4 ms·

Sample size of one, but every.single.time I fly long haul, I get a cold.

ssully 5y ago
While it is certainly possible you got sick on the airplane itself, don't factor out the trip to the airport (cab/public transit) and all the different crowds your have to deal with at the airport itself. I know airport staff do the best they can, but during particularly busy travel times airport bathrooms can be incredibly disgusting in my experience.
- GordonS 5y ago
  Aye, it's far from certain it's happening on the aeroplane itself, but I've assumed it is because the air is so dry, and because I was always travelling in business, using lounges with nice toilets, not being next to other people outside of the plane etc.
  - mrguyorama 5y ago
    I think you are underestimating how often business class people are traveling slightly ill
blip54321 5y ago
Sample size of many, but correlations doesn't imply causation. Evidence for limited spread on airplanes is pretty solid, but everything from here on out is speculatory: * A lot of people get sick traveling. You're interacting with all sorts of people from far away who have novel viruses, many of which aren't circulating in your area. That doesn't mean you catch it literally on the airplane. * Masks probably make a bigger difference on airplanes than elsewhere. Even cloth masks catch big particles. By the time droplets evaporate into small droplets, odds are they've passed through a HEPA filter many times.
ekanes 5y ago
If travel is stressful, or causes you to get less sleep, (etc) that may also affect your immune system.
sjostrom7 5y ago
In addition to the other responses, plane cabins have very low humidity, which can take out your mucosal protections from getting a cold. It's really common to at least have a scratchy throat after flying just from dryness, and often times catch a cold afterward.
- GordonS 5y ago
  Yes, I think this is probably what does it - my nose and throat always feel really dry after a long flight, actually I almost feel dehydrated.
rhino369 5y ago
Rhinoviruses spread not only via aerosols, but also supposedly spread better through surface contact than COVID19. Air circulation won't stop you from touching a contaminated surface. But its pretty clear medicine has a very poor understanding about how viruses spread given how long they denied coronaviruses were airborne. So who knows.

While it is certainly possible you got sick on the airplane itself, don't factor out the trip to the airport (cab/public transit) and all the different crowds your have to deal with at the airport itself. I know airport staff do the best they can, but during particularly busy travel times airport bathrooms can be incredibly disgusting in my experience.

GordonS 5y ago
Aye, it's far from certain it's happening on the aeroplane itself, but I've assumed it is because the air is so dry, and because I was always travelling in business, using lounges with nice toilets, not being next to other people outside of the plane etc.
- mrguyorama 5y ago
  I think you are underestimating how often business class people are traveling slightly ill

blip54321 5y ago

Sample size of many, but correlations doesn't imply causation. Evidence for limited spread on airplanes is pretty solid, but everything from here on out is speculatory: * A lot of people get sick traveling. You're interacting with all sorts of people from far away who have novel viruses, many of which aren't circulating in your area. That doesn't mean you catch it literally on the airplane. * Masks probably make a bigger difference on airplanes than elsewhere. Even cloth masks catch big particles. By the time droplets evaporate into small droplets, odds are they've passed through a HEPA filter many times.

ekanes 5y ago

If travel is stressful, or causes you to get less sleep, (etc) that may also affect your immune system.

sjostrom7 5y ago

In addition to the other responses, plane cabins have very low humidity, which can take out your mucosal protections from getting a cold. It's really common to at least have a scratchy throat after flying just from dryness, and often times catch a cold afterward.

GordonS 5y ago
Yes, I think this is probably what does it - my nose and throat always feel really dry after a long flight, actually I almost feel dehydrated.

rhino369 5y ago

Rhinoviruses spread not only via aerosols, but also supposedly spread better through surface contact than COVID19. Air circulation won't stop you from touching a contaminated surface. But its pretty clear medicine has a very poor understanding about how viruses spread given how long they denied coronaviruses were airborne. So who knows.