Laboratory Modeling of SARS-CoV-2 Exposure Reduction Through Physically Distanced Seating in Aircraft Cabins Using Bacteriophage Aerosol — November 2020

Details

• Journal Article:
  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Personal Author:
  Bennett, James S. ; Dietrich, Watts L. ; Hosni, Mohammad H. ; Jones, Byron W.
• Corporate Authors:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Division of Field Studies and Engineering ; Kansas State University. Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
• Description:
  What is already known about this topic? Aircraft can hold large numbers of persons in close proximity for long periods, which are conditions that can increase the risk for transmitting infectious Diseases.
  
  What is added by this report? Based on laboratory modeling of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on single-aisle and twin-aisle aircraft, exposures in scenarios in which the middle seat was vacant were reduced by 23% to 57%, compared with full aircraft occupancy, depending upon the model.
  
  What are the implications for public health practice? Physical distancing of airplane passengers, including through policies such as middle seat vacancy, could provide additional reductions in risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 on aircraft.
  
  Aircraft can hold large numbers of persons in close proximity for long periods, which can increase the risk for Transmission of infectious disease.* Current CDC guidelines recommend against travel for persons who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, and a January 2021 CDC order requires masking for all persons while on airplanes.†,§ Research suggests that seating proximity on aircraft is associated with increased risk for infection with SARS-CoV-2, the Virus that causes COVID-19 (1,2). However, studies quantifying the benefit of specific distancing strategies to prevent Transmission, such as keeping aircraft cabin middle seats vacant, are limited. Using bacteriophage MS2 Virus as a surrogate for airborne SARS-CoV-2, CDC and Kansas State University (KSU) modeled the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 exposure and aircraft seating proximity, including full occupancy and vacant middle seat occupancy scenarios. Compared with exposures in full occupancy scenarios, relative exposure in vacant middle seat scenarios was reduced by 23% to 57% depending upon the modeling approach. A 23% exposure reduction was observed for a single passenger who was in the same row and two seats away from the SARS-COV-2 source, rather than in an adjacent middle seat. When quantifying exposure reduction to a full 120-passenger cabin rather than to a single person, exposure reductions ranging from 35.0% to 39.4% were predicted. A 57% exposure reduction was observed under the vacant middle seat condition in a scenario involving a three-row section that contained a mix of SARS-CoV-2 sources and other passengers. Based on this laboratory model, a vacant middle seat reduces risk for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from nearby passengers. These data suggest that increasing physical distance between passengers and lowering passenger density could help reduce potential COVID-19 exposures during air travel. Physical distancing of airplane passengers, including through policies such as middle seat vacancy, could provide additional reductions in SARS-CoV-2 exposure risk.
  
  Suggested citation for this article: Dietrich WL, Bennett JS, Jones BW, Hosni MH. Laboratory Modeling of SARS-CoV-2 Exposure Reduction Through Physically Distanced Seating in Aircraft Cabins Using Bacteriophage Aerosol — November 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 14 April 2021.
  
  mm7016e1.htm?s_cid=mm7016e1_w
  
  mm7016e1-H.pdf
  
  
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Aircraft Air Travel Coronavirus COVID-19 / Transmission Disease Transmission, Infectious Environmental Exposure Physical Distancing Risk Factors Travel-Related Illness
• Source:
  MMWR: Morbidity Mortal Weekly Rep. 2021; v. 70 Early Release
• Series:
  Weekly Report: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• ISSN:
  0149-2195 (print) ; 1545-861X (digital)
• Publisher:
  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (U.S.)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  United States
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  6 pdf pages
• Contributor:
  CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response Team
• Volume:
  70
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062444
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:46687c2d0e5bdba84a3f86881414b4918ce2c20e5782a7a344abb1ecdf4f94da16b1d11102acf4387d34ed5a519c2988712e45e5a2ee15ea4858e6ed308c8e05
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/105154/cdc_105154_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 460.36 KB ]