Catch a Flight, Not a Cold with Medical Travel Insurance

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, the last thing you want to do is jeopardise your health, or your holiday, with an avoidable illness. Don’t worry, here at Medical Travel we’ve put together a few hints and tips to help you steer clear of those bugs and nasties, so you can enjoy your break, healthy and happy!

1. Do your research

Which? recently conducted a customer survey into airlines, one of the questions asked was regarding the cleanliness of their flight. Ryanair came out the worst of all UK based airlines according to the survey, about half of their customers contacted said that the standard of hygiene on their flight was either ‘below standard’ or ‘poor’. This is what you’d expect, from a budget airline, right? Wrong! Budget airline rival, Easyjet, came out smelling of roses with over two-thirds of their passengers saying that the cleanliness of their aircraft was ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

2. Consider where you’ll sit

In tests, aisle seats, seats near the toilet and seats nearest the exits had the most germs, as the most people touched them through the flight. Window seats were found to be the cleanest, by aircraft standards, as they were exposed to fewer people, and they have the bonus of a great view.

3. Clean hard surfaces

This one may be a little controversial and will probably earn you a few curious glances. As you may know, many bugs can last for hours, weeks and even months given the correct conditions, so giving your seating area a quick wipe down may be worth the looks. Especially when you consider a recent Canadian survey, which found traces of pathogens usually found in human faeces, in the seat pockets and on the safety cards…

4. Wash your hands, a lot

One of the most important tools against spreading germs and disease is good old-fashioned handwashing. Given the correct technique, a good scrub with hot soapy water will kill off practically every type of germ from your hands. But, if you’re one of the 95% of people who don’t wash their hands properly after visiting the loo, through ineffective technique or lack of effort, perhaps you should take a look at the NHS Website, they have a page dedicated to educating people in good handwashing.

5. Hand Sanitiser

So, you’re stuck in your seat, with your tray table folded and your seat in an upright position - but you can’t possibly wait another few minutes for a snack, hand sanitiser is a convenient solution. While most brands kill up to 99% of germs and bacteria, it might not kill pathogens like MRSA, E. coli or even the common cold virus, so hand washing is still best, if you can manage it.

6. Lastly

If you do feel under the weather on your flight, make every effort to keep your germs to yourself. If you end up with an upset tummy, let the cabin crew know and they will usually seat you near the loo, to prevent contamination and any embarrassment. If you follow the above steps, you should be fine, happy travels!

The common cold won’t spoil your holiday, but if you have a pre-existing medical condition or you happen to pick up something more harmful, it’s important that you’re correctly covered, so trust Medical Travel to find a policy that’s right for you.