A.S.D.: A 2005 report by the World Health Organization concluded that the risk of contracting respir

In terms of health outcomes, air travel can feel like as much of a gamble as hosting a children's party, or buying a ticket to an Adam Sandler movie. In fact, getting sick in the days following rental cars lax a flight is common enough that it has inspired a veritable cottage industry of related products: everything from dietary supplements to antibacterial agents.
As Canadians enter holiday travel season, Postmedia News talks to the Universite de Montreal's George Szatmari , a professor in the department of microbiology, infectious disease and immunology, to find out why planes can make us sick and what can be done to prevent it.
G.S.:  Stress can affect your immune rental cars lax system, making you more susceptible to getting infections … You're also in a confined area with lots of people. All it takes is someone two rows behind you to sneeze up in the air and they're projecting all these lovely germs. It's incredible how fast these things travel, and what they're spraying out. It's pretty gross.
A.S.D.: A 2005 report by the World Health Organization concluded that the risk of contracting respiratory infection on a flight was no greater than on a bus or train. And a 2007 study in the journal Lancet noted that the air on a modern plane is exchanged 15 to 20 times an hour, versus just five in the average home and 12 in the average office building. Researchers said risk was further minimized by a plane's airflow occurring top to bottom – meaning that passengers "share air" with fewer people.
G.S.:  They obviously clean bathrooms to the best of their ability, but they can't clean everything … On the average flight, about 50 people will use one particular washroom. It's a shared environment and you can't be sure of how clean the person before you was. So hold it in if you can.
G.S:  It's a high traffic area for hands – and hands are the main agents for transmitting germs … But for bacteria to grow, they need a food source; they need moisture. You're not going to have that on a seat tray. There's a chance you could still have germs from the previous flight on there. But from a week ago? Probably not.
A.S.D. : A 2010 Centers for Disease Control investigation of an in-flight norovirus outbreak concluded that passengers in aisle seats faced a higher statistical risk of getting sick due to person-to-person contact or environmental contamination.
G.S.: There are simple measures you can take to minimize risk, with the obvious one being hand sanitizer. It also can't hurt to wipe things down with a disinfecting wipe – especially if it's a long flight. A surgical face mask is probably taking it a bit too far. It also depends where you keep your face mask. A purse isn't exactly the cleanest environment – or so I hear.
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Video of the Day Most Popular Stories This is the real deal : Ice storm freezes travel and power in Ontario, Quebec and Maritimes Vancouver homeless man turns out to be wealthy benefactor who rewards kind strangers Thousands of Canadians are accessing U.S. Netflix Best of food and drink this week Happy Launchiversary: Chris Hadfield feted by Canadian Space Agency
Misty Harris rental cars lax is a senior Postmedia News writer covering consumer trends, social rental cars lax science and demographics. She has been honoured by the Society for Features Journalism; appeared as a pop culture commentator ... read more on CTV, Global News and BBC World Service; reported on fashion, health and lifestyle issues for Flare magazine; is a regular panelist on Canada.com's weekly TV live-chats; and has acted as a guest lecturer at universities in Canada and the U.S.
When not breaking stories, Misty can be found riding her motorcycle, doting on her dogs, or arguing that car-dancing is exercise. rental cars lax She is a collector of hot sauces and disappointments. View author's profile
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