Safe Airplane Flying

We all know of people who have now been flying without contracting covid-19, and perhaps some who were not so lucky. (The odds of catching the disease on a plane ranged from 0.1% (2-hour flight) to 7% (10-hour flight) in late 2020, according to an MIT simulation and a small, real-world study, respectively. That was when masks were still required, and with a less infectious variant compared to the current dominant BA-5—today’s risks will be higher. See Insider.com 8/2/22.)

I ventured out into this brave new world last month and am happy to report that I came home without the infection.

I utilized techniques and gadgets developed over the last two years, most importantly the mask systems that pair an N95 mask of your choice with a small, battery-powered HEPA filter and fan unit (see blog post Jan. 4). (You can buy them online, or from us for $100. Our version includes improved masks, plus a small modification to improve performance.)

Also useful was a Safetulator Fresh Air Meter—in this case, a new model that is even more portable, and has the added feature of a short warning beep if the CO2 level exceeds 1000 ppm. On our scale, this level is the upper end of the “yellow zone”. (These you can also buy online, or from us for $100. Our version includes improved labeling, detailed instructions, a calibration check, and recalibration if needed.)

Using the meter, I found the amount of fresh air usually was not very good. The airports ranged from 700-1200 ppm (less than 800 is the CDC recommendation), and the airplanes ranged from 650 to 2000. Once in the air, the airplanes were good or fair (650 to 1100), but on the ground, the amount of fresh air was much less, and the CO2 levels were higher.

The Portland, Oregon airport had great fresh air, less than 750, and was uncrowded when I was there. I was able to have a leisurely meal, and I set up another gadget at the table—a portable fan with HEPA filter that blew 30 cfm of virus-free air in my direction.

I did covid-19 testing frequently on both ends of the flight, and I’ve now had a negative PCR test four days after my return, so for my test case of one, everything worked well!

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