Coordinated research is required to develop a thorough understanding of the risks of disease transmission during air travel, and Congress should consider directing the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to lead the effort, a government oversight agency says.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) said, in a report1 issued in July, that although previous studies have examined various behaviors that may affect disease transmission, including the improper wearing of face masks, crowding during boarding or in lavatory lines, the movement through the cabin of flight attendants, and the way in which airliners are ventilated while at their gates, more research is needed.
“Concerns about air travel’s role in disease transmission have intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the GAO said. “[S]takeholders said more research involving real-world situations and human behavior is needed and could guide actions to protect public health.”
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