If you traveled early in the pandemic you may have noticed the cabins in airlines were getting meticulously deep cleaned. Now three years into the pandemic, airlines are getting lazy and do not bother as much when they realize that surface contact is not the primary way the virus was spread, it is airborn. “As more was learned about COVID and transmission routes of COVID, it was recognized that deep cleaning was overkill,” said Leonard Marcus, founding co-director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) and co-director of NPLI’s Aviation Public Health Initiative. Marcus and other “experts” noted that airlines are still prioritizing air filtration and that flying can be “generally” safe, but recommended that passengers continue to take precautions such as wearing a high-quality mask while flying.
Another magnificent advantage to not cleaning up or disinfecting the cabin after passengers disembark is that it saves money. We all know that public health is less important than saving money. It is the passengers responsibility to try and avoid infection when they fly in these cesspools in the sky.
When it comes to COVID, one infected person, on average, will infect over three more people. They have an opportunity to infect even more in the tight enclosed space of a plane cabin.
Cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing are all needed to combat COVID-19.
- Cleaning uses soap or detergent to wash away dirt, grime, and grease to give a good appearance but does not necessarily kill germs. It merely physically removes them from a surface.
- Disinfecting uses specialized chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. Although it does not necessarily give a “clean” look, it is highly effective in neutralizing active germs to stop the spread of infection.
- Sanitizing is simply lowering the number of germs on a surface to a safe level, as prescribed by public health authorities.
If you need to travel, be sure to wear your personal protective equipment (PPE) including a quality KN-95 mask worn properly. and carry hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol for maximum effectiveness; use it liberally and frequently.