Why is it that I always develop a heavy cold two days after returning home after a long haul flight?

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Techwing

Contrary to popular opinion, it doesn't come from riding on an airplane.

There are more than 100 viruses that can cause a cold. Each time you catch a cold, it means you've been infected with one of those viruses. If the virus that infects you is one to which you've never been exposed before, you'll develop the symptoms of a cold. If the virus is one that you've had before, your immune system will be ready for it, and you won't develop a cold.

Every area has its own mix of cold viruses that people are carrying around. You're exposed to these viruses constantly. However, if most of them are viruses you've already had, you won't catch a cold. If most of them are viruses your body has never seen, you'll catch one cold after another.

When you travel to a faraway place, you are exposed to a mix of cold viruses that is different from the one at home. As a result, you're exposed to viruses that you're body hasn't seen yet. And in consequence, you're much more likely to develop a cold when you're in a faraway place.

It can take a day or two or more to develop the symptoms of a cold after exposure. By that time, you may be on your way home, or already home. Thus, it's easy to get the impression that the airplane somehow infected you. But it's not the airplane, it's the trip itself.

The air inside aircraft is a mixture of outside air (which contains no germs) and recirculated air from inside the plane. The recirculated air goes through hospital-grade filters before it reenters the cabin, and these remove a lot of germs. Additionally, the air is circulated in a way that avoids blowing a lot of germs from one person to another.

In an incident that occurred several years ago, a woman with active tuberculosis boarded an airplane. Tuberculosis is extremely contagious. After her disease was discovered when she reached her destination, everyone on the flight was screened for infection. However, it was found that only people within 2-4 seats of her were actually at risk, because of the way the airplane ventilation system worked. Everyone else was not exposed. So the vast majority of people were unaffected, and that's rather amazing considering how contagious tuberculosis is.

It's also possible to be exposed to colds wherever people gather. Airports are places where people from around the world gather, so there's quite an exotic mix of cold viruses. You could pick one up during your time at the airport, and if the incubation time is only 12 hours or so for that particular virus, you'll be sick shortly after arriving home.

Likewise, you can catch the virus on the plane, but only if someone infected with it is sitting close by (and you'll have symptoms only if it's a virus you've never had). The colds of people twenty rows away won't affect you. Air circulation in airplanes is usually vertical, rather than horizontal (that's what protected the people in the plane with the lady that had TB).

Chris M

It's the recycled air. You may be sat at the front of the plane and someone who has a cold is sat at the back and their germs are spread throughout the plain through the AC.

After we flew back from OZ my girlfriend developed shingles literally a day later and she was very ill.

diamonds

i used to too...now i prepare...i take Echinacea tablets before i fly & all the time until i return....germs spread easily on a plane due to the controlled air being re-circulated!

billy

when you are on a plane you are breathing in re-cycled air so anyone with a cold will be spreading their germs to everyone else on the plane.

It sounds like you have a low immune system, so I would take extra vitamin tablets before flying. Try and improve your overall diet and fitness and you will get less colds

agooddub

You're lucky with only a cold. I ended up in hospital for 16 days with pneumonia. It's what they all say... recycled air.

Eclipsepearl

Many people think it's the air on airplanes. It's not entirely recycled but mixed with fresh. I was a Flight Attendant for 13 years, almost all on long-haul international, and I come from a medical family.

The pilots explained that it can't be entirely fresh for practical reasons keeping the cabin warm. It is filtered so it's not like it just keeps pumping around and around, which many people believe.

The air theory is overrated and could contribute but it's not the real culprit. The best way to pass germs is by touch and let's face it, you're crammed with a lot of other people on those planes, touching the same handrails, lav doorknobs, even seat backs. You're in close proximity to them and unlike work or school, they are coming from other places, bringing new bugs that you haven't been exposed to yet...

The planes are bad enough but what about the airports? Lots of germs to be shared there too.

Also, factor in the whole travel situation. It's often tiring and stressful. Lack of sleep, lack of decent food, etc. A real attack on the immune system!

Anyway, you're not alone. Many, many people get sick after flights. My mom's boss, who is bilingual therefore has many passengers making international flights confirmed the above in discussions with me. When one of patients comes home from somewhere, he just waits for the call!

I used to be careful at work, not touching my face with my hands and washing them before eating. You can also use anti-bacterial wipes and gel if you want.

You can believe that the air is to blame if you prefer, but you can't do much about the air. You can wash your hands and try to limit tactile germ exposure as much as is reasonable on an airplane. Best to get a good nights' sleep before and not overschedule yourself after arriving.

Good luck staying well next time!

ethansma24

Besides germs being spread around, being dehydrated lowers your immune system. You need to drink a lot of water when flying to keep yourself hydrated. If I work a flight from ORD-Europe...I will drink 2-3 large bottles of water...it really does help....along with some Airborne!

Dan D

Airplanes are basically petrie dishes for germs and viruses. they keep recyclying the nasty air over and over during the whole flight. A sick person with the flu in NYC could realistically infect 100+ people on the way to LA and those 100+ people will then start that strain in LA.
Sick people should not fly.

D R

most likely the air condition from the plane

DAVC

Someone told me the best way to combat this is to suck antiseptic lozenges.

Haven't tried it myself but some friends of mine swear by it.

tiger3251

yea sitting on an airplane is huge germfest. There is something called airborne tablets but im not sure how well they work.

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