Avoid business class and wear a mask
There are too many variables to be able to provide a definitive answer as it relates to your COVID risk on a flight.
Not all countries or airlines demand that passengers wear masks or be vaccinated.
Some countries or airlines require that a COVID test is negative within a specific timeframe prior to flying. Others have scrapped this requirement completely.
There are also different rules if you fly domestically or internationally or leave or enter another country.
Before we even get to the virus, let’s take a look at some of its recent variants. We know that more recent variants (Omicron and its sub-variant BA.2, for example) are more easily transmissible compared to the original virus. We do not know the future transmission of sub-variants or variants.
We can only speak in general terms when it comes to the risk of COVID. Overall, your risk will be very low. However, the measures that airlines have in place can help you achieve this. There are a few ways you can reduce your risk.
Read more: The next COVID wave is here. Why, for some of us, it’s OMG, and for others, it’s meh.
Airflow and HEPA filters
To reduce the spread of potentially contaminated air, the flow of air is designed to be largely vertical.
The height of your seat acts as a partial barrier against airflow from rows behind and in front.
Every two to three minutes, cabin air is replaced with a mixture of fresh and recycled air.
The air is mainly carried from the ceiling down to the ground. Travel Medicine and Infectious Diseases
Researchers studied how the virus spreads on a long-distance flight when an infected person (the index case) sat in business class.
This person was in close proximity to 12 of the 16 infected passengers on board. Another flight attendant sat nearby. This indicates that the air contamination was limited to a few rows. Another flight attendant was also infected.
High-efficiency particulate filters (or HEPA filters) are also used to filter recycled air. These filters remove over 99% of viral particles and reduce the risk of airborne or droplet transmission.
Read more: We should install air purifiers with HEPA filters in every classroom. It could help with COVID-19, bushfire smoke, and asthma.
Masks
A properly fitted mask or respirator can help reduce the risk of getting COVID during a flight. Many airlines require that you wear a mask when flying.
Modeling several known transmissions on planes, for example, shows that both the infected and those around them benefit from wearing masks.
Vaccination
In some countries, like Australia, entry travelers are required to be fully immunized. This reduces the risk that someone will become sick with COVID.
Read more: Your unvaccinated friend is roughly 20 times more likely to give you COVID.
Pre-flight COVID testing
Some flights do not require a COVID-negative test prior to boarding. The time before a flight and the type of COVID test required varies for those who do.
We know that tests cannot detect all COVID cases. Test sensitivity can be affected by a variety of factors. The type of brand test you use, the symptoms you are experiencing, your gender, and the viral variant.
It is possible to test negative up to two days prior and then catch COVID.