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Who Should Wear Masks on Planes? More Airlines Say Everyone Who Should Wear Masks on Planes? More Airlines Say Everyone
(8 days later)
After flight attendants and pilots criticized them for not doing more to protect employees, large airlines in the United States and around the world announced this week that they would require their crews and passengers to wear masks.After flight attendants and pilots criticized them for not doing more to protect employees, large airlines in the United States and around the world announced this week that they would require their crews and passengers to wear masks.
American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all said on Thursday that they would start requiring all passengers to wear a face covering in the coming weeks, a policy that will apply to their flight attendants and some other workers, too. The three join Lufthansa Group — which owns its namesake airline, Swiss International Air Lines and Austrian Airlines — as well as JetBlue and Frontier Airlines, all of which made similar announcements this week. Southwest Airlines has said a policy for flight attendants is coming.American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines all said on Thursday that they would start requiring all passengers to wear a face covering in the coming weeks, a policy that will apply to their flight attendants and some other workers, too. The three join Lufthansa Group — which owns its namesake airline, Swiss International Air Lines and Austrian Airlines — as well as JetBlue and Frontier Airlines, all of which made similar announcements this week. Southwest Airlines has said a policy for flight attendants is coming.
As some states begin to relax or lift stay-at-home orders, lawmakers and unions representing flight attendants and pilots have stepped up calls for industrywide rules on masks to protect flight crews from passengers — and passengers from one another.As some states begin to relax or lift stay-at-home orders, lawmakers and unions representing flight attendants and pilots have stepped up calls for industrywide rules on masks to protect flight crews from passengers — and passengers from one another.
Airlines have been slow to require masks in part because they’ve been hard to come by. Early in the pandemic, many companies promised to make masks available for employees who wanted them, but some pilots and flight attendants complained that they were not always available.Airlines have been slow to require masks in part because they’ve been hard to come by. Early in the pandemic, many companies promised to make masks available for employees who wanted them, but some pilots and flight attendants complained that they were not always available.
“Things have changed rapidly in just two or three weeks,” Robert Isom, president of American Airlines, said in a call with journalists on Thursday. “As we take a look forward with sanitizer, we see ample supplies. With masks, it is a logistical issue of getting inventories to the right place, but we have sufficient quantities for our team.”“Things have changed rapidly in just two or three weeks,” Robert Isom, president of American Airlines, said in a call with journalists on Thursday. “As we take a look forward with sanitizer, we see ample supplies. With masks, it is a logistical issue of getting inventories to the right place, but we have sufficient quantities for our team.”
It will be several weeks before the airline can distribute enough sanitizer and masks to offer them to all passengers who want them, Mr. Isom said. American’s policy does not take effect until May 11.It will be several weeks before the airline can distribute enough sanitizer and masks to offer them to all passengers who want them, Mr. Isom said. American’s policy does not take effect until May 11.
On Wednesday, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Representative Peter A. DeFazio, asked the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Stephen Dickson, to require masks and take other steps to protect travelers and crews. It is “essential” that passengers wear masks and airlines space out seats, said Mr. DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat.On Wednesday, the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Representative Peter A. DeFazio, asked the head of the Federal Aviation Administration, Stephen Dickson, to require masks and take other steps to protect travelers and crews. It is “essential” that passengers wear masks and airlines space out seats, said Mr. DeFazio, an Oregon Democrat.
Two Democratic senators, Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, urged the Transportation Department and the Department of Health and Human Services to put similar rules in place.Two Democratic senators, Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, urged the Transportation Department and the Department of Health and Human Services to put similar rules in place.
“The need for an emergency rule requiring face masks for all individuals engaged in air travel is both clear and urgent,” the senators wrote in a letter.“The need for an emergency rule requiring face masks for all individuals engaged in air travel is both clear and urgent,” the senators wrote in a letter.
The push for a federal mask requirement has been largely driven by labor unions. In a letter last week, the Association of Flight Attendants union, which represents workers at 20 airlines, including United and Frontier, asked the transportation and health departments for an emergency regulation on masks for passengers.The push for a federal mask requirement has been largely driven by labor unions. In a letter last week, the Association of Flight Attendants union, which represents workers at 20 airlines, including United and Frontier, asked the transportation and health departments for an emergency regulation on masks for passengers.
Over the weekend, the union’s president, Sara Nelson, posted a photograph on Twitter, which was widely shared, showing a packed American Airlines plane with some passengers who were not wearing masks.Over the weekend, the union’s president, Sara Nelson, posted a photograph on Twitter, which was widely shared, showing a packed American Airlines plane with some passengers who were not wearing masks.
