Health
The doctor explains: This is how you stay healthy despite holiday trips
Corona, flu, RS virus: Those who travel often have contact with other people and therefore also a higher risk of illness. But there are tricks that can be used to avoid infection, reveals a doctor.
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Sniffly noses, red eyes, coughing people: anyone who is currently traveling sees all sorts of other travelers carrying various pathogens. And these are only the most obvious, as bacteria and viruses also cling invisibly to seats, belts, folding tables and handles.
This year, the number of sick leaves at the end of the year is extremely high. With Covid-19, influenza and RS viruses, three waves of disease are coming together. Not knowing anyone who currently suffers from one of the three is hardly possible anymore.
If you don’t want to run the risk of getting infected, you have to be careful. But a few tricks can help, a doctor told Voyages et Loisirs magazine today. Although the risk of catching something somewhere cannot be completely ruled out, especially in crowded train stations and airports, it can always be minimized.
Vaccines and mouth and nose masks help fight infections
For Chris McStay, an emergency physician at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the United States, vaccinations are the top priority. Vaccination against Covid-19 and influenza would have a major impact both for society as a whole and for each individual.
However, although vaccinations offer some protection, they are not the only precaution. The doctor recommends that travelers pay close attention to their hygiene and wash their hands regularly, for example. It can also help disinfect surfaces that are touched by many other passengers, such as folding tables on the plane.
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McStay also advises wearing mouth and nose protection when traveling. This is no longer compulsory everywhere – in Germany, however, travelers must wear an FFP2 mask on long-distance rail transport and there is still a mask requirement in many places in regional transport. Masks not only protect against Covid-19 infection, but also against influenza and RSV pathogens.
Sick on a trip: the choice of seat on the plane has an influence
A healthy lifestyle while traveling also contributes to staying healthy. McStay cites regular sleep and a balanced diet as points for boosting the immune system – which in turn can better fight off bacteria and germs.
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Another tip particularly affects air travellers: a 2018 study showed that passengers who sit near the window are less likely to be infected with pathogens. The reason for this is believed to be that those seated near the window have less contact with people on board passing by.
However, window seat is not a guarantee. People at the window shouldn’t get up like this, otherwise the effect will wear off. You should also not lean your head against the window and keep your distance from the headrest – because germs are waiting for you there. According to a study, headrests are the biggest frond bacteria on airplanes.
Ventilation on, disinfectant included: protection against pathogens on the plane
Nor would McStay overstate the effect of seat selection, especially since passengers interact a lot during check-in, security, boarding and baggage claim. Bacteria and viruses can therefore also jump before and after the flight.
One of the greatest dangers lurks at security checks: according to a study, the bins in which travelers deposit their hand luggage are the most contaminated. Theoretically, it would be advisable to disinfect them before putting your objects in them. Additionally, folding tables are known to spread viruses and bacteria, and they should be sanitized before use, especially before eating.
Ventilation, on the other hand, helps fight germs floating in the air. Even if it is cold on the plane, passengers should warm up with a towel or scarf rather than turning off the ventilation. Bacteria and viruses are filtered and extracted from the air via air currents.