Passengers in quarantine on an Emirates flight to New York. An outbreak of flu-like symptoms on two American Airlines flights departing from Europe. A Southwest Airlines passenger with measles.

A trio of airlines that are well-publicized by the health of airlines is causing some travelers to stay healthy at 30,000 feet.

What's a germophobe traveler to do in an airplane?

1. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that this is the most important infection control measure and that it is at the top of the guidelines to prevent spread of diseases in commercial aircraft.

2. Wear alcohol-based hand sanitizer (the CDC recommends at least 60 percent alcohol) in case the water is not nearby.

3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, says the CDC to flight crews.

4. Keep the vents above your seat to improve ventilation. Henry Harteveldt of Atmosphere Research's atmospheric research workshop in San Francisco says he has to evacuate the air on every flight.

5. Wipe the armrests and the table with hygienic wipesand bring some tissues open the door of the bathroom.

6. Bring a mask If you sit next to someone who coughs or sneezes. Harteveldt does not use it, but it has become a routine for many passengers following the SARS outbreak in 2003. The CDC recommends that crews use them when treating sick passengers with respiratory symptoms.

7. Choose a window seat and do not move. This was one of the recommendations of a study published in March on the spread of respiratory viruses in airplanes.

8. Ask a flight attendant if it is possible to change seats to get away from a sick passenger. The same March study found that passengers with less than two seats or a row of passengers suffering from a respiratory illness have more than 80% risk of becoming ill, reported CNN.

9. Visit the Travel Health section of the CDC website for travel tips and advice around the world. You can filter by destination and the type of traveler you are, from a family with children to a person with a chronic illness.

10. Do yourself a favor to your fellow travelers and do not fly when you're really sick. The CDC recommends that travelers stay home at least 24 hours after the end of the fever. But what about any change fees for nasty airline tickets ($ 200 plus any fare difference is common), you say? Two possible solutions: take out travel insurance when you book your ticket (you will not be covered if you buy it after an illness) or explain your situation to a customer service representative of the airline (with a note of your doctor). hope for a unique waiver. Southwest Airlines is the only major airline that does not charge a ticket modification fee on non-refundable tickets. Travelers receive a credit to use for a future flight (at current airfares, of course.)

Read or share this story: https://usat.ly/2wS3xH3