“The risk for on-board transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during long flights is real and has the potential to cause COVID-19 clusters of substantial size, even in business class-like settings with spacious seating arrangements well beyond the established distance used to define close contact on airplanes,” the study concluded.
A single airline passenger unknowingly sickened with coronavirus managed to infect 15 other people aboard the 10-hour trip to Vietnam, highlighting the dangers of travel amid the pandemic. The global health crisis had only just begun its spread across Europe when the plane took off from a London airport back in March. By the time it touched down in the Vietnamese city of Hanoi, 12 passengers in business class, two in economy and a single crew member had contracted the fast-spreading disease. Researchers behind a new Centers for Disease Control study, slated to be published in November, identified a 27-year-old business woman from Vietnam to be the likely source of the outbreak. She’d been based in London since early January and was experiencing a sore throat ahead of her return home. “On February 22, case 1 and her sister returned to Milan, Italy, and subsequently traveled to Paris, France, for the yearly Fashion Week before returning back to London on February 25,” they wrote in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Around that time, few cases had been reported in Britain and masks had not yet been required for the flight, which departed on March 1. “She was seated in business class and continued to experience the sore throat and cough throughout the flight,” the researchers added. Five days later, she went to the hospital and tested positive for coronavirus. CDC researchers then tracked down all 217 passengers and crew, tested them for the virus and ordered them quarantine. Investigators said there was no other likely way any of the 15 people could have been infected aside from exposure to the sick patient. “The most likely route of transmission during the flight is aerosol or droplet transmission from case 1, particularly for persons seated in business class,” they wrote. “Contact with case 1 might also have occurred outside the airplane at the airport, in particular among business class passengers in the predeparture lounge area or during boarding.” And while researchers believe masks are an effective tool to prevent the spread of the virus, they called for additional on-board precautions and screening procedures.
“The risk for on-board transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during long flights is real and has the potential to cause COVID-19 clusters of substantial size, even in business class-like settings with spacious seating arrangements well beyond the established distance used to define close contact on airplanes,” the study concluded.
Nick Note: I want to be crystal clear here. Flying will put you at extreme risk of catching the coronavirus. Taking temperate and even testing only tells you the passenger was not infected 2 weeks ago. Airlines recirculate 50% of the cabin air. The filters are minimal HEPTA H10. A sick joke. And and i can tell you for a fact their is NO disease tracing of people who fly that have gotten sick. 4 staff members contracted the virus. Musa, Dennis and recently Anna. Dennis and Anna were treated with Hydroxycholoroquine. I was i n contact with Musa and Dennis and despite our papers masks at the time I got symptoms. I immediately took Hydroxycholoroquine And my mild symptoms disappeared. Muad trusted the English health care system. By the time Anna flew we had our new P3 filters. Anna tested positive twice and was cured with Hydroxycholoroquine and after 10 days tested negative. By the time Anna returned we were smarter and put her in isolation, Unfortunately for Musa their were no tests available at the time and he was dying. I got involved and insisted he get a MRI which i payed for because the English health care system would not provide the scan. The results showed scarring and inflammation which was treated with steroids. His infection and swelling cleared up. But unfortunately he had permanent lung damage and is unable to work. So i do not want to hear any airlines self serving spin. New policy you fly don’t come here. For the record their was no follow up or infection testing or tracing by the airlines. Other airlines do not get involved when passengers get sick after a flight, which is most often the case. They do not care and do not want to know. You fly you die!!! Musa by his choice is no longer with us and i am sad…… Funny how this CDC study has been burred……. FUCK the airlines…….. I feel guilty since p payed for all the flights. For the record i begged Anna not to make the trip…….. It is now settled business NO FLYING…… And interesting no one is arguing with me any more!