In March this year, when the Sars outbreak was beginning to gather momentum, I wrote to this newspaper suggesting that airlines generally never do enough to prevent passengers with airborne diseases from boarding their aircraft.
Later, the health authorities at regional airports did set up cursory health-checking programmes to screen passengers with abnormally high body temperatures. These precautions have now been relaxed.
I would suggest that it is the duty of airlines at all times, and with or without a Sars epidemic, to prevent passengers with symptoms of any airborne diseases, including common colds and flu, from boarding their aircraft.
Scientists investigating the spread of Sars have now published a study showing there is very strong evidence that passengers are at great risk if travelling on a plane carrying even one infected person. In one flight alone as many as 22 people out of 119 on board were infected.
Travellers, and even local commuters, should be more mindful of their responsibilities to fellow passengers. If they have a cold or flu they should stay at home and not venture on to public transport, infecting other people. Airlines in particular must prevent infected people from boarding their planes, no matter how inconvenient this is for the passenger. If an otherwise full plane has to leave with a few empty seats, so be it. The loss of revenue will have to be borne by the airline or, perhaps, by compulsory insurance.
It is time for habits to change. The days of the macho person ('It's only a cold') insisting, when they are ill, on going to work or starting an overseas trip, should cease. Stay at home.
