Coughs on a Plane

The key to this story is the animation

Long lines, lost luggage and late flights are all among the holiday travel risks that tens of thousands of San Diego air travelers face this week, but some have an even bigger concern: the fear of getting the H1N1 virus in crowded airports and airplanes.

A new animation from Purdue University gives more ammo to passengers giving the stink-eye to those who dare to cough or sneeze on a Thanksgiving week flight.  It comes to us courtesy of Dr. Qingyan Chen.

The animations shows exactly how far H1N1 travels on an airplane.  And it is not just to the left and the right -- people behind the cougher also get sprayed with enough of the virus to become infected.  It's the kind of animation that you are likely to ask co-workers to gather around to see:

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Doctors suggest if you find yourself sitting near someone you think might be sick, you can hand them a tissue or ask a flight attendant if they have any face masks to offer the person. Some airlines are beginning to carry them as a standard on flights.

And don't forget the disinfecting wipes and lotions. They will kill most bacterias.

 Photo from Placebo, via Flickr

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