reducing infection risk
 

Just got over an upper respiratory illness contracted after a 11 hr flight (coach, if that makes any difference?), but now my wife has it.

I am healthy but get such illnesses about one international flight in five.

Any ideas to reduce the risk? already wash hands frequently. Fly business? A doctor friend says wearing a face mask makes no difference unless it is HEPA compliant. A holistic friend says you can take immunostimulants.

found this, but of little value

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/air/m...abin-crew.html

A few ideas...

- Clean up any contact areas (armrests, tray table, etc...) with disinfectant wipes before settling down
- Pick a window seat and don't move around the aircraft too much. Go to the loo before getting on the flight. Picking one at the back of the plane might mean you're more likely to have a free seat next to you too.
- Have some more disinfectant wipes to wash your hands before eating.
- Don't touch your face too much
- HEPA face masks exist but I would probably rather be sick than wearing a proper efficient mask for 11 hours.
- Flying business would reduce the risk as you will be in contact with fewer people but ultimately this is a tradeoff you have to make.

You can't do anything about an airborne virus unless you want to wear a mask and even then it's iffy. Everything Big Ben suggested, take disinfected wipes and clean everything. Anything you would touch from seat belt, trays, armrest... Do not touch your face at all, don't rub your eyes, lips. I work in L.E. and we take classes once a year to make sure we are protecting ourselves from contagious diseases. When my wife and I fly we always have wipes. Are we Howard Hughes batsh!t crazy about germs? No but we do clean everything we touch. MRSA is out there. The today show had a segment about how dirty flying is. I'll see if I can find it.

Moderators please remove if this is not allowed. I'm posting this so that the OP can understand certain areas where infection may occur. I've never been sick because of a flight I took but everyone's immune system if different.
https://www.today.com/health/harmful...g-sick-t138513

Use a saline nasal spray - having dehydrated air passages will decrease their ability to deal with infectious microbes.

I agree with this. I'm a fan of the NeilMed sinus rinse kit. It sounds icky to send water up your nose but once I got past the thought of it, I found it really easy to do. I have allergies, so use it daily. My husband does not, so he uses it 2x/week and especially the day of and the day after flying. A doctor I know says that surfers are less inclined to nasal infections because of the sea salt water they have running thru their nasal passages. This is the same.

They do, or at least Clorox wipes do:
http://apex-reps.com/assets/site/uploads/cIoZUYBLIG.pdf

There's a few they don't kill but everything I'd be worried about on a plane is covered. Well, except for Hep A but I'm vaccinated against that one

Firstly, get your shots. Get vaccinated annually, especially against flu. But if you travel internationally, especially to the tropics and to poorer countries with sanitation issues, get yellow fever, dengue, and malaria vaccinations as well. Arm yourself with Cipro. You may not have to take it, but it's good to have.

As to actually flying...use hand sanitizer frequently, especially after trips to the lav. Bring disinfectant wipes and wipe down the armrests, tray table, and vent ring. And don't forget the IFE controls as well. Do it at the start of the flight.

Malaria vaccinations? :confused:

Is there such a thing now?

Not really a vaccination, but you can prevent it with malaria prep treatments. Pills or shots. Unlike other shots though it's only good while you are exposed and does not stay with you.

interesting re nasal !
related - drinking water
and regular nutrition

clearly popular use of terms varies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria_prophylaxis

medpagetoday.com/infectiousdisease/generalinfectiousdisease/74177

Typically only the commercial products, not the consumer products. Activated Hydrogen Peroxide products are da bomb, but they can be hard to find and typical retailers won't carry these commercial products.

Keep in mind you may or may not have contracted the illness on the flights, even if you started feeling sick during or shortly afterward. Depending on what has caused the respiratory infection, the average incubation period can be as long as several days following exposure.

Generally I find practicing good hygiene, staying hydrated, and getting adequate rest (as much as possible) throughout the trip is best, rather than focusing just on the flights. We do use appropriate wipes to clean off certain surfaces on the plane, hotel, etc. though that's not a panacea. As someone with chronic sinus issues, non-medicated saline rinses as mentioned above are an excellent thing to use regularly, not just to guard against infection but also to keep dust and allergens flushed out, too. Can't hurt to get flu and other vaccines as appropriate, too.

Finally there's always an element of luck involved no matter what...or bad luck, as the case may be.