- LATEST
- WEBSTORY
- TRENDING
WORLD
Omicron increases risk of catching COVID-19 in airplanes? Medical advisor to major airlines says this
The risk may be two or three times greater with Omicron compared to Delta, said IATA medical advisor David Powell.
Updated : Dec 23, 2021, 06:26 PM IST
 "Omicron increases risk of catching COVID-19 in airplanes? Medical advisor to major airlines says this")
TRENDING NOW
)
Meet India's richest cricketer, who lives in house worth Rs 250000000000, not Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar
)
Mukesh Ambani's Jio offers mega plan, 2GB data per day, unlimited calls at just Rs...
)
Indian speedster Mohammed Siraj takes charge as Telangana DSP
)
Step inside Ratan Tata's lavish bungalow in Mumbai
)
Narayana Murthy's next BIG step, Infosys to no longer send job offer letters, the company will...
)
Tamil Nadu train accident: Mysuru-Darbhanga Express crashes into goods train, several feared injured
)
7th Pay Commission: Good news for central govt employees, 3% DA hike likely to be announced on...
)
XXX show actress Aabha Paul dances to popular Bollywood songs in sexy videos
)
Meet Ratan Tata's likely heirs, the next generation of Tata Group
)
This man finished PhD at just 21, was IIT professor at 22, was later sacked from IIT Bombay because...
)
Emotional Intelligence for Entrepreneurs: A Key to Business Success
)
Meet man who went to US for job, studied at IIT Kanpur, later became a monk at 30 because...
)
Big Boss 18: Not Shilpa Shirodkar, Karan Veer Mehra, but this contest is highest-paid celebrity on Salman Khan's show
)
Aamir Khan watched this 2006 film three times which had 3 superstars, was super flop at box office, became hit after..
)
'He loved me immensely, was so possessive': Vijayta Pandit says Kumar Gaurav's family got him married to Namrata Dutt
The growth of the novel variant of Covid-19, Omicron, is thought to have occurred as a result of international airline services during the early stages of the outbreak. Omicron might increase the danger of contracting Covid-19 during a journey, according to an airline industry medical specialist who cautioned that the airport had a larger probability of the virus spreading than the aeroplane itself. More than 100 nations have verified the highly infectious Omicron form, which has swiftly become one of the most prevalent sources for new Covid-19 cases in the United States and South Africa.
“The relative risk has probably increased, just as the relative risk of going to the supermarket or catching a bus has increased with Omicron”, warned Dr David Powell, medical advisor at the IATA (International Air Transport Association), on Tuesday.
“Whatever the risk was with Delta, we would have to assume the risk would be two to three times greater with Omicron, just as we've seen in other environments,” said Dr Powell while talking to Bloomberg.
The Omicron variant includes 32 mutations in the portion of the virus that infects human cells, and it has quickly expanded over the world, such as the United States, South Africa, Denmark, and the United Kingdom. It has already surpassed the extremely contagious Delta type as the leading source of new infections in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The majority of the information on the virus's spread on planes dates back to March 2020, then there were widely accessible tests, masks, and boarding procedures, according to Powell. He went on to say that the risk of contracting Covid-19 on a flight triggered by the Delta version was “low”, while the exact magnitude of that threat was unknown.
There is significantly more chaotic mobility in an airport, and therefore more chances for face-to-face contact. Flow of air has been restricted in general. Airport ventilation rates are only a tenth of what they are throughout a flight, according to him. The “riskiest” portion of plane travel, according to Sheldon H Jacobson, a professor of computer science at the University of Illinois, seems to be the hour before and after flights.
