YOUR WELLBEING MATTERS TO US DR VALNI HAUGHTON,
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT COVID-19, AND WHAT WE ARE DOING TO REASSURE YOU
Head of Occupational Health at Cathay Pacific Airways, shares information about the current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on expert advice from the WHO, IATA and Hong Kong’s local health authority, and how Cathay Pacific is responding to the situation.
1 What is the novel coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses found in both animals and humans. Some can cause illnesses in people, ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The new, or ‘novel’ coronavirus is a previously unidentified strain of coronavirus, which is responsible for the outbreak of COVID-19 that began in Wuhan, China in December 2019.
How concerned should we be? 2
As with other respiratory illnesses, COVID-19 can present with mild symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever. It can however be more severe for some persons and, on rare occasions, the disease can be fatal. Older people, and people with preexisting medical conditions (such as diabetes and heart disease) appear to be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the virus.
The risk of exposure will depend largely on a person’s location and whether there is ongoing community transmission of COVID-19. People living or travelling in an area where the virus is circulating may be at risk of infection if they come into close contact with a symptomatic infected person.
3 Is it safe to fly right now?
According to IATA medical advisor Dr David Powell, the risk of contracting a virus onboard a flight is probably lower than in many confined spaces, because modern aircraft have cabin air filtration systems equipped with HEPA filters. These filters have similar performance to those used to keep the air clean in hospital operating rooms and industrial clean rooms. These filters are effective at capturing 99.999 per cent of airborne microbes in filtered air. Furthermore the cabin air system delivers approximately 50 per cent outside air and 50 per cent filtered, recirculated air. This means the supplied air is essentially sterile.
The information available (at press time) tells us that the new coronavirus spreads primarily through contact with a symptomatic infected person’s respiratory droplets, which is generated when a person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. This is called ‘droplet spread’. Similar to other diseases that are spread via this route, the risk of infection to passengers is very minimal, but maintaining good personal hygiene is always recommended whilst travelling on a plane.
4 Should I wear a mask?
One question we are commonly asked is whether passengers should wear masks when on a flight. Both the WHO and IATA recommend to
WE ARE CLOSELY FOLLOWING AND IMPLEMENTING ALL RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE WHO AND IATA
only wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing or taking care of someone with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. Masks are also only effective when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning. The best thing to do is follow the practical advice on these pages.
5 What is the Cathay Pacific Group doing to prevent the coronavirus spreading?
We are closely following and implementing all recommendations from the WHO and IATA. Our aim is to assist local health authorities to limit further spread of the disease by maintaining high hygiene standards in our planes, lounges and workplaces; and providing our employees with appropriate, evidence-based information and tools to protect themselves and our passengers. We are also flying essential medical and other supplies into Hong Kong and Mainland China.
6 Do you have any other tips?
There are many alarming reports surrounding the current outbreak circulating in the news and on social media. These can create significant stress and panic in the general community. The WHO has been addressing these types of reports in its press conferences and putting them in context. It is therefore very important that you verify any claims or reports against reputable sources such as the WHO, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) or European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) before accepting them as the truth.
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