu contagion, says transport expert Dr. Tomer Goodovitch. Although many travelers are worried by the danger of influenza infection to passengers sealed inside a closed airliner cabin for long hours, the actual risk is minimal, thanks to modern aircraft design and to safety precautions undertaken after the SARS epidemic. Simple precautions can help travelers on older aircraft as well.
As the number of confirmed swine-influenza cases rises, so does global concern over the role aircraft could play in the disease's spread. Most people believe that confined spaces, such as trains, buses and aircrafts are nowadays the source for Swine Flu disease spread and pose a serious threat of potential infection. Vice President Joe Biden caused increased concern by stating that "if one person sneezes in the aircraft it goes all the way through the aircraft" on NBC’s “Today Show". Airlines are still scrambling to calm jittery passengers, but doctors and medical experts with little understanding in modern aviation have only increased fears. This has resulted in decreased air travel and unnecessary government actions in airports, causing unneeded passenger delays.
There is no reason for people to avoid trains and planes, says Dr. Goodovitch. "The fact is that the air onboard a commercial aircraft is cleaner than the air you breathe in most public buildings. Airlines have learned much about preventing the spread of disease onboard flights since the SARS outbreak in 2003, when a Singapore Airlines flight attendant and a physician contracted the deadly respiratory ailment on the same flight".
Modern wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 or 767 have much improved ventilation. The air recirculation rate inside an airliner is greater than in most office environments, creating a constant flow of air. This turbulent air greatly diminishes a micro-organism's ability to travel and transmit effectively. Therefore, the risk for passengers inside airplanes is probably lower than in most closed spaces.
In addition, most airplanes have cabin air-filtration systems equipped with highly efficient HEPA-type filters. HEPA filters are designed to remove particulates and biological particles from the re-circulated air. Filter assemblies installed on all modern large airplanes have a minimum efficiency of 94 percent to 99.97 percent D.O.P. as measured by MIL-STD-282. A HEPA-type filter is rated using 0.3 micron size particles. In fact 99% of bacteria are larger than 1 micron explaining the high efficiency of these filters in disease spread control. Tests showed that 92% of the aircraft has lower bacteria and fungi levels than in most homes.
Nonetheless, one must remember that 25% of all US aircraft that re-circulate cabin air do not use such filters. In such aircraft Dr. Goodovitch recommends the following additional measures to avoid the risk of Swine Flu while traveling:
1. Avoid being seated within two rows of any coughing or suspected sick person
2. In old aircraft, attach a small air filter (or a hygienic pad) to the air nozzle located above your passenger seat
3. Avoid long flights of over 6 hours. If not possible, opt for flight options with a stopover to change planes.
© 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
