Plastic trays of airports, a true source of viruses
After analyzing several surfaces of an airport, scientists from the U. of Nottingham and the National Institute of Health of Finland found that in these objects there are more traces of viruses guilty of infectious diseases.
Aviation has allowed humanity to travel to very distant places in a short time. It has commercially connected many territories that were previously very difficult to access. But international and national travel have also opened the door to a problem that worries epidemiologists: the spread of infectious diseases.
Therefore, a group of scientists wanted to analyze the presence of respiratory viruses in airports, to better understand what the chances were that a passenger would contract one of these diseases. After doing analysis at several points, they were surprised:
the plastic trays in which travelers usually deposit their belongings to be scanned are the objects that represent the greatest risk. In them there are many more germs than in other places. More, even, than in a toilet.
Researchers from the University of Nottingham, in England, and the National Institute of Health and Welfare in Finland came to that conclusion.
His study, published in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases , is part of a project funded by the European Union that seeks to prevent the spread of pathogens through public transport. Pandhub , is the name with which he was baptized.
According to the New York Time newspaper Niina Ikone, from the Finnish Institute, investigating the presence of microbes in an airport environment was something that had not been done before and can provide new ideas to improve the designs.
To get their results, the group of scientists took samples on several surfaces of the airport in Helsinki (Finland). The handrails on the stairs, the divider glass at the point where passport control is done and the plastic trays were some of them.
There they found several types of viruses: the rhinovirus, source of the common cold, was in 40% of the surfaces. The coronavirus, which can produce several respiratory infections, in 30%. The adenovirus, in 20%, and the influenza A virus, in 10%.
However, those trays where bags, belts, computers and even shoes are usually deposited were the items that had the most traces of viruses. According to the researchers, half of the trays had more germs than anywhere else, even toilets.
Although usually these viruses do not survive many days on these surfaces, the best way to avoid them is simple: wash your hands.
