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Coronavirus and Other Dangers: How to Stay Healthy on the Plane
By Sophia Wagner
Many people find chasing through the clouds thousands of meters above the ground in a metal tube not too reassuring. Nevertheless, airplanes are one of the safest means of transport of all. But what is the situation apart from the accident statistics?
Infectious Diseases
Airplanes are notorious for being breeding grounds for bacteria. Unjustly so: Although airplanes contribute to the spread of epidemics, this is mainly due to the movement of people from one country to another.
It is not proven that when someone is inside the airplane, the danger of his or her getting infected is higher than standing in the queue at security control, for instance.
The risk of infection when flying is no higher than in an average office building. According to the WHO, the air in an airplane is completely replaced 20 to 30 times within an hour. For this purpose, some fresh outside air is sucked into the aircraft.
The rest of the air is recycled. In most modern aircraft, the air passes through a HEPA filter. These filters are so fine that they trap even viruses and bacteria.
No Influenza Viruses Found in the Aircraft
For a study from 2018, researchers collected nearly 230 air samples and surface swabs on 10 flights. In the subsequent analysis, no flu or cold viruses were found. And this despite the fact that the flights took place in the middle of the flu season.
It is more difficult if you are sitting within two rows of seats next to a sick fellow passenger. If there is a person coughing and sneezing in the immediate vicinity, the risk of being infected is just as high as in a bus or car.
Disinfectant and Face Mask Protect Against Infection
If you want to protect yourself, you should have disinfectant in your hand luggage. Before you eat or drink something, you should wipe your hands and the folding table with it.
If you have a cold yourself and want to protect others, you can think about a face mask. It catches the droplets from our throat when we cough or sneeze. The mask may also give the person sitting next to you a feeling of security.
Better than that: highly infectious people should postpone a planned flight. Airlines are also allowed to exclude people with an acutely contagious disease from boarding.
Cosmic Radiation
The earth is constantly bombarded with a stream of high-energy atomic particles. They come from the sun and from the depths of the universe. The totality of these particles forms the so-called cosmic radiation.
The earth's magnetic field and atmosphere act like a natural shield and intercept many of the particles. This means that the closer you are to the surface of the earth, the lower the radiation.
The shielding is highest at the equator and lowest at the polar regions. This is due to the shape of the magnetic field and the fact that the atmosphere is thinner above the poles.
No Health Hazard for Occasional Pilots
The dose of radiation that one receives during a flight therefore varies not only depending on the altitude and duration of the flight, but also on the route.
According to the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, however, high-altitude radiation is not dangerous for occasional pilots, and it is even harmless for pregnant women and small children.
According to this, the effective dose for a flight from Frankfurt to New York and back, for example, is 100 microsieverts. Since the average annual radiation exposure averages 2100 microsieverts, this represents an increase of only 5 percent.
However, this also shows how much frequent flyers and flight personnel are exposed to increased radiation. Therefore, health authorities are looking into radiation as a potential health hazard for flight personnel.
Air Pressure
The cruising altitude for long-haul flights is between 11 and 12 kilometers. However, the air pressure inside the aircraft is controlled and corresponds to the air pressure at 2000 meters above sea level.
According to the WHO, this leads to less oxygen being absorbed into the blood. This is not a problem for healthy people.
However, for some people with heart and lung diseases or blood anomalies, the lower oxygen level can become a problem. They either need an extra oxygen supply or they should avoid flying.
Pressure on the Ears
The comparatively low air pressure can also lead to problems with the ears. Chewing gum, swallowing and yawning help to equalize the pressure.
If that doesn't help during descend, there is also the so-called Valsalva method: keep nose and mouth well closed while trying to breathe out strongly.
And if you have a sinus infection, it is better to avoid flying.
Thromboses
According to the WHO, one in 6000 passengers suffers from travel thrombosis after a long-haul flight. This leads to the formation of blood clots in the veins of the lower legs or the pelvic area.
Signs are swelling, redness and severe pain.
The lack of exercise is responsible for the formation of the thrombosis. This applies to airplanes, trains and long bus trips. There is not enough space in the narrow rows of seats.
Muscle movement is an important factor in keeping the blood flow moving. The blood vessels in the legs can become blocked on long-haul flights.
Restricted Movement Is a Problem Especially for Risk Groups
Some people have an increased risk of thrombosis. These include pregnant women, women who use hormonal contraception, people who are overweight, cancer patients and people with a genetic predisposition to thrombosis.
