Up until this past weekend, my family had been planning a reunion in Ohio for Thanksgiving. We were going to drive up to meet our extended family (uncles, cousins, aunts, grandparent) and spend the duration of the holiday with them. Initially, we thought that driving would be safer than flying due to COVID. Now, our plans were canceled because of a recent case surge and resultant lockdown in Ohio, but I’m still curious: is driving really safer than flying during COVID?
In short, it all depends. Obviously, the general opinion is that airplanes are like a petri dish to catch COVID. After some research, I found out that flying, in some cases, may actually be safer than driving! So, first, airplanes nowadays are all required to circulate their air through HEPA filters, which block 99.97% of airborne particles over 0.3 microns in size. These filters’ pores are so small that they catch COVID-infected particles, inherently making airplanes even safer than most confined spaces. Crazy! So, once you board the plane and it pressurizes, you’re at the same risk of infection, or less, as you would be in a coffee shop, or at school, or even the grocery store! The main issue with flying is airports - no HEPA filtered air, bustling travelers that mind their departure time over social distancing, and a ton of other things that may increase the risk of infection. However, if you can make it through the airport with as much preventative gear as possible (gloves, mask, hand sanitizer, snacks), flying really isn’t too big of a risk. The numbers prove as much.
With driving, it’s pretty obvious that no matter how safe an airplane packed with 150 people is, you will always be safer in a car with your family. In most cases, driving will be less of an infection risk than air travel. That is, unless, you are driving a small distance. The longer you drive, the more stops you make at gas stations, rest stops, and presumably hotels, all of which are high risk for COVID. The continuous flow of people in and out can bring COVID quite easily, and without HEPA filters, your infection risk goes up with every pit-stop you make.
That being said, here’s your final answer: if you’re traveling a short distance, try to drive, but if the trip is a real shlep, just fly and do the best you can to distance in the airport.
I didn't realize that planes are now using HEPA filters to eliminate COVID-19. My family is flying during winter break and bought face shields for us to wear on the plane, so I guess we're wearing those. Maybe, I will show them your article.
ReplyDeleteThat's good to know about airplanes. I am in the same situation as you, as I am supposed to go to Utah for winter break to ski and see my dad's friends, but their covid cases have also spiked.
ReplyDeletestill lower numbers than florida though...
Deletejust flew yesterday and this is my third time flying since covid began... never gotten it. just take vitamin C religiously so your immune system is strong. it really sucks to lose out on life because of this pandemic so I just wear my N95 mask and that's enough for me!
ReplyDeleteI read the same thing the other day - it was really surprising and against everything I had heard on the news. I can't think of any ways to make airports safer though...
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