[ad_1]
It's a bad week for air travel. As if the passing of the airport was not stressful enough, a study found the most beautiful place at the airport, just after passengers were quarantined after landing at JFK airport on Wednesday. (The passengers were finally diagnosed with the flu and colds.)
What is taking first place for the biggest places in the airport? Shockingly, these are not the airport toilets. According to CNN, experts from the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom and from the Finnish National Institute of Health and Welfare found that airport safety trays were the biggest outbreaks of germs. Hand sanitizer, whoever?
This is new information compared to a study published in February, in which researchers found that airport self-checking terminals were the dirtiest spots at the airport. According to Gizmodo, this new study, published in Infectious diseases BMC, 90 commonly touched surfaces at the airport, such as toilet bowl lids, escalator handrails, elevator knobs, chair armrests, trolley handles and toys in the playground for children. The researchers found that plastic safety trays were the most effective, according to Gizmodo, with 50% of viruses: adenovirus, influenza A (flu), rhinovirus (cold) and human coronavirus. Researchers say that rhinovirus was the most common virus they've found, reports USA TODAY.
According to Gizmodo, airport safety bins are not – if ever – disinfected. The researchers told Gizmodo that the risk of spreading these germs could be significantly reduced if airports provided a hand sanitizer to travelers before and after passing security at airports. In addition, the researchers told Gizmodo that airports should begin to regularly disinfect the bins.
But airport security trays were not the only ones with viruses – they were just the worst offenders. Researchers have discovered high levels of germs on store payment terminals, stair railing, passport check desks, children's play areas and, in the air, according to CNN. Where did the research find no respiratory virus? The toilet corner According to Gizmodo, the researchers did not detect any respiratory viruses on the upper surface of the bowl lids, on the rinsing buttons or on the door locks. According to the researchers, passengers are probably paying more attention to hygiene in the bathroom than anywhere else in the airport, reports Gizmodo.
"This study confirms the need for greater public awareness about the spread of viral infections," said Jonathan Van Tram, professor of health protection at the University of Nottingham's School of Medicine. "People can help minimize contagion by washing their hands hygienically and coughing in a handkerchief, tissue or cloth at all times, but especially in public places."
Research also hopes that the results of this study can help prevent the spread of diseases during travel. "These simple precautions can help prevent pandemics and are particularly important in overcrowded areas such as airports that transport large numbers of people to and from many parts of the world," said Van Tam in a statement. USA TODAY & # 39; HUI.
Then how you help stop the spread of all these germs at the airport? Until airports begin to provide hand sanitizers on the safety line, try to bring them if you can. (You can pass the security check if the container is under three fluid ounces.) Otherwise, go to the bathroom as soon as you are safe and wash your hands. The Centers for Disease Control recommends wetting your hands and lathering both sides with soap, rubbing both sides for 20 seconds before rinsing. Dry your hands with a clean towel or let them air dry, says the CDC.
Hearing about all these germs and diseases spreading at the airport can seem scary, but knowing how to stay healthy will help you reach your next destination without any problem. Learning a little bit about prevention can help you not catch the flu or any other illness during your trip.
Source link