The 8 Habits of Healthy Air Passengers

Someone coughs or sneezes on the plane. Millions of germs become airborne. You may breathe them or they may settle on the objects around you. When you touch those objects and then touch your nose with your infected hands, you may have started the process of becoming sick. It’s a traveler’s nightmare and it occurs all too often.

Studies have shown 1 in 5 passengers may get sick from air travel. A cough or a sneeze can spread many feet in the confined space of an airplane. The SARS virus was spread between passengers several rows apart. Infection can be direct or indirect. You can touch something onto which germs may have been deposited.

Hotspots are bathrooms and the pull down tables on the back of the seats in front of you. Perhaps even the pillow or blanket you just snuggled up with. Fortunately, many airlines have upgraded their air systems by installing High Efficiency Particle Air filters, but that doesn’t help much when the person next to you is sick.

Infectious disease experts point out that one of the main concerns contributing to the fear of future pandemics such as Avian flu is the ability of viruses to rapidly spread via air travel. The National Center for Infectious Diseases states in a recent report, “On a 75-seat aircraft, 15 passengers traveling with an influenza-infected person became ill. All 15 persons were seated within 5 rows of the index patient, and 9 were seated within 2 rows.” (Emerging Infectious Diseases; 1/1/2006). The same article even refers to a case in the unfortunate situation where the cabin ventilation was temporarily off, “In 1 cluster, influenza-like illness developed in 72% of passengers seated in an airplane that was on the ground for 3 hours without ventilation and that held a person with symptomatic influenza.”

What can we do about the risk? The 8 Habits of Healthy Air Passengers listed below was compiled specifically with the air traveler in mind. The list includes advice from infectious disease specialists, the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) the World Health Organization (www.who.int) and other insights that could help reduce your risk of infection. Some steps which are normally good advice, such as avoiding sick people, or wearing face masks, are not repeated here since they may be less practical for air travelers.

1. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, with plenty of soap and running water for at least 20 seconds.
2. Use hand sanitizers. It’s not always convenient to wash you hands, so alcohol based sanitizers can help fill the gaps when you are away from the sink. You can use sanitizers or alcohol wipes at your seat.
3. Refrain from touching your eyes, mouth and especially your nose. The nose is the chief site of infection by germs that cause colds, flu, strep and other disease.
4. Be careful of re-infection. Washing and using hand sanitizers can get rid of most the germs that already exist on your hands, but these agents are only effective for a period of minutes. Your hands can easily be re-infected as soon as they come in contact with new germs. Then, if you touch your nose, you could become infected.
5. To help reduce your risk of infection, consider using Nozin Nasal Sanitizer (www.nozin.com) which is applied to the nasal openings. Steps 1 to 4 are important, but we can't always wash, use hand sanitizers or avoid touching things and our noses. Nozin® Nasal Sanitizer® fights germs at the nose, the main entry point for cold and flu germs. Plus, one application lasts for up to eight hours.
6. Stay well hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Avoid alcohol and airplane tap water. Drink bottled water.
7. Over a period of time, maintain your general health through exercise, plenty of rest and good nutrition.
8. Spread the word to help stop the spread of germs. Share this list with friends, family and associates. You want as many people to know about this advice as possible. If you’re lucky, your next traveling companion will be a practitioner.

Conclusion

These 8 habits are great healthy tips that can be very effective for most air travelers. In fact, they are good to follow anytime you are exposed to crowded areas at your office, school, theater, health club, etc. Dr. Richard Bailey, ENT, reminds us, “While studies have shown that even sanitizers alone can reduce your risk, your best chances are when you combine these recommendations into a hygienic regimen which you, and those around you, consistently follow.”

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