Airports act as hub for Covid-19

Airports are coming across as hubs for the transmission of the novel coronavirus infection in Stage 2, because of extended contact between people, in India. Clusters testing positive for Covid19 in Maharashtra and Telangana state showed no history of cough and cold in those coming from Dubai and Indonesia, but they later tested positive for Covid-19.

Medical experts suspect that they have not contracted the virus from their respective places of origin but from airports that they crossed during transit. High volume of passenger traffic, huge movement of people and a considerable waiting time in a centrally air-conditioned unit allows for a conducive environment for spread of virus.

The suspected touch spread is through selfservice, check-in screens, gate bench arm rests, water fountain buttons, door handles, seats, tray tables and handles of lavatories in aircraft are ‘suspected’ hotspots.

Epidemiological modelling by experts found that if 60 per cent of the passengers had washed their hands, it would have slowed the spread of the disease by 69 per cent.

Dr K.K. Aggarwal, president of Confederation of Medical Associations in Asia and Oceania, said, “The theory has evolved from the data at hand. There are 113 cases in United Arab Emirates and after the 15 people entered Maharashtra they have tested positive in a few days. The transmission has occurred in transit and the main hub where time was spent was the airport.”

Researchers have determined the cases in United States of America and London via these transit modes to understand the spread of the virus. Their conclusion is that existing systems allow for ‘megahub airports’ and are ‘geographically conjunctive points’ where the transition of spread is viable.