Air onby Diana Fairechild
DISEASES SPREAD ON BOARD, DON'T CATCH ONE

Swine flu, pneumonia, measles, meningitis, SARS, tuberculosis, mumps, and the common cold — airborne diseases are known to spread in airplane cabins due to the low-ceilinged, high-density confines of the aircraft cabin where there is less available oxygen than many other environments. Way less fresh air, for example, than on a crowded New York City bus.

REDUCING PASSENGERS' FRESH AIR

Airlines reduce the passengers' fresh air to save money. Pilots reduce the fresh air in the passenger cabins, but not for themselves in the cockpit.

The amount of oxygen-rich, fresh air the pilots get is believed adequate to keep them clear-headed for the safety of the airplane. A case can be made that the low-oxygen, recirculated air that passengers breathe can make them woozy, grumpy and vulnerable to catching contagious diseases.

According to the book, The Airliner Cabin Environment (National Academy Press, page 43), when the pilots cut back on air, these pilots get ten times more fresh air than economy passengers get. This happens every day on many airlines.

A study of office buildings found that the transmission of contagious diseases increases significantly when a large percentage of air is recirculated. It seems logical to apply this finding to the airline cabin environment.

Though using all the fresh air available on board isn't going to eliminate the transmission of contagious diseases in aircraft cabins, it will very likely help to reduce the transmission of contagious diseases on board.

Passengers seated closest to the contagious individual are most at risk. There are other considerations, as well, including where the contagious passenger is seated in relation to the aircraft's air vents; the departure location which determines the humidity in the cabin for the first few hours; the flight time; the number of passengers on board; and if the contagious passenger coughs while walking around the aircraft.

DIANA FAIRECHILD'S TIPS REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION OF CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ON AIRPLANES

TIP1: Since contagious diseases can spread on board when we cough, sneeze and talk, it's obvious that you will be less at risk if you cover your nose and mouth. I like to use a simple cotton handkerchief because I can rince it out after each flight. Also, on board, I saturate the hankie with my own drinking water to humidify my personal breathing space. At a medical convention, I surveyed a room full of physicians from the podium and all of them agreed with me that wearing a moist hankie over the nose and mouth significantly reduces our risk of catching contagious diseases on board.

TIP 2: Carry a disposable, surgical mask in your bag in case someone on board is coughing a lot. Present this individual with the mask, perhaps saying something like you understand they would probably want to wear one of these in order to help cut down on the transmission of their disease. I recommend this for others because a packaged mask might be more amenable to others. I do not recommend this for passengers who want to cover their own noses on a regular basis because I've found that the disposable masks have chemicals in them that are used for stiffening, and it is not healthy to breathe these chemicals on a regular basis, or even for a little if one is sensitive to these chemicals.

MANY MORE PRACTICAL AND INTRIGUING STRATEGIES FOR AIRLINE PASSENGERS ARE OFFERED IN FLYANA WORKSHOPS AND CONSULTATIONS