Coronavirus: will it be safe for passengers to fly again? – The National

Coronavirus: will it be safe for passengers to fly again? – The National

Passengers may be worried about everything from being infected by seats or tray tables, through to catching the coronavirus from aircraft ventilation systems that recycle air.. Evidence about the on-board infection risk from the new coronavirus is limited, but scientists better understand how other pathogens - including the coronavirus that caused Sars - spread on aircraft.. "Clearly if people are close together, that's how viruses transmit, particularly in indoor environments," said Dr Andrew Freedman, an infectious diseases specialist at Cardiff University in the UK.. Scientists looked at the coronavirus that caused Sars and found that it could potentially spread person to person by close contact or from the surrounding air.. With the new coronavirus, concerns over aerial contamination may be lower because the pathogen appears to be less transmissible than Sars.. , air in cabins is constantly refreshed, with ventilation systems mixing about half recycled air with half fresh air taken from outside.. Prof John Oxford, co-author of the textbook Human Virology, said "it makes sense for people to be nervous" about flying but that, if he were catching a flight, he would take measures to minimise the risk.. "I would try to get a window seat, as you're away