The Aviation Industry, which was one of the worst-hit during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus has since been working its way to providing safe travels again for passengers. A study showed that the risk of exposure to covid-19 during flights is minimal. This does not eliminate the need for you to undergo a PCR test in London to know if you are coronavirus-free.
Based on this, the airline industry, which generally has been greatly impacted by the effects of the novel coronavirus, can have a breath of relief while bouncing back into the business.
It has also been discovered during a study that for a seated passenger putting on their mask, 0.003 per cent of air particles on average within the breathing zone found around the person’s head is infectious.
However, this test used the assumption that only one person on the aircraft was infected without modelling the impact of cabin movement carried out by other passengers.
In another study conducted on two different aeroplanes, experts claimed that the use of face masks played a great role in lowering the risk of exposure to infection when a passenger coughs or sneezes even when seated close to you.
More details of this study showed that around 99.9 per cent of air particles were filtered out of the aircraft cabin in just 6 minutes during flight. This is achieved by fast air circulation, downward air ventilation and filtration system on the plane.
It is also estimated according to this study that for a passenger to contract enough amount of the virus from an infected person, the duration of flight had to be 54 hours.
Going by these findings, this implies that your chances of being exposed to the coronavirus on a plane are very low regardless of having a full flight. This study spanned 6 months and covered 300 tests taken during a flight duration of 38 hours, and 45 hours of ground testing.
Reports from The International Air Transport Association (IATA) states that only 44 cases of coronavirus since the start of 2020 were related to flights which involved about 1.2 billion passengers.
Following this, it is quite safe to say that nothing is without risk, but the announced cases of coronavirus spread reveal that the chances of having this viral infection on flights seem to be classified as ‘being struck by lightning’.
It is no longer news that this pandemic has greatly affected the aviation industry. In some countries like the U.S, the number of flights taken this year is 65 per cent lower than its rate one year ago.
Before going on a flight, you can take a PCR swab test as some countries may want evidence of your coronavirus status at the destination airport. Do well to maintain all the precautionary measures put in place by the public health organisation including regular hand washing, use of face mask, hand sanitisers and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces. Also avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. It rests on you to stay safe.
