Why you should never turn your air vent off on a plane

If you thought turning off your air vent when you get to your plane seat would stop you from getting sick, think again.

Yes, sometimes the air can be arctic, but apparently keeping your vent on, even on a low setting, will help keep airborne viruses at bay.

According to an expert on the spread of infectious diseases associated with air travel, they help with the ventilation of the cabin.

Dr Mark Gendreau explains that airborne viruses, like tuberculosis and measles, are transmitted by tiny droplets of nuclei that can hang in the air for up to five hours.

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So by leaving the air vent on, you are affectively creating an invisible air barrier around you, which blocks the particles and forces them to ground faster.

“For airborne viruses, it is incredibly important to ventilate,” he told Travel + Leisure.

As planes generally have a very reduced humidity, he explains your mucous membrane can dry out during a flight, which leaves you more vulnerable for getting sick.

For anyone thinking by switching their vent off they will stop germs spreading from other passengers, Dr Gendreau says it’s a common misunderstanding.

A plane’s ventilation system is actually compartmentalised.

“As a rule of thumb, the air that you’re typically breathing and exposed to is usually anywhere from two to five rows surrounding your seat,” he says.

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