Breaking News | Pentagon Test “Encouragement” Results on Covid Spread in Aircraft

A well-equipped aircraft can be “one of the safest places you can”. Coronavirus Pandemic and Pentagon studies suggest.

Testing on Boeing jets has returned with “promising” results thanks to the hospital-grade HEPA air filters on board the aircraft.

by Military.comTests have shown that dummy virus particles spread less than in a normal indoor setting because the filter is constantly exchanging air.

General Stephen Lions, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, said the results showed “very very high air exchange rates every 2 to 5 minutes or 2 to 3 minutes.”

“In fact, in my observation, I’ve been flying commercially since the beginning of the pandemic, but boarding a commercial aircraft with a HEPA filter is probably one of the safest places you can,” Lions said. I did.

During the test conducted in August, the mannequin was sitting in a Boeing plane seat. Some people wore masks and others did not.

Full results, including the difference between masked and unmasked mannequins, will be released shortly.

The researchers simulated aerial tests as well as other scenarios, such as when the plane was in a terminal with a jet bridge connected to the aircraft.

Particles are released every 2-4 minutes, mimicking the potential for virus spread on aircraft that are difficult to distance socially.

Currently, so-called Patriot Express flights carrying troops and their families are allowed to fill up to 80% of their seats.

“This data collected will ultimately inform the Pentagon of the contact tracing requirements required for a particular aircraft,” said the Navy Major. Joseph Pope.

“It is also used to develop strategies such as cabin loading and seating configurations to reduce the potential risk of human-to-human transmission.”

The test was designed for military personnel, but it is also closely watched by civilian airlines that have been hit by a pandemic.

The global stagnation has unprecedentedly disrupted demand for air travel, and the industry has run out of $ 77 billion in cash in late 2020 alone.

US airlines have begun to temporarily dismiss more than 32,000 workers, and wage subsidies are gradually declining in many countries, including Europe.

Brian Pierce, chief economist at the International Air Transport Association, said on Tuesday that the average airline currently has cash in operation for 8.5 months.

“We are facing a tough winter month for airlines with constantly weak cash flow,” he said.

Airlines are pushing for further testing at the airport to prevent sick passengers from boarding planes, but attention is also being paid to in-flight safety.

According to American Airlines, HEPA filters have been common on commercial jets since the 1990s and capture 99.97 percent of airborne microbes.

American Airlines Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 jets each have two HEPA filters, while the larger Boeing 777 planes have eight of them.

However, some smaller regional aircraft are not compatible with HEPA filters and instead use less efficient equipment.

The Covid-19 virus is thought to spread through droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, and even sings.

These droplets can land on someone else’s mouth or nose, or reach it with unwashed hands.

Scientists have found that droplets stay in the air longer in poorly ventilated areas, increasing the risk of infection.

Researchers, who wrote in the medical journal The Lancet in July, found that their findings “confirm that improving ventilation in public spaces dilutes and eliminates potentially infectious aerosols.” Said.

“Medical authorities believe that recommendations should be considered to avoid poorly ventilated public spaces as much as possible,” they write.

The virus is thought to be less spread outdoors, not only allowing people to move further away, but also because the virus particles are “unlimitedly diluted” in the breeze.