Precautions needed as virus risk on flights can't be totally eliminated

While the risk of contracting Covid-19 during a flight has been reduced with measures such as air filtering in place, passengers should continue to take precautions while on board. Infectious diseases experts urged caution when flying, saying that the risk of getting infected from somebody else on board cannot be eliminated completely. Their comments come after industry group IATA released findings this month stating that the risk of Covid-19 transmission on board planes appears to be "very low", and that current figures "are extremely reassuring". Airplane manufacturers Airbus, Boeing and Embraer had backed the findings with their own studies. Professor Teo Yik Ying, dean of the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, who noted that there have been documented instances of transmissions during flights, said: "Travellers should pay heed that it is entirely possible to be infected, and they should take every precaution to protect themselves should they be travelling on a plane." Wearing face masks properly and maintaining good hygiene will greatly reduce the risk, he said. "The only concern will be when passengers remove their masks during meal times, but the risk is also reduced compared with normal meals at home or in restaurants since passengers typically are facing forward and not each other." Dr Leong Hoe Nam, an infectious diseases expert at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital, said that one potential source of risk could be when passengers use the airplane toilets. To manage this risk, passengers can clean surfaces inside the toilet before touching them, and also wash their hands thoroughly after. Story has more details.<br/>