Omicron may double or triple risk of contracting COVID-19 on planes: IATA health expert

For those planning to fly somewhere for Christmas or New Years, the chances of getting infected with COVID-19 may be higher because of the new Omicron variant. It is to mention that the new Omicron strain is highly transmissible and has also become dominant across the world in the matter of just weeks. The new variant has already been detected in 106 countries and it accounts for more than 70% of all new cases in the US alone. 

Now, amid the spread of the new strain, the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Medical Advisor, David Powell, has warned that aircraft passengers are twice or even three times more likely to catch coronavirus during a flight since the emergence of the new Omicron variant. According to Fox News, the top medical adviser to the world’s airlines informed that the chance of transmission aboard a plane is less than packed places on the ground like airports bars and gyms because flights use hospital-grade air filters. 

The IATA medical chief suggested that passengers who sit next to each other should avoid taking off their masks and eating at the same time. Powell added that as before, passengers should avoid face-to-face contact and surfaces that are frequently touched. “The relative risk has probably increased, just as the relative risk of going to the supermarket or catching a bus has increased,” he stated. 

Omicron outbreak 

Meanwhile, it was previously revealed that the new COVID-19 variant has been spreading faster than the Delta strain, and the WHO has also warned that Omicron will push health systems to the brink yet again. A WHO report even suggested that there is a 206% rise within 20 days vis-a-vis number of countries impacted. A total of 73% of Omicron cases originate from the United States, while more than 60,000 Omicron cases have been reported in the UK. 

While the Omicron variant, as per preliminary research, appears to be less severe than the Delta variant, the WHO has warned that it should not be dismissed as "mild”. While researchers continue to find more about the complexity, contagiousness, and severity of the Omicron variant, it is important that people get immunised against the coronavirus, and follow safety measures, including the use of masks, to prevent the deadly virus from spreading rapidly. It's important to remember that all COVID-19 strains, especially the Delta, which is still widespread around the world, can cause serious disease or death. This is why preventing the virus's spread and minimising the risk of infection are critical.

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