A new study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, the Department of Health of the Federated State of Georgia and Delta Air Lines analysed the passenger data on Delta flights with pre-flight Covid testing between New York-JFK, Atlanta and Rome-Fiumicino. The results show that the risk of exposure to Covid-19 on board an aircraft after all passengers have tested negative 72 hours before the flight is less than 0.1 %.
The study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings showed that a single covid-19 molecular test carried out within 72 hours of departure can reduce the rate of people actively infected on board a commercial aircraft at a much lower level than infection rates in the working population. For example, when the average local infection rate was 1.1 %, infection rates on the flights tested came out at 0.05 %.
"We are going to be living with variants of the virus for some time. Governments can use this data in real terms - not calculated on simulation models", explains Dr Henry Ting, Director of Health for Delta.
According to the doctor, it could serve as a model for requiring vaccinations and tests. And replace quarantines with the reopening of borders international travel.
Virtually total in-flight safety
"The risk of air travel varies according to the number of cases and vaccination rates on departure and at destination. But it also depends on whether a mask is worn and on other factors. The data collected in this study show that the systematic use of a single molecular test 72 hours before travel for unvaccinated people considerably reduces the risk of exposure and transmission by air".
The study began in December 2020 with the covid-19 test programme, allowing entry into Italy without quarantine.. This enabled the teams to model various test strategies. These included feasibility, false positive rates and case detection rates. The results of this study provide unique information on the risk of exposure to the virus, on-board infection rates and the implementation of a testing protocol.
"Combining the extremely low infection rate on board a tested flight, the different layers of protection on board (mandatory mask and air filtration), the risk of transmission is less than one in a million between the US and the UK," added Dr Ting. " These figures will improve further as vaccination rates rise and that new cases are declining worldwide".
