The National Geographic have provided a useful account of the safety of US air travel (perhaps with wider relevance to this form of transport) in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic (https://email.nationalgeographic.com/H/2/v4000001744ad717b89cf0976e966f4578/6cd7578c-05be-4622-ba14-62c107b1793b/HTML). It seems that, although the air you breathe on a flight is not virus-free, it is much cleaner than that in restaurants, bars and stores (in the US?). On most passenger planes, 40% of a cabin's air passes through a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, with the other 60% being fresh air from outside. Whilst the plane is cruising, the cabin air is changed, on average, every 3 minutes. It has been calculated that the air is 99.97% purified but , of course, 'bad behaviour' can undo the good work. I would just note that, especially on long-haul flights, you spend much longer in the cabin than you would in a store. Their account notes that US airlines are very variable about whether they require passengers to wear face-masks or leave the middle seats in rows empty. I am unsurprised at the article's conclusion that the biggest risk an air passenger has of contracting an infection with Covid-19, is at the airport when boarding or at take-off and landing. Pretty obviously, this risk is compounded if you have to change flights.
This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Wednesday, 2 September 2020
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