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Both SAS and Norwegian will require the use of mouthwash by their passengers starting Monday, May 18.
The use of the mask, on the other hand, is not one of the recommendations of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
Distance is the most important thing
They still point out that one of the most important measures is to keep their distance, as they also write in their Aviation Infection Protection Guidelines, according to Senior Adviser Nina Kristine Sorknes, who works in the Department of Infection and Emergency Protection.
According to Sorknes, medical mouthwashes have documented a good filtering effect and protect both the user and the environment, but this is currently a globally deficient situation and should be reserved for the health service.
SAS wants passengers to bring their own mouthwash for the March 18 trip, while Norwegian has not yet clarified how mouthwash should be used on its aircraft.
– It can increase the risk of infection.
– Non-medical masks have an unknown filtering effect. These masks mainly protect the people around the user and, to a lesser extent, the user himself. Improper use of non-medical masks can increase the risk of infection due to increased face contact, says Sorknes.
She goes on to say that the Institute of Public Health does not rule out a certain infection-reducing effect of non-medical masks, and that FHI is conducting a new knowledge summary on the use of non-medical masks to see if there is new knowledge.
– It is important to note that the FHI’s advice is continually evaluated based on updated knowledge and the current epidemiological situation, he emphasizes.
Do not go beyond other measures.
Sorknes notes that SAS’s introduction of precautionary measures regarding the use of non-medical masks should not be done at the expense of other recommended preventive measures.
John Eckhoff, SAS press chief, tells Dinside that, although they do introduce mouthwash on all flights from May 18 to August 31, they keep the contagion advice at a distance from FHI’s internal policies.
– Blocked center seat was introduced as a result of guidance from Norwegian authorities on airborne infection control. We follow this in Norway on domestic flights, says Eckhoff.
This is how airlines should follow the EU’s mouth-watering tips
Sorknes believes that the use of mouthwash by the council of the EU teams is due in part to the much higher prevalence of covid-19 in other European countries than in the Nordic countries.
She believes that airlines that are considering and introducing the use of non-medical face masks as an important infection control measure should follow this as follows:
– The airline must offer this to customers when boarding. If the measure has any purpose, airlines should standardize the process and choose a product of a certain quality, Sorknes emphasizes.
Recommends and prepares information material for clients on how to put on the face mask and even the description of critical points during use.
– Airlines must think about how to launch face masks. In addition, hand hygiene should be facilitated when removing face masks, says Sorknes.
WHO advice on the use of mouthwash
The World Health Organization (WHO) writes on its website that wearing a medical mask may limit the spread of certain respiratory viral diseases, including covid-19, but that wearing a mask alone is not sufficient to provide an adequate level of protection. Therefore, other measures, such as physical distance and hand hygiene, must be implemented.
WHO also writes that its goal is to provide scientifically sound but practical recommendations for the safety and well-being of people in all settings. They believe that there is currently insufficient evidence for or against the use of masks (medical or otherwise) for healthy people in society.
Therefore, they continue to recommend that medical masks be worn by those who are sick or who care for them.
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