The outbreak of coronavirus on a cruise liner now quarantined off Yokohama highlights the high risk of the infection spreading in confined spaces, with health experts warning that the danger is greater on ships, buses and trains than it is on planes.
The deadly pneumonia-causing virus, which can spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes, is more likely to cause infections if passengers are within a 1-meter radius of someone who has symptoms, the experts said.
On airplanes, the risk is lower because the recycled air in the cabins is ventilated through filters designed to remove viruses and germs, and respiratory droplets will fall on the floor as the air flows downward, they said.