Where are the most viruses in an airport? Hint: it's probably not the toilet

When you go through airport security, you might wish to have a pair of gloves as TSA agents.

Researchers have evidence that plastic trays of safety lines provide a safe haven for respiratory viruses. The trays probably contain more of these pathogens than the flushing button of the airport toilets, researchers reported last week. BMC Infectious Diseases.

Eww.

"Yeah, when I get into the safety line and I see the TSA officers wearing those gloves, I say," Do not touch me with these, "says Dr. Mark Gendreau, of the Beverly Hospitals. Addison Gilbert to Beverly Mass., Who specializes in aviation medicine and was not involved in the study (Note: By protocol, TSA officers are expected to use fresh gloves before touching a passenger.)

The study was teeny-weenie. Virologists have searched for viruses on 90 surfaces at Helsinki Airport. And they took only eight samples of plastic safety trays over the course of three weeks. Half of these samples showed signs of at least one respiratory virus, such as influenza A or a coronavirus that could cause serious respiratory infections. (On the other hand, none of the 42 samples taken from the surfaces around the toilet showed any traces of these viruses.)

But the message from the study is that of two previous studies, according to Gendreau: "The security zone is a hot zone for infectious diseases in an airport.

"In the field of safety, the possibilities of disease transmission are highest in the airport," says Gendreau.

In 2012, the National Academy of Sciences launched a survey on disease transmission in airports and airplanes. The aim was to give airports and airlines inexpensive ways to fight the spread of disease.

First and foremost, the researchers had to determine where people were most likely to catch a bug. "We wanted to find the throttling points for transmission and offer mitigation strategies," said Gendreau, who contributed to this study.

The researchers used the Boston Logan International Airport as a test site. And they quickly realized that the safety line was a major hub for the transmission because it is cluttered and sometimes poorly ventilated.

"TSA has actually done a similar study," says Gendreau. "They also found that the safety zone is a throttling point for the transmission of diseases.

Should passengers wash their hands immediately after crossing the safety line?

"Absolutely," says Gendreau. "In my satchel, I have my laptop, my eraser and a bottle of santizer," he says. "As soon as I pass the security, I always disinfect my hands."

Gendreau recommends using disinfectants containing at least 60% alcohol or washing your hands with soap and water. "Make sure you do it for 25 seconds," he says.

And pay attention to where you put your hands before having a chance to clean them, adds Gendreau.

"The trick is not to touch your face," he says. Eighty per cent of all infections are transmitted by your hands: you touch a virus-contaminated surface and then introduce it into your body by touching your face.Humans touch their eyes, nose or mouth about 200 times a day. "

In the new study at Helsinki airport, researchers also found signs of respiratory virus on a plastic dog in the children's play area, on the glass of the passport control office and on the ramps of the police. stairs.

The researchers do not know if the viruses were alive on these surfaces. They did not try to grow viruses in the laboratory. But previous studies have shown that respiratory viruses can survive on certain surfaces for hours or even days. For example, one study has indicated that the flu virus lasts from one to two days on non-porous surfaces, such as stainless steel and plastic.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Change speed here. OK, so the summer season is behind us, but Thanksgiving will be here soon. So, air travelers, listen. There is new information that could prevent you from catching a cold during your trip. As NPR's Michaeleen Doucleff reports, the key may be washing his hands before he even gets to the door.

MICHAELEEN DOUCLEFF, BYLINE: The new board is based on a very simple experience at the Helsinki International Airport. The researchers took little time and drove them to various areas of the airport – for example, handrails, elevator buttons and even toilets. They then brought the samples back to the airport and looked for signs of respiratory viruses such as flu and colds. An airport surface appeared as a hotspot for these viruses – the plastic bins of the security line.

MARK GENDREAU: These trays are not, you know, cleaned after every use. And thousands of people cross these lines every day.

DOUCLEFF: It's Dr. Mark Gendreau from Beverly and Addison Gilbert Hospital in Massachusetts. Gendreau specializes in aeronautical medicine and did not participate in the study. He says it's been published recently in BMC Infectious Diseases. And he points out that it was very, very small. The researchers took only 90 samples from the entire airport and searched for only respiratory viruses and not insects. But Gendreau says the conclusion of the study matches the previous ones here in the United States. In particular, a study at Logan International Airport in Boston attempted to locate the hot spots at the airport. Guess what at the top of the list? The security line.

GENDREAU: You have people from around the world coming together in this area. This geographical diversity of people is incredible.

DOUCLEFF: So, there are a lot of people. There may be poor ventilation. And you have the potential to experience diseases all over the world. So what should people do after leaving security?

GENDREAU: No. 1, you must disinfect these hands.

DOUCLEFF: Use a gel hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. Or go to the old and clean with water and soap. In one way or another …

GENDREAU: The rubbing of your hands should be at least 25 seconds. You must have some friction to break the cell membrane of the microorganism in order to activate it.

DOUCLEFF: Finally, he says, be careful not to touch your face before disinfecting your hands.

GENDREAU: Eighty percent of all infectious diseases are transmitted by human hands.

DOUCLEFF: Your hands touch something like a safety box, then you touch your nose or your mouth. And the next thing you know, you're fighting a bad cold. Michaeleen Doucleff, NPR News. Transcription provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.