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The Subway Is Making You Sick
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 18, 2011
Modified Jan 18, 2011
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Photo via lauratitian's flickr
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 18, 2011
Modified Jan 18, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
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Consider your shiny new $104 MetroCard your express pass to... poor health. Yep, it's one more reason to hate the MTA and consider becoming a bike commuter.
According to a new British study, public transit riders are six times more likely to suffer from acute respiratory infections. Only take the subway sometimes? Well occasional riders aren't safe either, in fact the study showed they are most at risk. Those who ride public transit everyday may build up an immunity to viruses, making the occasional straphanger the one to get sick more often.
The study followed 138 patients at a doctor's office, and compared their public transit habits with their frequency of getting sick. While the study was conducted at the University of Nottingham, far from our own MTA, it's a safe bet that it translates to every public transit system in the world... except Sweden, of course.
Tagged
health
immunity
MTA
public transit
sick
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subway
virus
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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