If you have a pre-existing medical condition, preventing illnesses on your flight could make a huge difference to your trip. Here at MIA we’ve put together a brief guide on how to avoid a cold, an upset tummy, or worse, from your flight:
1. Choose your airline wisely - Which? carried out a customer survey into tour operators, one of the categories was in-flight cleanliness. It found that almost two-thirds of Ryanair customers said that the cleanliness of the airplane was ‘below standard’ or ‘poor’. Meanwhile, two-thirds of EasyJet customers rated the standards of hygiene on board as ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. It goes to show that price isn’t always an indicator of quality, at least in this case!
2. Book your seat - If your airline allows it. Studies have shown that seats given the most exposure to people, were the dirtiest. So, avoid seats near the exits, toilets or even in the aisles. Window seats came out cleanest, as less people touch them, and they have the added bonus of coming with a great view too.
3. Make yourself at home - You wouldn’t eat from a dirty table at home, so don’t do it on your flight either. Take a small packet of wipes and give your seat, tray and armrests a once over. Yes, it might get you some strange looks from other passengers, but it could be worth it. A Canadian study recently found harmful levels of bacteria on trays, armrests and seat pockets, as well as a type of pathogen commonly found in human faeces – remember the wipes.
4. Back to Basics - Handwashing is vital preventing the spread of disease and illness in all areas, but in confined spaces like aircraft this simple solution is especially important, and essential before eating and drinking on-board. It’s estimated that up to 95% of people don’t wash their hands properly after using the loo, either lack of effort or poor technique. The NHS Website has published a step-by-step guide on how to wash your hands thoroughly, just in case you’re one of the 95%...
5. Hand Sanitiser - If warm, soapy water isn’t immediately available on board because you’re not able to move freely, hand sanitiser can be very useful. Most brands claim to kill up to 99% of bacteria, which is not to be sniffed at. But remember hand sanitiser won’t kill all spores, bacteria and viruses. MRSA, E. coli, Norovirus and in most cases, even the common cold virus can only be killed through proper handwashing with soap and water.
6. What to do if you’re unwell - If you’ve picked up a contagious cold or bug, it’s up to you to contain it as well as you possibly can. Follow the above advice if you can and keep washing those hands!
Chances are the common cold won’t spoil your holiday, but if you have a pre-existing medical condition or you happen to pick up something more harmful, it’s important that you’re correctly covered. Trust MIA to get you a policy that’s right for you, we’ve been successfully matching customers to specialist medical travel insurance policies for 25 years.
