..
..
There will be no social distancing inside aircraft.
..t
..
KUALA LUMPUR: Low-cost airline AirAsia Bhd has welcomed the government’s decision to not make inflight social distancing mandatory, quoting the International Airline Transport Association’s (IATA) assertion that the risk of infection while flying is very low.
“Planes have features that lower the risk of inflight infection such as high-efficiency particulate air (Hepa) filters that ensure the air inside planes is always clean.
“The air quality is comparable to that in a hospital operating room,” AirAsia CEO Riad Asmat told Bernama.
..
https://twitter.com/KittySn52889207/status/1271680777009287168?s=19
COVID-19 and flying – a medical expert’s view
As air travel is gradually starting to recover, many travellers are concerned about getting infected with novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) when they travel. We sat down with Kimmo Ketola, Finnair’s Medical Director to talk about COVID-19 and flying.
–
Exactly how safe or un-safe from COVID-19 (the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2) are we, when flying?
“According to medical evidence so far, a passenger’s risk of in-flight transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is likely to be low or extremely low. The reasons for the apparently low rate of in-flight transmission are not known yet but could encompass a combination of the lack of face-to-face contact, and the physical barriers provided by seat backs, along with the characteristics of cabin air flow.
In commercial aircraft the cabin air is replaced on average every 3 minutes. Air circulation patterns aboard standard commercial aircraft are side-to-side with air entering the cabin from overhead, circulating across the aircraft and exiting near the floor. There is little longitudinal (front-to-back) airflow. The cabin air is a mix of recirculated and fresh outside air. The outside air is assumed to be sterile at typical cruising altitudes. All air passes through high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that filter >99,97% of particles in the air, including bacteria and virus. The resulting air quality has been shown to meet the same standards as hospital operating theatres.”
Are there known cases of aircraft transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in-flight?
“Looking at what has been published on this topic in medical publications, there is only one paper that suggests a probable aircraft transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in-flight1.
One paper from Canada reports careful follow up of a long-haul flight on which a passenger was later confirmed to have been unwell at the time, but no secondary cases resulted1. In another yet unpublished report, a flight from USA to China with 11 people subsequently confirmed to be symptomatic at the time, similarly had, at the time of writing, generated no secondary confirmed cases from around 300 passengers tested2.
An inquiry to 70 airlines (representing half of global passenger traffic) failed to identify any cases of suspected passenger-to-passenger transmission3.
Naturally research continues on this topic, but looking at the evidence so far, the risk of transmission in an aircraft seems to be very low.”
How do the masks prevent transmission?
“Droplet transmission seems to be the major mode of contracting SARS-CoV-2 with possibility of transmission by contacts with surfaces. Generally, droplets are propelled short distances (<1 m) when an infected person sneezes, coughs or talks. A person with any respiratory symptoms will be denied boarding on Finnair flights.
In line with EASA’s recommendations, Finnair requires that passengers wear masks during the flight to tackle the risk of asymptomatic carriers transmitting the virus. By wearing a mask, we all protect each other. “
–
What can I as a passenger do to ensure my safety on board during the coronavirus pandemic?
–
In the aircraft maintaining physical distance is not always possible. The solution then – as recommended also by EASA – is requiring passengers wear masks during the flight to tackle the risk of asymptomatic carriers transmitting the virus. Masks have been obligatory on Finnair flights since May 18th.
Adhering to the recommended means of reducing the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission — physical distancing, good hand hygiene and not travelling when you are ill — you can be confident in the safety of air travel even during the pandemic.
Read the whole article here:
https://www.finnair.com/sg-en/bluewings/travel-experience/covid-19-and-flying—a-medical-expert-s-view-2113424
..
https://twitter.com/KittySn52889207/status/1271681175665258496?s=19
weehingthong 
What does the Malaysian fact checking website say?