How to Eat on a Plane Without Getting Sick

While definite aspects of pandemic aerial travel—like wearing masks onboard the level erstwhile you’re not eating oregon drinking—are inactive precise overmuch successful effect, others are dilatory transitioning backmost to their pre-COVID iterations. Take in-flight repast service, for example: There was a play of clip erstwhile it was importantly scaled back, oregon stopped entirely, but now, depending connected the magnitude of the flight, airline meals and snacks are backmost on the (tray) table.

And though we’ve been reassured (repeatedly) that the constantly-filtered aerial circulating wrong planes is safe, the hazard of getting sick from coronavirus oregon different pathogens—while low—still exists. Wearing effective look masks decreases that risk, but what astir if you region yours during repast service? Here’s what to cognize astir eating safely portion connected a plane.

Is it harmless to devour during a flight?

According to probe published earlier this twelvemonth successful the Journal of Travel Medicine, if the passengers connected a 12-hour formation instrumentality their masks disconnected for a one-hour repast service, it increases the hazard of COVID corruption by 59%, compared to if they had each near their masks connected for the full duration of the flight.

But, arsenic Elazar Sontag points retired successful a caller nonfiction for Eater, it’s not realistic to inquire radical not to devour oregon portion for 12 hours. Here’s what helium suggests doing instead.

How to devour safely portion connected a plane

The main origin for the accrued hazard of COVID corruption during repast service, according to the researchers progressive with the study, is having truthful galore radical removing their masks astatine the aforesaid time. And portion they urge that airlines stagger their repast service—serving groups of passengers portion the remainder support their masks on—as Sontag mentions, it’s improbable that specified a argumentation volition beryllium adopted anytime soon.

In the meantime, helium recommends waiting a fewer minutes to devour (or drink) aft your in-flight delicacies person been served. That way, you tin support your disguise connected portion those astir you instrumentality it disconnected to eat, and region yours aft they’ve enactment theirs backmost connected and their filthy mouths are safely covered erstwhile again.