Do you often fly? Have you planned a flight in the next few weeks? Warning: according to a recent study conducted by the American travel site Travel Math, airplanes and airports would be “even dirtier than our homes”. It is microbiologists who say it: bacteria abound there. To reach this conclusion, the scientists combed through 5 airports and 4 planes to collect 26 samples.
Results ? Germs and bacteria galore. “During your journey – from entering the airport to landing – you will come into contact with approximately 80 million bacteria,” say microbiologists. A scary number!
The race for bacteria starts first in the airport. “Try not to touch the door handles, especially those in the bathrooms. Also avoid direct contact with faucets, the scientists advise. However, we noticed that the toilets there were cleaner overall than those in our homes. »
On the plane, then. Dirtiest place? Oddly, it’s not the toilet, but the tablet, which is on the back of the front seat. “If you have to eat on the plane, avoid contact between the plastic of your tablet and food as much as possible, to limit the spread of germs” advise the professionals. Next comes the toilet button (the one you press to flush the toilet) then the seat belt buckle (the metal element) and the ventilation system.
“We mainly listed escherichia coli (bacteria responsible for foodborne infections) and staphylococci (which can cause skin infections, sometimes serious. We therefore recommend caution: remember to wash your hands regularly during your trip. »
Warning: flying too much would be bad for your health.
Cardiovascular diseases: aircraft noise increases the risk.
