Dr. Megan Johnson McCullough –The thought of sitting in a plane for many hours, just screams germs. Everyone is sitting in an enclosed spaced, breathing recycled air, and then there are people who cough and sneeze in this air. Traveling during the holidays also is the time of year for colds and the flu season. Some studies say you are 100 more times likely to catch one of these while up in the air. Switching seats from the sick person next to you is not always an option. Being mindful of what you touch with your bare hands is always a good idea to be highly cautious of. Think about the number of people who are using the same bathroom on the same flight. Think about all the items with luggage, shoes, and matters of personal hygiene that are all in one location.

In between flights, under the constraints of time, the flight staff might not have had enough time to
thoroughly clean. Between all the seats, seatbelts, and buttons that people touch, there are a lot of
places to wipe down. Going row by row, aisle by aisle, is not always possible when trying to stick to a
timely flight schedule. So the germs just stay there and then next layer of germs now enter to make
matters worse.

There are shared earplugs, blankets, and pillows. There are so many germs and many people eat the
airplane food not even considering to wash their hands first. There are only one or two bathrooms and a
line so hand washing gets neglected. Planes are actually pretty old too. Some of the very planes we fly in
today are over 20 years old. That means unless the upholstery and additional seat belts have been
readily replaced and refurbished, the germs just keep piling on. People become tired and fatigued and
then careless with their germs. There are also children who don’t cover their mouths when they cough
or sneeze and put their hands in their own mouth and noses only to continue to touch parts of the
plane.

We have to be ready to fly with our germ protectant force ready. Have hand sanitizer ready, bring your
own pillow and headphones, and try to avoid touching any common areas with your bare hands. Staying
hydrated and making sure to take a multivitamin to keep immunity up is important to come prepared
and try to avoid catching something in the air. Travel is fun and safe, but not free from germs. You never
want to arrive at your destination feeling sick and unlike yourself.