{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during air travel: a descriptive and modelling study.
{Author}: Zhang J;Qin F;Qin X;Li J;Tian S;Lou J;Kang X;Lian H;Niu S;Zhang W;Chen Y;
{Journal}: Ann Med
{Volume}: 53
{Issue}: 1
{Year}: 12 2021
{Factor}: 5.348
{DOI}: 10.1080/07853890.2021.1973084
{Abstract}: To explore the potential of SARS-CoV-2 spread during air travel and the risk of in-flight transmission.<BR>We enrolled all passengers and crew suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV-2, who bounded for Beijing on international flights. We specified the characteristics of all confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection and utilised Wells-Riley equation to estimate the infectivity of COVID-19 during air travel.<BR>We screened 4492 passengers and crew with suspected COVID-19 infection, verified 161 confirmed cases (mean age 28.6 years), and traced two confirmed cases who may have been infected in the aircraft. The estimated infectivity was 375 quanta/h (range 274-476), while the effective infectivity was only 4 quanta/h (range 2-5). The risk of per-person infection during a 13 h air travel in economy class was 0.56‰ (95% CI 0.41‰-0.72‰).<BR>We found that the universal use of face masks on the flight, together with the plane's ventilation system, significantly decreased the infectivity of COVID-19.KEY MESSAGESThe COVID-19 pandemic is changing the lifestyle in the world, especially air travel which has the potential to spread SARS-CoV-2.The universal use of face masks on the flight, together with the plane's ventilation system, significantly decreased the infectivity of COVID-19 on an aircraft.Our findings suggest that the risk of infection in aircraft was negligible.