Travel and lifestyle journalist Francesca Page talks about how air travel standards will change due to the coronavirus.
How risky is it to fly during the coronavirus pandemic?
Flying can increase your risk of exposure to the infection, but airlines are taking some precautions, and you can too.
A passenger looks at his phone while waiting on board a United Airlines plane before taking off from George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Justin Sullivan / Getty Images)
Air travel means spending time at security lines and airport terminals, putting you in close contact with other people. As the ride slowly recovers, the planes get busier, which means you will likely sit close to other people, often for hours, increasing your risk.
WITH CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTION FACILITATING, IS IT SAFE TO FLY NOW?
Once on a plane, most viruses and other germs do not spread easily due to the way air circulates, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Airlines also say they are They are focusing on disinfecting hard surfaces that passengers often touch.
Some airlines such as Alaska, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest are blocking middle seats or limiting capacity. But even if each middle seat is empty, it’s likely that it’s closer to the recommended 6-foot distance to another passenger now that the planes are filling up.
American, United and Spirit are now booking full capacity flights when they can. All leading US airlines require passengers to wear masks. Lauren Ancel Meyers, an expert on disease outbreaks at the University of Texas, says that may help limit the risk.
Passengers wearing personal protective face masks pass the Southwest Airlines ticket counter at Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida (AP Photo / Chris O’Meara)
For air travel and all other forms of transportation, the CDC recommends washing your hands, maintaining social distance, and wearing face covers.
AIRPORT RESTAURANTS, SMALL COMPANIES LOOKING FOR CORONAVIRUSES TO RELEASE FROM THE CONGRESS
Several airlines announced Monday that they will ask passengers about possible symptoms of COVID-19 and whether they have been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus in the past two weeks.
Still, Meyers said you could still consider whether you need to be on that plane. “We should all have the ‘only if necessary’ mentality and always take the greatest possible precaution to protect ourselves and others,” he said.
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