SAN DIEGO — Have you ever gotten to get sick after traveling? Many blame the airplanes.
An aviation security expert and a doctor help to verify if flying in airplanes increases your likelihood of getting sick.
When someone sneezes or coughs, droplets in the air is one way of spreading germs. That's why many think being in an airplane with re-circulating air spreads illnesses.
According to an aviation security expert, Glen E. Winn, that is not the case. "The reality is newer aircraft - 50% of the air is fresh and 50% is recycled in the plane," Winn said. He adds, "there is an actual screening process on that recirculation for taking particulates out of the air." Winn says you are more likely to pick up a virus in the terminal than you are in the airplane.
"Normally the cleaning process of the plane is pretty thorough and the flight attendants wipe down the rest of it," Winn points out. "If there was some kind of illness in the plane, the plane would be grounded for a longer period of time to sterilize the plane," adds Winn.
Dr. Michael Moreno at Kaiser Permanente says touching items that people with colds have touched like magazines, countertops and handrails count more towards getting ill. "You are going to touch things, it's part of the process. It is avoiding touching your face. God only knows if the person before you was sick," Moreno said.
It's easy to transmit viruses to yourself by touching your face after touching dirty things without washing your hands. "We as humans don't realize how many times we touch our face every day," Moreno said.
Also, the stress of traveling may lower immunity enough to make you more susceptible. "I think it's multi-factorial. Yes, traveling can put at risk, but it does not necessarily mean you're going to get sick," Moreno added.
Based on the experts, we are not able to verify that flying in a commercial airplane will increase your chances of getting sick. In fact, you are more likely to get sick before getting onto the plane.
"I think your likelihood of getting sick has to do with the public. Stepping into the public arena, not the airplane, but getting into the terminal where there are thousands of people," said Winn.