Getting packed and ready to head home to California for some good old fashioned disfunctional family fun … yippy!;) Oddly enough, it’s not endless bickering at Christmas dinner that I’m dreading but what kind of germs I will be picking up on the airplane ride over there! It seems without fail: Fly in a crowded plane = come home with a nasty cold.
Most of us blame recirculated air throughout the cabin for the spread of germs. But studies have shown that high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters on most jets today can capture 99.97% of bacterial and virus-carrying particles. That said, when air circulation is shut down, which sometimes happens during long waits on the ground or for short periods when passengers are boarding or exiting, infections can spread like wildfire.
One well-known study in 1979 found that when a plane sat three hours with its engines off and no air circulating, 72% of the 54 people on board got sick within two days. The flu strain they had was traced to one passenger. For that reason, the Federal Aviation Administration issued an advisory in 2003 to airlines saying that passengers should be removed from planes within 30 minutes if there’s no air circulation (or, in my opinion given a few free cocktails…lol), but compliance isn’t mandatory.
So as we get ready to fly the friendly skys, here are some tips to keep the germs away:
*Hydrate. Drinking water and keeping nasal passages moist with a saline spray can reduce your risk of infection.
*Clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. We often infect ourselves, touching mouth, nose or eyes with our own hands that have picked up something.
*Use a disinfecting wipe to clean off tray tables before using.
*Avoid seat-back pockets.
*Open your air vent, and aim it so it passes just in front of your face. Filtered airplane air can help direct airborne contagions away from you.
*Change seats if you end up near a cougher, sneezer or someone who looks feverish. That may not be possible on very full flights, but worth a try. One sneeze can produce up to 30,000 droplets that can be propelled as far as six feet.
*Raise concerns with the crew if air circulation is shut off for an extended period.
*Avoid airline pillows and blankets
Do you have any other tips to keep germ-free when traveling? Post them in the comments section below. Have a safe, happy, and most of all HEALTHY Holiday Season!:)
Tags: airplanes, cold prevention, colds, germs, healthy travel
