As coronavirus claims more lives in China and the virus spreads to new continents, airline travelers are growing more concerned about catching the virus while in flight.  Americans currently face a low risk of becoming infected by the coronavirus. However, the CDC has issued statements confirming that this is a severe public health threat.  Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface. While that sounds dangerous, they are a common virus that causes symptoms such as a runny nose, headache, cough, and sore throat. In 2019, a new strain of coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, China. While this strain has not previously been identified in humans, most people will get infected with a coronavirus at some time in their life.

While this is a rapidly changing situation, it is providing an excellent opportunity to reflect on healthy habits individuals should practice while traveling by plane.

Wash Hands

Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands.  Germs can also be transmitted through less obvious ways such as touching an object or surface with the virus on it.  When these germs get onto your hands and are not washed off, you can quickly become infected with a cold, influenza, or coronavirus after touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.   The optimal way to wash your hands is to lather them with soap, for 20 seconds, to cause friction and lift germs off of your skin. After rinsing them under clean, running water, make sure to either air dry them or use a clean towel. 

Use Sanitizers

Hand Sanitizers have been cited as useful because germs can live on surfaces for up to 7 days on a flight. But don't stop there! Make sure to sanitize your tray tables, armrests, and seat buckles. Remember, everyone touches their seat buckles at least twice during each flight. Despite our high hopes, these items are not cleaned by flight attendants. If you are anxious about coronavirus, avoid using a tray table.  But if you must, don't forget to take that extra step and sanitize the bottom of your laptop or notebook before you pack it away in your carry on.

Use a facemask

Prevent airborne germs by wearing a face mask, sitting next to a window seat when possible, and turning on your air vent. Public Health officials state that the transmission risk for most respiratory infectious diseases occurs when the passenger is sitting within two rows of an infectious passenger. This means that the transmission zone actually compromises five rows according to this CDC Diagram.

Stay hydrated and eat well

Eat well and hydrate before and after your flight.  Most commercial flights are very dry, and the humidity levels in cabins are typically between just 10 to 20 percent.  Staying hydrated helps your mucociliary clearance system, which is your body’s self-cleaning mechanism that protects your respiratory system. By keeping hydrated, you will boost your immune response by enabling your body to better fight viruses. Additionally, airports can be filled with nutrient-deficient foods that are high in sugar and fat, which make you feel sluggish.  By eating well, explicitly focusing on foods rich in Vitamin-C, you protect yourself from getting sick by keeping your immune system healthy. After your flight, eat antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, which are known to help delay or even prevent cell damage in the body by neutralizing free radicals. 

Rest well before your flight 

While more sleep won’t prevent you from getting sick, your body needs sleep to fight infectious diseases by keeping your immune system healthy.  This occurs when your body releases cytokines, which are proteins that regulate your body’s immune response. These protein molecules fight viruses and inflammation by sending cells to infected or distressed areas.

It is important to remember that this is a rapidly changing situation, and as more about the virus is understood, recommendations may change.  Please stay alert before your flight, and after you return, if you have any concerns, speak with your primary health care provider right away. While these tips will help protect you from coronavirus now, it’s important to remember that the five steps above should be followed before and after every flight as the most significant health concern in America is still influenza. 

References

CDC. (2019). 2019 Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), Wuhan, China. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html

Skinner, D., Marro, B. S., & Lane, T. E. (2019). Chemokine CXCL10 and coronavirus-induced neurologic disease. Viral Immunology, 32(1), 25–37. Doi: 10.1089/vim.2018.0073