According to the WHO, there are no preventive measures for thromboses.
As far as flight conditions permit, a little exercise can do no harm. Many airlines also distribute instructions for muscle exercises to keep the blood flow going.
Air Pressure
The cruising altitude for long-haul flights is between 11 and 12 kilometres. However, the air pressure inside the aircraft is controlled and corresponds to the air pressure at 2000 meters above sea level.
According to the WHO, this leads to less oxygen being absorbed into the blood. This is not a problem for healthy people.
However, for some people with heart and lung diseases or blood anomalies, the lower oxygen level can become a problem. They either need an extra oxygen supply or they should avoid flying.
Pressure on the Ears
The comparatively low air pressure can also lead to problems with the ears. Chewing gum, swallowing and yawning help to equalize the pressure.
If that doesn't help during descend, there is also the so-called Valsalva method: keep nose and mouth well closed while trying to breathe out strongly.
And if you have a sinus infection, it is better to avoid flying.
Thromboses
According to the WHO, one in 6000 passengers suffers from travel thrombosis after a long-haul flight. This leads to the formation of blood clots in the veins of the lower legs or the pelvic area.
Signs are swelling, redness and severe pain.
The lack of exercise is responsible for the formation of the thrombosis. This applies to airplanes, trains and long bus trips. There is not enough space in the narrow rows of seats.
Muscle movement is an important factor in keeping the blood flow moving. The blood vessels in the legs can become blocked on long-haul flights.
Restricted Movement Is a Problem Especially for Risk Groups
Some people have an increased risk of thrombosis. These include pregnant women, women who use hormonal contraception, people who are overweight, cancer patients and people with a genetic predisposition to thrombosis.
According to the WHO, there are no preventive measures for thromboses.
As far as flight conditions permit, a little exercise can do no harm. Many airlines also distribute instructions for muscle exercises to keep the blood flow going.
Dehydration
The air humidity in airplanes is on average 20 percent. That is about half of what most people find pleasant. The low air humidity leads to dry skin on the face and dry eyes.
Moisturizing creams and eye drops help here. Anyone who is used to wearing contact lenses should preferably switch to regular glasses on a long-haul flight.
According to the WHO, it has not yet been proven that the external lack of moisture also leads to internal dehydration. Drinking plenty of water on the plane can still do no harm.
But please do not drink the water from the bathroom sink on board! Although the quality and drinkability of the on-board water will be tested regularly by aircraft operators, the tap water on board should only be used to wash hands. This is especially true for people with immune deficiencies.
In this sense: Have a good flight!
Reposted with permission from DW.
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EcoWatch Daily Newsletter
By Michael Svoboda, Ph.D.
Despite a journey to this moment even more treacherous than expected, Americans now have a fresh opportunity to act, decisively, on climate change.
The authors of the many new books released in just the past few months (or scheduled to be published soon) seem to have anticipated this pivotal moment.
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By Katy Neusteter
The Biden-Harris transition team identified COVID-19, economic recovery, racial equity and climate change as its top priorities. Rivers are the through-line linking all of them. The fact is, healthy rivers can no longer be separated into the "nice-to-have" column of environmental progress. Rivers and streams provide more than 60 percent of our drinking water — and a clear path toward public health, a strong economy, a more just society and greater resilience to the impacts of the climate crisis.
