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Disgusting Virus Somehow Makes Flying More Grotesque
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 28, 2011
Modified Dec 28, 2011
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By
Christopher Robbins
Published Dec 28, 2011
Modified Dec 28, 2011
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Flying sucks. If your crotch isn't felt up by the rubber gloves of Safety and all your coke isn't confiscated, then chances are they'll stick you next to a colic-y set of twins or Alec Baldwin. And that's if the flight isn't delayed or cancelled. Now, the gross noroviruses that have been known to ruin grandma's cruises have been plaguing airlines, including several successive Air New Zealand flights. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and calling people "Shirley."
Scientific American reports that after an Air New Zealand crew cleaned up a passenger's vomit, every member of the crew who cleaned up became ill, and "on every successive flight at least one or more crew members got sick with typical symptoms of norovirus." Noroviruses spread rapidly from being exposed to the vomit or stool of the infected, and though the illness isn't usually serious, patients can be contagious for up to three days after infection.
Per the CDC, to avoid being infected by noroviruses: WASH YOUR HANDS. There's a reason why Mom made us open doors in the mall for her. But if you're stuck in the close confines of an aircraft, you may be out of luck if a fellow passenger ralphs (or worse). Take a deep breath of the rubber cement: it will be okay.
Tagged
airplane
airports
flying
JFK
leslie nielson
norovirus
puking
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
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