by
Carl Hampton
09/18/2006
Even though there have been computer
simulations that suggest the link between
the flu and traveling, there has never
really been a study proving that until
recently.
Airline travel is one of the easiest ways to
catch and spread influenza – a contagious
disease that effects your respiratory
system. So the question then arises about
flight restrictions and if they can control
the pandemic – the spread of a disease
over a large area. This study was published
in PloS Medicine and it provides actual
observations of this problem.
Researchers have compared the timing and the
number of influenza deaths in 122 American
cities with the volume of airline travel
during each flu seasons throughout nine
years (from 1996 to 2005). They found that
changes in the rate of deaths every year are
consistent with monthly airline travel.
November shows a high increase in influenza
infections and late February is when the
death rate hits its peak. So the suggestion
is that the Thanksgiving holiday travel can
be the main factor in the speed of the
spread of influenza.
The study proved that the fewer domestic
airline passengers there are, the slower the
flu moves across the country. This effect
was especially present after the September
11 attacks, when a temporary flight ban was
placed within the United States and airline
travel was lower than in any other season
from 1995 to 2005.
Is there really anything the airlines can do
to help with this situation? The need for
speed between flights limits the cleaning
that can be done. Once on the airplane, we
are dependent on the air conditioning
working correctly and filtering all the germs
it pulls in before it recycles the air
again. The airlines are in the business of
selling seats, so can we really ask them to
start checking travelers for health
problems.
For most of us, the need to get somewhere
will outweigh the risk of catching the flu.
Have an opinion or a question you would like
me to answer, then write me!
http://www.CarlHampton.com
