Removing the middle seat on airplanes may help further reduce the low risk of in-flight coronaviruses, new research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology suggested.
The document, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, points to the risk of contracting COVID-19 from nearby passengers on a full flight in about 1 in 4,300. According to the research findings, that risk drops to 1 in 7,700 when the center seat is not reserved.
AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT SAYS SOME PASSENGERS ARE CREATING CREATIVES BY REMOVING THE MASKS
The research paper, titled “Covid-19 Risk Among Airline Passengers: Should The Center Seat Be Empty?” It was written by award-winning MIT statistician Arnold Barnett and published on MedRxiv earlier this month.
The calculations, writes Barnett, “suggest a measurable reduction in the risk of COVID-19 when the intermediate seats on airplanes are deliberately kept open.”
The document explores the risks associated with full flights, as airlines are once again starting to book planes at full capacity after months of blocking the middle seat, or landing flights entirely due to the pandemic.
(iStock)
He also notes that “it is not clear that the risk of becoming infected during a flight is greater than the risk associated with daily activities during the pandemic.”
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
The document explores the risks associated with full flights, as airlines are once again starting to book planes at full capacity after months of blocking the middle seat, or landing flights entirely due to the pandemic.
“Airlines are setting their own policies, but airlines and the public must be aware of the risk implications of their choices,” Barnett told ZDNet of his findings.
The study was based on estimates that passengers were wearing masks, reducing the risk by 82 percent.
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS
However, the risk estimates “do not consider the possibility of infection during boarding and leaving the plane, by contagious passengers walking down the aisle to the bathroom, or in the same bathroom.”
In comparison, Barnett adds that estimates imply that COVID-19 “mortality risks for uninfected air travelers are higher than those associated with plane crashes, but probably less than one in a million.”
Starting in July, American Airlines and United have started reserving intermediate seats.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
JetBlue and Alaska Airlines have stated that their ban on intermediate seats will last until the end of July, while Delta and Southwest will continue theirs until September.
