Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
How likely are you to get sick on an airplane? How safe are airplanes? The science of ventilation and bioaerosol research.
If you liked this video, check out:
What stretching actually does to your body:
youtube.com/watch?v=1JgBp7dX4AU
Only some humans can see this type of light:
youtube.com/watch?v=CSu0cV3fqi8
Creator/Host: Dianna Cowern
Video Editing: Levi Butner
Research/writing: Sophia Chen
Writing/Editing: Dianna Cowern
Special thanks to our Sally Ride Patrons!
Special thanks to our Sally Ride level patrons: Alejandro Gutierrez, Brian O'Connell, David Cichowski, Fabrice Eap, Henning Bitsch, Kenneth Hunter, Margaux Lopez, Patrick Olson, Vikram Bhat, wc993219.
Join the Physics Girl Patreon community! ►► patreon.com/physicsgirl
Thanks to Malin Alsved, Hope Butner and Kyle Kitzmiller.
physicsgirl.org
twitter.com/thephysicsgirl
facebook.com/thephysicsgirl
instagram.com/thephysicsgirl
Credits:
Some Stock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from videvo.net
Resources:
pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3a69/98741b1e14fe3e15d5fe0bc6ed4e58d83475.pdf?_ga=2.94557724.129545850.1594340593-1120174445.1589328977
[1977 info and H1n1 stat are in Lei 2017, with further details about 1977 flight here: blog.h1n1.influenza.bvsalud.org/en/2009/09/28/influenza-air-transmission/]
[THERE’S THIS VERY COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A TRADE ASSOCIATION, THAT IS COOL TO JUST RUN THROUGH. YOU CAN PICK THE EXAMPLES YOU LIKE, BUT I’LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW THAT I FOUND INTRIGUING.]
ashrae.org/File%20Library/Technical%20Resources/Standards%20and%20Guidelines/Standards%20Addenda/62-2001/62-2001_Addendum-n.pdf
[Source: designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Indoor_air_velocity]
epibulletins.dhss.alaska.gov/Document/Display?DocumentId=888
smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-maps-how-flu-virus-moves-around-plane-180968541
Transmission of COVID-19 virus by droplets and aerosols: A critical review on the unresolved dichotomy
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7293495
https://lbourouiba.mit.edu/sites/default/files/documents/14BourouibaBush-sneezecloudJFM_corrected.pdf
https://up.codes/s/outdoor-airflow-rate
technologyreview.com/2020/07/07/1004841/a-group-of-239-scientists-say-theres-growing-evidence-covid-19-is-airborne/?itm_source=parsely-api
Timeline of COVID-19
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it#:~:text=The%20International%20Committee%20on%20Taxonomy,two%20viruses%20are%20different.
Ventilation rates on airplanes:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.304.7321&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Ventilation rates inside:
epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/how-much-ventilation-do-i-need-my-home-improve-indoor-air-quality
Transmission rates on airplanes
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7165818
How likely are you to get sick on an airplane? How safe are airplanes? The science of ventilation and bioaerosol research.
If you liked this video, check out:
What stretching actually does to your body:
youtube.com/watch?v=1JgBp7dX4AU
Only some humans can see this type of light:
youtube.com/watch?v=CSu0cV3fqi8
Creator/Host: Dianna Cowern
Video Editing: Levi Butner
Research/writing: Sophia Chen
Writing/Editing: Dianna Cowern
Special thanks to our Sally Ride Patrons!
Special thanks to our Sally Ride level patrons: Alejandro Gutierrez, Brian O'Connell, David Cichowski, Fabrice Eap, Henning Bitsch, Kenneth Hunter, Margaux Lopez, Patrick Olson, Vikram Bhat, wc993219.
Join the Physics Girl Patreon community! ►► patreon.com/physicsgirl
Thanks to Malin Alsved, Hope Butner and Kyle Kitzmiller.
physicsgirl.org
twitter.com/thephysicsgirl
facebook.com/thephysicsgirl
instagram.com/thephysicsgirl
Credits:
Some Stock footage provided by Videvo, downloaded from videvo.net
Resources:
pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3a69/98741b1e14fe3e15d5fe0bc6ed4e58d83475.pdf?_ga=2.94557724.129545850.1594340593-1120174445.1589328977
[1977 info and H1n1 stat are in Lei 2017, with further details about 1977 flight here: blog.h1n1.influenza.bvsalud.org/en/2009/09/28/influenza-air-transmission/]
[THERE’S THIS VERY COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A TRADE ASSOCIATION, THAT IS COOL TO JUST RUN THROUGH. YOU CAN PICK THE EXAMPLES YOU LIKE, BUT I’LL JUST HIGHLIGHT A FEW THAT I FOUND INTRIGUING.]
ashrae.org/File%20Library/Technical%20Resources/Standards%20and%20Guidelines/Standards%20Addenda/62-2001/62-2001_Addendum-n.pdf
[Source: designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Indoor_air_velocity]
epibulletins.dhss.alaska.gov/Document/Display?DocumentId=888
smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/study-maps-how-flu-virus-moves-around-plane-180968541
Transmission of COVID-19 virus by droplets and aerosols: A critical review on the unresolved dichotomy
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7293495
https://lbourouiba.mit.edu/sites/default/files/documents/14BourouibaBush-sneezecloudJFM_corrected.pdf
https://up.codes/s/outdoor-airflow-rate
technologyreview.com/2020/07/07/1004841/a-group-of-239-scientists-say-theres-growing-evidence-covid-19-is-airborne/?itm_source=parsely-api
Timeline of COVID-19
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/events-as-they-happen
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it#:~:text=The%20International%20Committee%20on%20Taxonomy,two%20viruses%20are%20different.
Ventilation rates on airplanes:
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.304.7321&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Ventilation rates inside:
epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/how-much-ventilation-do-i-need-my-home-improve-indoor-air-quality
Transmission rates on airplanes
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7165818
