It's a scary time to fly across the country. Still, some people are compelled to get on a plane to bring a child to college, visit family or head to a beach retreat for social isolation — attained only after managing a barrage of health-challenging situations.
For getting from A to B, most health experts lean toward driving, but some nod to flying. The Washington Post recently asked five epidemiologists if they would be willing to fly. Just one said he would. Two local infectious disease experts recently were split on the question. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota deemed flying unsafe, saying that the virus can be carried by aerosols, that passengers can be seated near strangers for far too long and that much of the experience is beyond a flier's control. Dr. Frank Rhame with Allina Health said that over long distances, flying could be more safe, especially on a direct flight. Airplane cabin air is well filtered and much of it comes from outside the aircraft, he noted.
For those who need to fly, here are things to consider — some assuring, some not at all.
At the airport and checkpoints
At Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, electrostatic disinfectant spraying takes place each night, along with other upgraded cleaning practices and a focus on high-touch areas like door handles. Nearly 50 hand sanitizer stations are scattered throughout Terminals 1 and 2. Floor decals in both terminals remind people to stay 6 feet apart. Nearly 90 plastic shield guards are in place.
Travelers can schedule parking online for contact-free entry and exit.
To better plan your trip to MSP, where 21 of 77 restaurants are open with reduced hours, go to mspairport.com/TravelConfidently.
Even as airports adopt robust cleaning protocols, fewer people are flying. This month, MSP will have 253 scheduled daily departures on average, compared with 554 in July 2019.
Fewer people has meant little to no waiting at security checkpoints.
