The risk of contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during air travel is lower than in an office building, classroom, supermarket, or commuter train.
How is COVID-19 transmitted?
The virus that causes COVID-19 is emitted when someone talks, coughs, sneezes or sings, primarily in droplets that can be propelled over short distances and sometimes in smaller aerosol particles that can remain suspended and travel farther.
Another person can become infected if these particles reach their mouth or nose, directly or through their hands. Transmission by surface contact is also important in some cases.
How clean is the air on passenger planes?
Air enters the cabin from the overhead inlets and flows to the floor level outlets. Air enters and leaves the cabin in the same row of seats or nearby rows. There is relatively little back and forth airflow between the rows, so respiratory particles are less likely to spread between the rows.
The airflow in today’s airliners is much faster than in normal indoor buildings. Half is fresh air from outside, the other half is recycled through HEPA filters of the same type used in operating rooms.
Any remaining risk to manage is that of contact with other passengers who may be infectious. Seat backs provide a partial physical barrier and most people remain relatively still, with little face-to-face contact.
Despite the large number of travelers, the number of suspected and confirmed cases of in-flight COVID-19 transmission among passengers around the world appears small (approximately 42 in total).
By comparison, a study of COVID-19 transmission aboard high-speed trains in China among contacts of more than 2,300 known cases showed an overall rate of 0.3% among all passengers.
The risk on board can be further reduced with facial coverings, such as in other environments where physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Risk reduction steps by airports and airlines
Measures being taken at airports and on board may include:
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Additional steps being studied are pre-flight testing for COVID-19 and adjustments to quarantine requirements.
Steps Passengers Can Take Wear a mask, do not travel if you feel unwell, and limit carry-on luggage. Stay away from others whenever possible. Inform staff if anyone is clearly ill. If there is an overhead air nozzle, adjust it to point directly at your head and keep it fully on. If possible, remain seated and follow the crew’s instructions. Wash or sanitize your hands frequently and avoid touching your face. |
Your COVID-19 Travel Toolkit
How to protect yourself and others
Travel can broaden our horizons, enrich our lives and, especially during the holidays, reunite us with loved ones. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), traveling also increases our chance of getting and spreading COVID-19.
While some people feel ready to take to the skies, rails and highways this season, the risk may be too high for others, including seniors, smokers and those with certain pre-existing conditions, says Ravina Kullar, PharmD, infectious disease specialist and spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Those who are not at high risk should consider the potential threat they pose to people they visit, Kullar says.
In general, all travelers should practice basic safety strategies , such as wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance, disinfecting frequently touched surfaces, and washing hands often and well. (That means washing them with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.) Here, experts help you assess and reduce the risk of common modes of travel.
air travel
Airplanes may seem like the perfect environment for the spread of germs. But because most jets are equipped with powerful HEPA air filtration systems and cabin air is replaced with fresh air every few minutes, experts say they are probably safer than many other closed environments.
Still, before booking a ticket, ask what the airline is doing to reduce risk to passengers and encourage safety measures, such as wearing masks and physical distancing. Delta, for example, says it will block middle seats until at least January 6; Southwest will do the same until at least October 31.
• Does the airline require masks? If so, will crew members prevent someone from boarding who refuses to wear one? Also ask if the plane you will be traveling on has HEPA filters, if surfaces are cleaned between flights, and if the plane is thoroughly cleaned overnight.
• For the flight, bring cleaning supplies such as disinfectant wipes or cleaning solutions with at least 60 percent alcohol, hand sanitizer (up to 12 ounces allowed), and several masks. A face shield worn in addition to a mask can help protect your eyes from possible infection and prevent you from touching your face, says Maria L. Alcaide, MD, director of infectious diseases research at the University of Miami.
• At the airport, wear a mask and practice physical distancing, says Aaron Glatt, MD, chair of medicine at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside, New York. Just before boarding, use the airport bathroom, which may be safer than the one on the plane.
And consider waiting to be among the last to board to reduce the number of travelers passing you on the way to their seats. (To limit contact with passengers, carriers like United, Delta and JetBlue board in rows, starting at the back of planes.)
Some experts think that a window seat may reduce the risk because of its distance from passengers and crew members walking down the aisle. .
• Before settling in, disinfect everything you can touch: armrests, tray, blinds and air nozzle, then disinfect your hands. While it’s safer to keep your mask on throughout the flight, Alcaide and Glatt say taking it off briefly to grab a snack poses low risk.
“Try to avoid common areas, such as those near bathrooms and kitchens,” says Alcaide. Aiming purified air from the vent at his face could also help keep viruses at bay.
If you must go to the bathroom, stay masked, disinfect surfaces and knobs before touching them, and disinfect your hands after leaving.
