According to this article, however the contact tracing of people who may have been exposed to identified positive airline passengers is poor in many countries.
It is hard to believe since most passengers were unmasked until recently.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/ndp-health-critic-airlines-covid19-1.5656095
"We are collecting data on the possibility of transmission onboard aircraft. With everything that is being done on aircraft, with respect to cleaning between flights, with respect to the air flow system, with the way the air flows on the aircraft, there is no evidence, there is not a case yet of somebody actually picking up the virus onboard the aircraft," he said.
Also https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/cox/2020/07/03/flying-during-coronavirus-how-often-do-airlines-replace-hepa-filters/5363489002/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/columnist/cox/2020/05/07/coronavirus-jets-hepa-filters-capable-removing-particulates/5175787002/
There are plentiful reports of flight staff being infected with COVID.
https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2020-04-15/words-you-dont-want-to-hear-from-a-flight-attendant-i-tested-positive
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/airline-news/2020/07/07/covid-19-hawaiian-airlines-flight-attendants-positive-coronavirus/5392105002/
https://www.paddleyourownkanoo.com/2020/07/22/qantas-cabin-crew-were-discouraged-from-wearing-face-masks-or-gloves-because-it-wouldnt-look-right/
Emirates airline, the United Arab Emirates flag carrier, has become the world's first airline to offer to cover customers' medical expenses and quarantine costs should they contract Covid-19 during their trip. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/emirates-covid-19-expenses-cover/index.html
"Here’s how coronavirus spreads on a plane—and the safest place to sit"
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/01/how-coronavirus-spreads-on-a-plane/
"How Coronavirus Spread In One Restaurant Shows Why Air Travel Is Safer Than You Think"
https://www.forbes.com/sites/willhorton1/2020/04/22/how-coronavirus-spread-in-one-restaurant-shows-why-air-travel-is-safer-than-you-think/#2e468ddd1972
Regardless of the scientific data for the air circulation inside the plane, don't forget the "walkway of death" when boarding or getting off the aircraft, where a steady flow of air is hitting you directly in the face, possibly carrying respiratory droplets from people who don't care about the others as much as you do:
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200612-why-coronavirus-will-change-how-we-board-a-plane
I worked with many people who came down with the flu and missed a few days of work (in normal times) right after flying, I don't see how the coronavirus would be more forgiving. Take care.
One of the Hawaiian Airlines Covid cluster victims in the article died yesterday. He said on day 1 of the training session there was no sd or masks (except himself since he was the only one worried about Covid.) How dumb can people bein late June 2020? Well, day 2 was even worse. Afterwards HA put in some guidelines for future training sessions to protect people.
I would say that the flight isn’t that high risk but the destination could be. Hotspots like the USA (currently) are not good places to travel unless you have to.
n-o, Cause here is the thing . . . for YEARS . . . literally years . . . we've all heard that planes circulate the air in such a way that germs stay put and you can get sick. WHY would covid 19 be different? Maybe they've not had a lot of outbreaks but how much travel are people doing? Asymptomatic people are still the threat. I'd have to be dragged kicking and screaming on a plane right now.
Paxiled Nov 16
"Turns out they don't circulate air in a harmful way, according to the experts now. Probably didn't pay as much attention to it until covid has nearly put the airline industry out of biz" That is a wrong guess, so not "probably". The airlines always had the expensive filtration systems, which also has lots of fresh air intake and the article I linked before said they changed the filters ahead of manufacturer's recommended dates.
mombojombo Nov 16
"close quarters with rude people who don't wear masks because they need to eat their snacks on the plane is a preventative measure for me flying." Read my Nov 10 articles linked to studies. I don't fly either but there have been many airline passengers this year with depending on the study says no transmission occurred in the cabin. The airlines require masks and for people to face forward so I imagine people are not allowed to take their masks off for long while snacking. There have been lots of arrivals who turned up positive, so there have definitely been infectious people on the planes.
Article today says this. ""The rare cases where we have seen transmission on airplanes it's on the long flights, the ones that are five hours, or more like nine hours, 14 hours," Marr said." https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/air-travel-risk-covid-19-wellness/index.html It gives tips on the best ways to try to protect yourself.
I think I get sick every time I've flown. Pass. Hard pass.
I know this is old, but I didn't want to create a whole new thread when this exists. What do you all think of air travel with the Delta variant now? Would you do it?
Have an opportunity, and am so conflicted. Thoughts?