I dont know how true it is but I have heard that planes are "relatively" safe, or at least safer than you would expect an air tight box that you are trapped in close quarters in for hours at a time. They generally have air filtration systems that are constantly sterilizing the air before cycling it back into the cabin or else they would be germ factories in normal times as well. Of course plane travel also involves close quarters indoor security lines and such which are not well ventilated. The actual flight part is probably safer than a bus or train ride.

I believe that's true but it's like saying you're safer in a tornado than in a hurricane because the hurricane lasts longer.

Being in a closed box for hours, even with regularly changed air, is not terribly safe and it depends somewhat on where you are sitting. I don't believe the air in planes is "sterilized" (although I've read talk of trying to do that with UV light). It's just changed constantly with the cabin air replaced by outside air.

The problem is that there are two kinds of emissions from your fellow humans that are problematic: Droplets and aerosols.

Droplets are larger bits of spittle we spray when we talk, yell, sneeze or cough. They don't travel terribly far though perhaps as far as 12 ft in some cases, then generally fall on surfaces. If they contain virus, it may live on those surfaces for days. Changing the air in the plane probably doesn't effect this much because the droplets fall out of the air so quickly but they can infact you if they hit you (hence why mask wearing is good) or if you touch where they've fallen and then touch your nose, mouth, eyes etc.

Aerosols are smaller particles--think something like the cloud of vapor expelled by someone "vaping" nicotine. These stay in the air for a long time and will be sucked out of the plane cabin by the ventillation system after a few minutes although there may be stagnant pockets of air where they remain, like eddies in a stream. That's why they say you are better off in a window seat with the air vent on full blowing at you. Masks, incidentally, are less helpful against aerosols.

Actually, take a good look at where the vapor cloud goes when this guy vapes in his video and imagine you were standing 6 or 8 ft away. Coronavirus goes about the same distance.

• Video Link

Viral load matters. The viruses are everywhere. Is it possible that if we breath in a few viruses our immune system can mount a defense and we can develop immunity gradually? On the other hand if we are unfortunate to be in a place or room with a few infected people nearby we get a much higher viral load that can overwhelm our immune system and make us very sick? In other words, can we acquire immunity by being exposed to a low viral load over a period of time?

CO(rona) VI(rus) D(isease)-(20)19

I'd rather get on a plane with some social distancing and people wearing masks than go to an indoor bar or restaurant or political rally with few people wearing masks. But mostly I avoid people and assume that every person might have it, even people you know. Becoming a hermit until the angel of death passes over.

I've traveled by air twice since April and I'm about to do it again this morning.

Airport and airlines are bending over backwards on the side of caution and I feel MUCH safer in airports and on a plane than I do, say, going to my local Kroger.

Yeah, I'm not doing any of that either. But, if a restaurant or bar is too crowded you have the option to leave. You can't really control who gets on a plane, and once you're on it you can't remove yourself if you get the feeling that you're too close to someone that shouldn't be flying.

We knew it was coming:

This was probably close to a no-brainer. NYC has felt a lot more European with the street closures and massive amounts of outdoor seating space, and there have been few complaints so far. The pandemic basically implemented the pipe dream plan to close lower Manhattan to cars, and did so over a much wider geographic area.

This has been one of the few bright spots of the pandemic. The expanded outdoor dining and closed streets have worked surprisingly well. And yeah, year-round is a no-brainer.

All that's lost is some on-street parking, which shouldn't be allowed in prime areas anyways. Manhattan didn't even allow on-street parking until around 1960 or something.

It's worked here in LA as well; Mayor Garcetti of LA last month extended the "Al Fresco Program" until the end of the year; it had been set to expire August 31st.

It has certainly made the streets appear to be more vibrant, but it's kind of a Potemkin affect, being that the restaurants inside are completely empty of customers.

I think its going to be permanent for LA. The weather, people love it etc.

Year-round...in new york?

You can use propane heat lamps, and igloo-like clear enclosures. It's already done in other cold-weather cities.

Ok, that makes sense, I've seen the plastic enclosures on deck/ patio seating in colder climates in the winter.

They want you to feel safer but really, aside from leaving empty seats to facilitate distancing--which some are doing and some are not--they haven't really done much.

As I've already posted though, something truly useful is now coming onstream: Pre-flight coronavirus testing. In Europe Alitalia and Lufthansa are using 15-minute tests administered to everyone pre-flight.

In the US, this is new:

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...f-sfo/2369064/

I really think the 15 minutes test just prior to boarding should be the standard and used on all flights until vaccination becomes commonplace at which time people could exempt themselves from testing by showing proof of vaccination (the old yellow international immunization cards would work).

If they did that, even I might consider getting on a plane.

The waiters will skim the ice off your drinks for free.

Actually, though, I've been wondering if we are going to see a reverse effect in the Southwest where the weather in summer has been to hot to sit outdoors but in winter it can be perfect.

Hey they are going to allow outdoor restaurant and bar patios to stay open this winter in Ottawa!

https://hauteliving.com/wp-content/u...74_4286311.jpg

https://hauteliving.com/2020/09/equi...e=morning_brew

Imagine the embarrassment if someone tests positive right before getting on a flight. Suddenly people in hazmat suits would come and escort them away in front of the whole airport.

Still a great idea though if they can produce enough copies of the testing kits for everyone.

If somebody tested positive they would just be denied boarding. Much worse would be having one or more such people on the plane. Anybody who wants to be spared this “embarrassment” could, of course, get their own test a few days before travelling and cancel their flight if positive.