Here’s Why It’s Dangerous to Fly When Sick or Injured
byDaniel McCarthy/
仅仅担心到机场的交通,安全等待时间以及航班延误是不够的,但是一些旅行者不得不担心会因受伤或疾病而飞行,这可能会变得更糟。
对于那些乘客来说,重要的是要知道受伤和疾病飞行的风险,以及为什么它会在空中变得更糟。
One reason, and the simplest explanation, is that the cramped conditions, with 200 or so people sharing the same cabin regardless of class, making it much easier for germs to spread. And those germs make it much easier for those with an already compromised immune system to get even sicker. Not to mention that those people who are already sick who choose to fly tend to do a good job of spreading the germs around.
“I tell people to wipe things down to reduce the risk of transmission,” said Lori Calavan, a practicing surgical critical care physicians assistant at St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, and a senior medical consultant to Allianz Global Assistance. She added, though, “there’s not a lot you can do if you have people that are that close to you.”
卡拉万说,除了如果您觉得自己积极感染力,没有乘坐飞机,乘客对这种风险无能为力。但是她建议所有乘客使用适当的洗手,并在坐下之前擦拭座椅周围的任何表面积。
According to a2015 study called “Airline Hygiene Exposed,”from Travelmath, which measured germs in a fecal coliform test, some of the dirtiest places on airplanes are the flush button in the bathroom, the seatbelt buckle, and the overhead air vent. But the study found that the tray table was, by far, the dirtiest place on the airplane, with a measurement of 2,155 colony forming units (CFU)/square inch. The flush button, by comparison, was measured at 265 CFU/square inch, while the overhead air vent was measured at 285 CFU/square inch.
“I think it’s a combination. You can get sick in a crowded area. You are in a limited space, it’s crowded. When people are flying and they have a compromised system, they are not well. It’s the same thing when you have toddlers in an infant room. You always run that risk no matter where you are,” she said.
For those who are injured, as opposed to sick, the reason it’s dangerous to fly with an injury is trapped air. Anyone with injuries where air has been trapped, because of the basic laws of physics and, more specifically, Boyle’s Law, Calavan said, is at a higher risk of pain and injury inflight than others.
“最大的问题是发生有可能被困空气的情况。当我们在海拔高度旅行时,体内的气体可以从海平面膨胀1.5至2磅。”卡拉文说。
博伊尔定律说,随着气压的降低,气体会扩大,这正是飞机在高度上升高时发生的情况。空气膨胀会导致不适和疼痛,有时甚至会受伤。
“When you get at altitude, when you’re flying, there’s a different mix of gases than at sea level, but there’s less pressure, and less oxygen gets into the blood at a higher altitude,” she added.
气压变化可能会极大地影响。这就是“射流膨胀”背后的原因,这是一些旅行者在航班上经历的常见肿胀和腹胀。但这也可能是一些严重问题的原因。According to the Mayo Clinic, most injuries are fine to fly with, but some, including those that might put people at a higher risk of blood clots, could be dangerous. According to Calavan, those types of patients need to check with their doctor before traveling.
“If you have someone who has a partially or a complete collapsed lung,” for instance, she said, “when you put them at altitude, the gas is going to expand and that collapsed lung is going to get worse. Patients can die if they completely collapse their lung.”
Medical travel insurance is important
For those who are injured or become sick while traveling, travel insurance companies like Allianz offer plans that provide coverage for emergency medical expenses. Having that coverage will allow travelers to not put themselves, or other passengers, at risk when flying, and allows them to get home safe and without an anvil-sized medical bill waiting for them.
“If someone is acutely ill on vacation, you want them to seek medical attention where they are. Usually it’s a combination of decisions. We always work together and ensure that a patient is never in harm’s way or at risk,” Calavan said.
例如,安联可以带医疗或空中救护车(相当于移动ICU)的旅行者回家。
“We’ve had big trauma patients with surgeries and wound and pain control, but once they are stable and their oxygen is stable, we can have them travel with a nurse or a doctor in a commercial plane first class, because they are going to be so much more comfortable than in an air ambulance,” she said.