According to The Straits Times, according to the world's foremost medical counsel to airlines, travellers are twice or even three times more likely to get Covid-19 during a flight since the advent of the Omicron form.
The new strain is highly transmissible and has quickly grown dominant, accounting for more than 70% of all new cases in the United States alone.
Face-to-face contact and regularly contacting surfaces should be avoided by passengers. (Photo / Retrieved from Pixabay)
Despite the fact that current passenger airplanes have hospital-grade air filters, the danger of infection is significantly lower on flights than in busy places on the ground, such as shopping malls, Omicron is fast spreading as more people take to the skies for year-end vacations and family reunions.
Read More: Muslim-friendly environment in Taoyuan, Longgang Mosque underwent building expansion
According to Dr. David Powell, physician and medical consultant to the International Air Transport Association (Iata), which represents over 300 airlines worldwide, business class may be safer than more densely packed economy seats.
Passengers should avoid face-to-face contact and regularly touched surfaces, and persons sitting close to each other at meals should try not to be unmasked at the same time, he said.
"The relative danger has undoubtedly grown, just as the relative risk of going to the shop or taking the bus has probably increased," said Dr Powell, former chief medical officer of Air New Zealand, in an interview with Bloomberg News on Tuesday (Dec 21).
Read More: Expanding Greens for Pedestrian Walkway Between MRT Shilin, Jiantan Stations
What are the dangers of contracting an infection when flying?
Whatever the danger was with Delta, we'd have to believe the risk with Omicron would be two to three times higher, as we've observed in prior situations. Whatever the low danger on the plane is - we don't know - it must be increased by an equal amount.
What can travelers do to reduce their risks?
Avoid touching common-touch surfaces, use masks, establish distancing, controlled-boarding processes, aim to avoid face-to-face contact with other customers, and avoid being unmasked in flight, for meal and drink services, unless absolutely essential.
