Is air travel a high-risk transmission environment?
No. The risk of transmission on airplanes is very low.
Travelers who develop SARS symptoms, as well as other respiratory illnesses
accompanied by a fever, are advised not to undertake travel until fully
recovered. Local departments of health in SARS outbreak countries have also
undertaken precautionary screening measures, which may include temperature
checks for all passengers, to prevent infected passengers from traveling.
Over 200 million passengers have flown since early March,
of which approximately one-third in Asia.
Since the beginning of April, six flights carried SARS
suspect cases on board, but no cases of in-flight transmission have
occurred. No cases of SARS suspect cases onboard have occurred since
effective screening measures were introduced.
Do aircraft have adequate ventilation?
Yes. The configurations of the air circulation system for
commercial aircraft are designed to the specifications of international
aviation regulations as well as guidelines of aircraft manufacturers,
including Boeing and Airbus.
Circulation: In-flight, fresh air is introduced into the
cabin continuously. The entire cabin air volume is exchanged every three
minutes.
Airflow: The airflow movement is designed to minimize the
potential for spreading of bacteria through the cabin.
Filter: Most major airlines install HEPA (High Efficiency
Particulate Air) filters which are highly efficient in removing dust and
airborne contaminants such as droplets, bacterium and large viral particles.
This filter type is also used by hospital operating theatres.
Humidity/Air Quality: As the humidity is quite low, this
makes the cabin environment quite inhospitable to germs’ survival and
growth.
Is there a risk of getting infected by another passenger
on board a flight?
Information to date suggests that there is no
transmission of infection from persons with no symptoms of the disease (such
as fever, cough or sneeze).
Are passengers at risk from the cabin crew?
No, all cabin crew should be medically fit and physically
capable to fly and fulfill their duties on board. If they feel unwell, or
have symptoms such as fever or cough, they would not be working.
Should passengers take any precautions when traveling on
airplanes?
Travelers from SARS outbreak countries who demonstrate
symptoms of SARS such as fever and respiratory symptoms should postpone
further travels and seek medical advice immediately.
All persons should observe good personal hygiene. Wash
hands frequently. If passengers cough or sneeze while onboard, they should
cover their mouth and nose, and wash their hands afterwards.
Should passengers wear masks when traveling by air?
Those who feel more comfortable for personal reasons may
choose to wear a mask. However, the best defense against SARS is to maintain
good personal and environmental hygiene (such as frequent hand washing).
What is the risk for a person sitting next to a SARS
infected passenger on board a flight?
With the new screening methods in place in SARS outbreak
countries, the chances of a potentially sick passenger traveling on board an
aircraft and transmitting the disease to others is very low.
Current data supports that a person is not infectious
unless they are sick or symptomatic. Based on available epidemiological
data, the vast majority of transmissions have occurred as a result of
respiratory droplet spread through close person to person contacts.
If an apparently healthy passenger boarded a flight, and
then proceeded to develop respiratory symptoms during the flight, guidelines
from the WHO, local departments of health and the Center for Disease Control
(CDC) provide for airline crew to place a facemask on that passenger,
isolate them where possible and block off the vacated seat if possible.
A dedicated toilet will be blocked off for use by the
suspect passenger. Therefore, the risk of transmitting the disease is very
low.
