One of the worst parts about traveling is that it can be a one-way ticket to getting sick. Being in new spaces and around new people means there’s more chances to come into contact with viruses and bacteria. Using hand sanitizer frequently may help you avoid catching something, but there’s one precaution doctors and infectious disease experts recommend more: avoiding a certain airplane seat.
It turns out, where you sit during a flight can make a difference in whether you come home with the sniffles or not. And the biggest germ magnet on the plane is the aisle seat. Sure, the aisle seems more convenient for getting in and out, but Dr. Jarod Fox, an infectious disease physician, points out that it puts you in closer contact with more people on the plane.
Dr. Ashley Drews, a system epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention and control at Houston Methodist, agrees, “Aisle seats expose you to everyone who walks past you, up and down the aisle.” Research from Emory University shows that 40% of passengers get up once during a flight and 20% get up two or more times, which adds up to a lot of germs, coughs, and sneezes passing by that seat. While you can’t avoid germs entirely on a plane, the safest place to sit for minimal germ exposure is a window seat, according to the experts.
Source: Huff Post