Public Health
<img lazy-loadable="true" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTUyNDY3MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDkxMTkwNn0.pyP14Bg1WvcUvF_xUGgYVu8PS7Lu49Huzc3PXGvATi4/img.jpg?width=980" id="8e577" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="1efb3445f5c445e47d5937a72343c012" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="3000" data-height="2302" />Wild and Scenic Merced River, California. Bob Wick / BLM
<p>Let's begin with COVID-19. More than <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html?name=styln-coronavirus&region=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&impression_id=2f508610-2a87-11eb-8622-4f6c038cbd1d&variant=1_Show" target="_blank">16 million Americans</a> have contracted the coronavirus and, tragically,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html?name=styln-coronavirus&region=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&impression_id=2f508610-2a87-11eb-8622-4f6c038cbd1d&variant=1_Show" target="_blank"> more than</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html?name=styln-coronavirus&region=TOP_BANNER&block=storyline_menu_recirc&action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&impression_id=2f508610-2a87-11eb-8622-4f6c038cbd1d&variant=1_Show" target="_blank">300,000 have died</a> due to the pandemic. While health officials encourage hand-washing to contain the pandemic, at least <a href="https://closethewatergap.org/" target="_blank">2 million Americans</a> are currently living without running water, indoor plumbing or wastewater treatment. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/23/millions-of-americans-cant-afford-water-bills-rise" target="_blank">aging water infrastructure is growing increasingly costly for utilities to maintain</a>. That cost is passed along to consumers. The upshot? <a href="https://research.msu.edu/affordable-water-in-us-reaching-a-crisis/" target="_blank">More than 13 million</a> U.S. households regularly face unaffordable water bills — and, thus, the threat of water shutoffs. Without basic access to clean water, families and entire communities are at a higher risk of <a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2020/08/05/488705/bridging-water-access-gap-covid-19-relief/" target="_blank">contracting</a> and spreading COVID-19.</p><p>We have a moral duty to ensure that everyone has access to clean water to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Last spring, <a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/coronavirus-stimulus-bill-explained-bailouts-unemployment-benefits.html" target="_blank">Congress appropriated more than $4 trillion</a> to jumpstart the economy and bring millions of unemployed Americans back to work. Additional federal assistance — desperately needed — will present a historic opportunity to improve our crumbling infrastructure, which has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/23/millions-of-americans-cant-afford-water-bills-rise" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">grossly underfunded for decades</a>.</p><p>A report by my organization, American Rivers, suggests that <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/american-rivers-website/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/09223525/ECONOMIC-ENGINES-Report-2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Congress must invest at least $50 billion</a> "to address the urgent water infrastructure needs associated with COVID-19," including the rising cost of water. This initial boost would allow for the replacement and maintenance of sewers, stormwater infrastructure and water supply facilities.</p>Economic Recovery
<p>Investing in water infrastructure and healthy rivers also creates jobs. Consider, for example, that <a href="https://tinyurl.com/y9p6sgnk" target="_blank">every $1 million spent on water infrastructure in the United States generates more than 15 jobs</a> throughout the economy, according to a report by the Value of Water Campaign. Similarly, <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yyvd2ksp" target="_blank">every "$1 million invested in forest and watershed restoration contracting will generate between 15.7 and 23.8 jobs,</a> depending on the work type," states a working paper released by the Ecosystem Workforce Program, University of Oregon. Healthy rivers also spur tourism and recreation, which many communities rely on for their livelihoods. According to the findings by the Outdoor Industry Association, which have been shared in our report, "Americans participating in watersports and fishing spend over <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/american-rivers-website/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/30222425/Exec-summary-ECONOMIC-ENGINES-Report-June-30-2020.pdf" target="_blank">$174 billion</a> on gear and trip related expenses. And, the outdoor watersports and fishing economy supports over <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/american-rivers-website/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/30222425/Exec-summary-ECONOMIC-ENGINES-Report-June-30-2020.pdf" target="_blank">1.5 million jobs nationwide</a>."</p><p>After the 2008 financial crisis, Congress invested in infrastructure to put Americans back to work. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/economy-a-budget/25941-clean-water-green-infrastructure-get-major-boost" target="_blank">of 2009 (ARRA) allocated $6 billion</a> for clean water and drinking water infrastructure to decrease unemployment and boost the economy. More specifically, <a href="https://www.conservationnw.org/news-updates/us-reps-push-for-millions-of-restoration-and-resilience-jobs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an analysis of ARRA</a> "showed conservation investments generated 15 to 33 jobs per million dollars," and more than doubled the rate of return, according to a letter written in May 2020 by 79 members of Congress, seeking greater funding for restoration and resilience jobs.</p><p>Today, when considering how to create work for the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10.7 million</a> people who are currently unemployed, Congress should review previous stimulus investments and build on their successes by embracing major investments in water infrastructure and watershed restoration.</p>Racial Justice
