How to avoid getting sick from flying – keep clean, stay hydrated and try to get a window seat

It’s the holiday season, and, for many of us, that means sitting for hours on end in cramped airline seats, inhaling stale cabin air, spending time in unsanitary aircraft lavatories, and waiting around in airports surrounded by hundreds of other passengers.

The last thing anybody wants to happen while they’re on holiday is to fall sick, but unfortunately, that is something that can – and does – happen. Hands up if you’ve ever arrived at your holiday destination feeling terrible (and no, it was not the jet lag) only to develop flu-like symptoms a few days later. Blame it on all that time spent on board.

“We pick up bacteria and viruses from various surfaces that other people have touched,” says Dr Lily Wong, a family doctor at The London Medical Clinic in Hong Kong’s Central district. “These organisms find a way into our bodies when we touch our eyes, nose or mouth. When you’re stuck on a plane you’re also breathing in airborne respiratory pathogens, although the risk of falling sick from these pathogens is low, since the air in the cabin is constantly being filtered.”

If you don’t want to fall sick and miss out on your holiday, there are several precautions you can take, Wong says.

She suggests getting the annual flu vaccine, especially if you’re going to be flying a lot. Not only will this protect you from the flu virus during and after your trip, it will also help reduce the spread of infection to other passengers. The vaccine takes seven to 10 days to become effective.

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Wong’s next tip is easy enough to remember: “Wash your hands frequently when you’re on the plane – before and after you eat and after visiting the lavatory. Also, avoid touching your face, and, if you wear contact lenses, remove them before boarding so you don’t have to touch your eyes.”