We’re nearing the end of summer, and the beginning of the mad rush of vacations and deals that accompany the last two weeks of August. I’ve been gone the past few weeks, and have had more than my share of airports, airplanes, crying children, and being sick. Like Alice (who volunteered in Tanzania), I volunteered in various hospitals and orphanages in Nepal. This being the first time I had travelled by myself, I severely underestimated the plethora of issues that are associated with travel. Being somewhat germophobic, I thought that I would be fairly safe travelling in stuffy airplanes for periods of 14 hours or more at a time. After catching a cold on my third connecting flight to Nepal however, I did a bit of research and found some rather frightening statistics and facts.
1) The dry airplane conditions may cause you to become more susceptible to catching a cold.
Because airplanes are teeming with bacteria, it’s important to make sure your body is equipped to protect itself. The dry airplane conditions often cause the mucous in your nose (and other bodily fluids) to dry up, allowing bacteria to more easily enter and multiply in your throat or nose. Make sure to drink lots of water to ensure that you’re hydrated and to fuel your immune system! (Some people even bring nasal sprays to help combat dry noses)
2) Despite the illusion of being “clean”, there are a few areas that are host to massive amounts of bacteria.
Remember those magazines that are placed in the pocket of the chair in front of you? Imagine how many hands have touched those pages before. The plethora of sick people – the multitude of individuals who don’t wash their hands after using the restroom? The airline can’t really “sanitize” magazines / safety cards, nor would they if they due to the small amount time in between flights. This may also be relatively obvious – but the flight staff may not have time to clean the washrooms either – especially during a 14 hour flight. Multiply those 14 hours by over 450 passengers, and you can imagine how dangerous the washrooms can become. If you can’t avoid using the airplane restrooms, bring lots of wet wipes. The door is a literal deathtrap.
3) Be considerate of others.
After sitting behind “inconsiderate” passengers, I thought I would voice my little pet peeve. If you’re sick on an airplane, be considerate of others and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. I had to sit behind a group of kids coughing like no tomorrow, for 12 hours on my way to Nepal. Needless to say, the first 3 rows behind them including myself had become sick by the end of the flight. (It didn’t help that their fan was blowing the air they coughed into towards the people behind them).
4) Bring a face mask.
I know, I know – eccentric fashion statement, or lifesaving necessity? If you’re sick, and you wear a face mask, not only are you being considerate of your fellow passengers, but you’re helping prevent yourself from catching other colds. If you aren’t sick, you’re avoiding catching the colds of the passengers around you. It may not be the most attractive thing to wear, but I would much rather wear one than be sick upon arrival to my destination.
5) Bring cold medicine.
Cold medicine is probably one of the most useful things you could have on a flight (besides hand sanitizer and face masks). Not only will it help lessen your symptoms lest you catch a cold (to the point where you might not even know you had caught a cold!) and can help lessen the duration of colds. Take a tablet before getting on the plane, and one after getting off (being sure to follow the careful guidelines and instructions on the bottle) or as necessary if you feel a cold coming on. I – being the smart individual I am- left my cold medicine in my checked luggage, and ended up in Doha airport with a runny nose and a sense of impending doom. Ask around the airport- you may be able to buy cold medicine in a duty free shop (thought they may not be brands you’re used to). In my case, there was a health clinic within the airport that was happy to provide me with a tablet or two of cold medicine.
All in all, with the last summer rush of flights an vacations fast approaching, I hope everyone stays safe and cold-free. After all, there’s nothing worse than trying to sunbathe with a sore throat.