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The risk of spreading the coronavirus on public transport has remained substantially low during the pandemic, as shown by several international studies.
Security measures imposed on public transport worldwide from COVID-19 Their success has made them “the safest places in the world,” Dr. Julian Tang, professor of respiratory sciences at the University of Leicester, told Sky News.
He said that if people took the same precautions in other high-risk areas, such as busy streets and pubs, the number of cases would drop there.
The latest data from France show only 1.2% of the country’s 2,830 coronavirus The conglomerates (three or more cases of a place or event in seven days) registered between May 1 and September 28 occurred in any type of transport (airplanes, ships and trains).
Two thirds of them were recorded as broadcast in business, school and university settings, public and private events and health centers.
Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated places in the world and heavily reliant on public transportation, has seen an overall infection rate of 68 cases per 100,000, far less than Western countries like the US, which it has 2,198 per 100,000 and Spain. which has 1,602.
Although there is no expert consensus, some researchers suggest that the widespread use of masks could be one of the main reasons for the low transmission rates in Hong Kong.
Dr Tang said: “In Asia, there was already a culture of being very vigilant in public transport, so they were wearing masks in Singapore and Hong Kong as soon as they found out about the virus.”
Hong Kong MTR passengers wear masks since the pandemic began
In Japan, the strategy to contain the virus was not based on massive testing or national shutdowns, but on urging people to stay away from the “three C’s”: confined spaces, crowds, and close-contact environments where people talk. face to face. -face.
Japan’s approach was based on finding the places with the most outbreaks and determining their common characteristics, Science Magazine reported.
Gyms, pubs, music clubs, and karaoke bars had the most outbreaks and all went against the three Cs.
Public transport also had these characteristics, but groups have not been traced to the country’s busy rail network.
The government of Japan has used the ‘three C’s’ strategy to combat the COVID-19 outbreaks. Photo: Ministry of Health of Japan
“In Japan, they are not allowed to speak on the subway, so even though the Tokyo subway is one of the busiest in the world, they managed to stay safe because they were also wearing masks,” said Dr. Tang.
Public transport expert Mohamed Mezghani, secretary general of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), told Sky News: “Public transport was stigmatized at the beginning of the pandemic and, as a result, train, train and bus stations they were regularly disinfected from the start.
“The use of face covers, in almost all countries, was also made mandatory from the beginning.”
Droplet and aerosol transmission
COVID-19 is often transmitted from an infected person through droplets that are generated when you speak, cough, sneeze, or exhale.
Some of these turn into aerosol particles, which are lighter than droplets and can spread further and stay in the air longer, and anyone who inhales them can become infected.
Several studies have concluded that the transmission of droplets and aerosols can be prevented, or at least limited, through the use of a face shield, even in more confined spaces such as public transport.
There is also less interaction between people on public transport, so the relative lack of talking, yelling and laughing reduces transmission.
Eating and drinking is prohibited in many transportation systems around the world and occurs very little where it is not prohibited, meaning that eating and drinking aerosols do not spread.
People also tend to spend less time on public transport than if they were in the office or in a restaurant, which also minimizes exposure.
Social distancing is also key, as many governments reduce public transportation capacity during the pandemic.
Ventilation also plays an important role in preventing aerosols from remaining in spaces.
“The transportation systems have increased their ventilation, so they are actually much safer than other smaller spaces,” Mezghani said.
“The ventilation is not through the windows, it is not necessarily felt because it is done mechanically.
“Long-distance trains actually have one of the best vents, French high-speed trains renew the air every 2.5 minutes, others every five minutes.”
Frequent surface cleaning in public transportation was a high priority from the start.
Surface transmission
Some of the droplets from an infected person are too heavy to stay in the air, so they land on floors and surfaces.
Touching those surfaces and then touching our eyes, mouth, or nose increases the risk of transmitting the virus, and we touch our faces 20 times an hour, on average.
This is why cleaning hands and surfaces is so important and is something that public transportation systems began to increase immediately.
Transport for London (TfL) now uses a cleaning substance similar to those used in hospitals and has installed 1,000 hand disinfection points across its network.
Network Rail has added a warning system in their app to notify passengers if a station is busy, trains and ‘high touch’ areas at stations are cleaned more frequently and additional train cars are provided where possible to facilitate social distancing, while disinfectant is provided at stations.
But, “the effectiveness of hand hygiene increases when combined with other measures, such as masks,” found a SAGE article.
Use of public transport remains low
Despite evidence from several countries of few infections connected to public transport, this could be due to a lack of data and resources.
It is easier to detect clusters in places that already have the infrastructure, such as hospitals or schools, but it is more difficult to identify them from public transport.
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Dr Tang added: “If people follow precautions everywhere, it can be effective, as seen in Asia and then Europe, but if people don’t follow them, there is a risk.”
“It is not just the responsibility of the public transport company or the government, it is a social contract of the public to adhere to the rules to keep people safe.”
But, the low number of transmissions reported from public transportation could also be affected by a drop in usage.
The use of private vehicles has returned to pre-pandemic levels, while trains and buses continue to fall between 60% and 40%.
In London, Birmingham, Madrid, and New York, Apple found fewer people searching for directions on public transport using Apple Maps than at the beginning of the year.
It seems that the stigma against public transport is still there and you run the risk of nullifying any positive impacts on climate change that did not have the use of cars during peak hours.
