Airplane Air Pathogens: How to Avoid Getting Sick When Flying

Traveling is unavoidable and sometimes essential to some people’s daily lives, and catching a virus while traveling is the quickest way to ruin a trip of any kind. One of the biggest travel safety measures you need to take is to protect yourself from getting sick. There are many different diseases that can be transmitted through the air, and especially now, it’s important to protect yourself from contracting them. 

What are Air Pathogens

A pathogen is a germ or bacteria that can cause you to be ill if you come into contact with it.  Some pathogens can be spread through the air and infect you when you inhale them either through your nose or mouth. The germs get into the air when a person talks, coughs, or sneezes and creates droplets. The droplets can be visible to the eye or not. The smaller ones become particles that can stay in the air for hours and be projected over 6feet. Airborne bacteria isn’t ideal while on an airplane where some of the air you’re breathing is recycled throughout the flight. Both COVID-19 and the flu can be spread this way. So, how do you prevent getting sick while traveling both domestically and internationally? 

Precautions You Can Take

There are somethings that can help prevent you from becoming infected while flying. One of the best precautions you can take is to wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds and to avoid touching your face completely. For extra protection, bring hand sanitizer with at least 60%alcohol content to use in between washes (make sure the amount you bring is compatible with the airline’s liquid restrictions). Another effective safety measure you can take is to wear a mask securely over your nose and mouth. A mask will filter the particles in the air made by the other passengers while also catching yours. This both helps prevent you from catching a disease and from spreading one to your traveling companions. 

To enhance the effectiveness of your mask, you could also wear a face shield as an extra partition and to protect your eyes. You should also consider bringing antiseptic wipes to give your seat and tray table a quick clean before you fasten your seatbelt (you should also wipe down the buckle on your seatbelt). Maintaining a distance of 6 feet or two arm lengths between you and anyone outside your party will help you to not come into contact with any germs that they may be carrying. Following all of these safety measures will help protect you from the spread of COVID-19, the flu, and any other airborne disease that may make its way onto the airplane with you. 

Traveling Safety Help Through BASS Urgent Care

Before you travel anywhere, it is best to have a COVID-19 test and a flu vaccination. At BASS Urgent Care, we offer COVID testing both inside our facility and from the comfort of your vehicle. After you receive your COIVD-19 test, you should quarantine for 2-3 days while you wait for your results. We also administer the flu vaccination at BASS Urgent Care. to schedule your COVID-19 test or your flu vaccination, you can visit our website or call us at  (925) 329-3719. For flu vaccinations, we also accept walk-ins between the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00 pm on weekdays and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. For more information about preventing illness while traveling, please contact BASS Urgent Care where we are equipped to answer all your domestic and international travel questions.