<p>American Rivers also recommends that Congress dedicate <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/american-rivers-website/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/09223525/ECONOMIC-ENGINES-Report-2020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">$500 billion for rivers and clean water over the next 10 years</a> — not just for the benefit of our environment and economy, but also to begin to address the United States' history of deeply entrenched racial injustice.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/npdes/sanitary-sewer-overflows-ssos" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">23,000-75,000 sewer overflows</a> that occur each year release up to <a href="https://www.americanrivers.org/2020/05/fighting-for-rivers-means-fighting-for-justice/#:~:text=There%20are%20also%2023%2C000%20to%2075%2C000%20sanitary%20sewer,to%20do%20with%20the%20mission%20of%20American%20Rivers." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">10 billion gallons of toxic sewage</a> <em>every day</em> into rivers and streams. This disproportionately impacts communities of color, because, for generations, Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other people of color have been <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/flooding-disproportionately-harms-black-neighborhoods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">relegated</a> to live in flood-prone areas and in neighborhoods that have been intentionally burdened with a lack of development that degrades people's health and quality of life. In some communities of color, incessant flooding due to stormwater surges or <a href="https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-partnering-to-better-manage-our-water/7WQ6SEAQP5E4LGQCEYY5DO334Y/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">combined sewer overflows</a> has gone unmitigated for decades.</p><p>We have historically treated people as separate from rivers and water. We can't do that anymore. Every voice — particularly those of people most directly impacted — must have a loudspeaker and be included in decision-making at the highest levels.</p><p>Accordingly, the new administration must diligently invest in projects at the community level that will improve lives in our country's most marginalized communities. We also must go further to ensure that local leaders have a seat at the decision-making table. To this end, the Biden-Harris administration should restore <a href="https://www.epa.gov/cwa-401#:~:text=Section%20401%20Certification%20The%20Clean%20Water%20Act%20%28CWA%29,the%20United%20States.%20Learn%20more%20about%20401%20certification." target="_blank">Section 401 of the Clean Water Act</a>, which was undermined by the <a href="https://earthjustice.org/news/press/2020/tribes-and-environmental-groups-sue-trump-administration-to-preserve-clean-water-protections#:~:text=Under%20Section%20401%20of%20the%20Clean%20Water%20Act%2C,seeks%20to%20undermine%20that%20authority%20in%20several%20ways%3A" target="_blank">Trump administration's 2020 regulatory changes</a>. This provision gives states and tribes the authority to decide whether major development projects, such as hydropower and oil and gas projects, move forward.</p>Climate Resilience
<p>Of course, the menacing shadow looming over it all? Climate change. <a href="https://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IFRC_wdr2020/IFRC_WDR_ExecutiveSummary_EN_Web.pdf" target="_blank">More than 100 climate-related catastrophes</a> have pummeled the Earth since the pandemic was declared last spring, including the blitzkrieg of megafires, superstorms and heat waves witnessed during the summer of 2020, directly impacting the lives of more than <a href="https://media.ifrc.org/ifrc/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/IFRC_wdr2020/IFRC_WDR_ExecutiveSummary_EN_Web.pdf" target="_blank">50 million people globally</a>.</p><p>Water and climate scientist Brad Udall often says, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQhpj5G0dME" target="_blank">Climate change is water change</a>." In other words, the most obvious and dire impacts of climate change are evidenced in profound changes to our rivers and water resources. You've likely seen it where you live: Floods are more damaging and frequent. Droughts are deeper and longer. Uncertainty is destabilizing industry and lives.</p><p>By galvanizing action for healthy rivers and managing our water resources more effectively, we can insure future generations against the consequences of climate change. First, we must safeguard rivers that are still healthy and free-flowing. Second, we must protect land and property against the ravages of flooding. And finally, we must promote policies and practical solutions that take the science of climate disruption into account when planning for increased flooding, water shortage and habitat disruption.</p><p>Imagine all that rivers do for us. Most of our towns and cities have a river running through them or flowing nearby. Rivers provide clean drinking water, irrigate crops that provide our food, power our homes and businesses, provide wildlife habitat, and are the lifeblood of the places where we enjoy and explore nature, and where we play and nourish our spirits. Healthy watersheds help <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1059952" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mitigate</a> climate change, absorbing and reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Healthy rivers and floodplains help communities adapt and build resilience in the face of climate change by improving flood protection and providing water supply and quality benefits. Rivers are the cornerstones of healthy, strong communities.</p><p>The more than <a href="https://archive.epa.gov/water/archive/web/html/index-17.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">3 million miles</a> of rivers and streams running across our country are a source of great strength and opportunity. When we invest in healthy rivers and clean water, we can improve our lives. When we invest in rivers, we create jobs and strengthen our economy. When we invest in rivers, we invest in our shared future.</p>Fifteen states are in for an unusually noisy spring.
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