“ENOUGH! This was TODAY on a four hour flight. This is not okay,” Ms. Nelson wrote.“ENOUGH! This was TODAY on a four hour flight. This is not okay,” Ms. Nelson wrote.
So far, the Trump administration has resisted a mask mandate.So far, the Trump administration has resisted a mask mandate.
In a statement, the F.A.A. said that Mr. Dickson had shared Mr. DeFazio’s concerns and that the agency expected airlines to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Department of Health and Human Services referred a request for comment to the C.D.C., which repeated its general recommendations.In a statement, the F.A.A. said that Mr. Dickson had shared Mr. DeFazio’s concerns and that the agency expected airlines to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Department of Health and Human Services referred a request for comment to the C.D.C., which repeated its general recommendations.
Studies have shown that people who don’t display symptoms of the virus can infect others. That’s why the C.D.C. recommends that masks or face coverings be worn in “community settings,” such as grocery stores, pharmacies or the confines of an airplane.Studies have shown that people who don’t display symptoms of the virus can infect others. That’s why the C.D.C. recommends that masks or face coverings be worn in “community settings,” such as grocery stores, pharmacies or the confines of an airplane.
“If you’re trying to control spread of a disease in a community, your most effective means is to control it at the source,” said Dr. Henry Wu, director of the Emory TravelWell Center in Atlanta, which provides health services for international travelers. “For an infectious disease, it would be the ill individual, primarily the ill individual who doesn’t realize they are ill.”“If you’re trying to control spread of a disease in a community, your most effective means is to control it at the source,” said Dr. Henry Wu, director of the Emory TravelWell Center in Atlanta, which provides health services for international travelers. “For an infectious disease, it would be the ill individual, primarily the ill individual who doesn’t realize they are ill.”
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Since the start of the pandemic, airlines have regularly pointed to the quality of their air filtration systems, which filter and recirculate the air in the cabin every few minutes. Such systems are “quite good,” Dr. Wu said, but they can’t eliminate contagion.Since the start of the pandemic, airlines have regularly pointed to the quality of their air filtration systems, which filter and recirculate the air in the cabin every few minutes. Such systems are “quite good,” Dr. Wu said, but they can’t eliminate contagion.
“If you are sitting within six feet of others, obviously there are some immediate-proximity issues that even filtration systems can’t address,” he said.“If you are sitting within six feet of others, obviously there are some immediate-proximity issues that even filtration systems can’t address,” he said.
For many flight attendants, the risk of infection has been mitigated by the nearly complete drop-off in air travel.For many flight attendants, the risk of infection has been mitigated by the nearly complete drop-off in air travel.
While some flights, like the one photographed over the weekend, remain busy, most planes are flying virtually empty. But it won’t remain that way for long. Since early March, airlines have sharply cut schedules, funneling the few people still traveling onto fewer flights. And some early data suggests that the air travel might be past its lowest point of the crisis.While some flights, like the one photographed over the weekend, remain busy, most planes are flying virtually empty. But it won’t remain that way for long. Since early March, airlines have sharply cut schedules, funneling the few people still traveling onto fewer flights. And some early data suggests that the air travel might be past its lowest point of the crisis.
“Whisper it quietly, but we may have reached the bottom,” John Grant, a senior analyst at the aviation data provider OAG, wrote this week. “Scheduled airline capacity has increased for the first time in nearly 10 weeks, and perhaps reassuringly those green shoots of recovery are in more than one market.”“Whisper it quietly, but we may have reached the bottom,” John Grant, a senior analyst at the aviation data provider OAG, wrote this week. “Scheduled airline capacity has increased for the first time in nearly 10 weeks, and perhaps reassuringly those green shoots of recovery are in more than one market.”
Unlike the United States, Canada started requiring face coverings for passengers last week. That came as a relief to Yvette Nakamoto, a flight attendant with Air Canada who had been working through the pandemic, flying regularly between her home base in Calgary to Toronto and Vancouver.Unlike the United States, Canada started requiring face coverings for passengers last week. That came as a relief to Yvette Nakamoto, a flight attendant with Air Canada who had been working through the pandemic, flying regularly between her home base in Calgary to Toronto and Vancouver.
Ms. Nakamoto said she wondered what had taken Canadian officials so long to require masks. She has other questions, too. “Why aren’t they taking temperatures?” she asked. “You go into a grocery store, it takes five seconds.”Ms. Nakamoto said she wondered what had taken Canadian officials so long to require masks. She has other questions, too. “Why aren’t they taking temperatures?” she asked. “You go into a grocery store, it takes five seconds.”