Long flights are difficult and it is often very important that you are as comfortable as possible.
And that could mean reaching for the climate button to keep the icy blast of air from rushing over your neck.
It’s not just the cold that puts you off, but the worry air conditioning is a surefire way to spread the germs of around a hundred other strangers, reports The Mirror.
But that’s actually far from the mark.
By turning off the personal air vent during a flight, we may increase our chances of getting sick.
Dr. Mark Gendreau, medical director and vice chairman of emergency medicine at Lahey Medical Center-Peabody, Massachusetts, is something of an infectious disease expert.
He explained to Travel + Leisure why we should keep the vent open.
“With viruses in the air, ventilation is incredibly important because ventilation becomes your primary control tool in addition to isolating the person,” he says.
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Airborne viruses are transmitted by tiny droplets of nuclei that hang around in the air for up to five hours.
Dr. Gendreau says these droplets actually can’t reach you when the air conditioning is on because a barrier has formed around you preventing it from happening.
Many of us may attribute air conditioning to the spread of germs – but that is wrong. He adds, “The air you normally breathe and to which you are exposed is usually between two and five rows surrounding your seat.
“The airflow pattern in an airplane doesn’t necessarily work front-to-back or back-to-front. It’s actually divided into different sections of the airplane.”
So keeping that pesky air conditioner on, even if you feel like you’re hypothermic, is a good thing.
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