In-flight transmission of SARS-CoV-2: a review of the attack rates and available data on the efficacy of face masks

David O Freedman; Annelies Wilder-Smith

doi:10.1093/jtm/taaa178

In-flight transmission of SARS-CoV-2: a review of the attack rates and available data on the efficacy of face masks

J Travel Med. 2020 Dec 23;27(8):taaa178. doi: 10.1093/jtm/taaa178.

Authors

David O Freedman¹, Annelies Wilder-Smith^{2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
² Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel St, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
³ Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, University of Heidelberg, Seminarstraße 2, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.

Abstract

The absence of large numbers of published in-flight transmissions of SARS-CoV-2 is not definitive evidence of safety. All peer-reviewed publications of flights with possible transmission are categorized by the quantity of transmission. Three mass transmission flights without masking are contrasted to 5 with strict masking and 58 cases with zero transmission.

MeSH terms

Air Travel / statistics & numerical data*
COVID-19 Testing / methods
COVID-19 Testing / statistics & numerical data
COVID-19* / epidemiology
COVID-19* / prevention & control
COVID-19* / transmission
Disease Transmission, Infectious* / prevention & control
Disease Transmission, Infectious* / statistics & numerical data
Humans
Infection Control / instrumentation
Infection Control / methods
Masks* / standards
Masks* / statistics & numerical data
Risk Assessment
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification*
Travel Medicine* / methods
Travel Medicine* / standards
Travel Medicine* / statistics & numerical data