Study Links Filling Aircraft Middle Seats With Higher Covid Risk

Bloomberg: Airline Middle Seats Are COVID Risk, CDC Says, With Caveats
The risk of being exposed to the coronavirus on an airline flight drops by as much as half when airlines keep middle seats open, a new study published by the U.S. government concludes, but it’s a safety practice the carriers have abandoned. The study is the latest to roil the waters on a controversial topic: just how risky it is to travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study did not attempt to estimate infection risks, and it was based on modeling done before the pandemic, so it didn’t consider rules that now require face masks on flights. (Levin and Schlangenstein, 4/14)

CIDRAP: Study Suggests Airline Passenger Spacing Will Slow COVID-19 Spread
Keeping middle seats vacant on air flights has the potential to cut transmission of virus particles by 57% when multiple passengers are infected and by 23% when a single passenger is infected, according to an aerosol dispersion study that included earlier data that modeled plane airflow. Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Kansas State University reported the findings today in a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) study. (4/14)

KHN: Airports Step Up Mental Health Assistance As Passenger Anxiety Soars 
Robin Hancock gently worked her steel tongue drum with a pair of mallets, producing a set of soothing, mystical tones. They blended with the soft sound of chirping birds and bubbling creeks pouring from a Bluetooth speaker. Her warm voice invited the two visitors in the dimly lit room to slip into a nature setting of their choosing. The 20-minute guided meditation took place at an unlikely location: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which until 2020 was the world’s busiest passenger hub. The airport interfaith chapel’s executive director, Blair Walker, introduced the meditation sessions last fall in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic. (Ridderbusch, 4/15)

In other covid research —

Fox News: Inactivity Increases Risk Of COVID-19 Death, Study Suggests
A recent study of nearly 50,000 coronavirus patients found that those who were consistently inactive were at greater risk of death due to the virus than those who engaged in exercise. The study, which relied on the "Exercise Vital Sign" measurement developed by Kaiser Permanente Southern California, found that even those who were active on an inconsistent basis were at lower odds for severe COVID-19 compared to those who were inactive. (Hein, 4/14)

NPR: A Year In, Here's What We Know About Vitamin D For Preventing COVID
When the pandemic hit, many Americans turned to vitamins and supplements in hopes of boosting their immune systems. Scientists also raced to study them. Vitamin D, perhaps more than any other, captured the attention of researchers. Even the nation's top infectious disease doctor, Anthony Fauci, embraced the idea of using the vitamin to help keep COVID-19 at bay, saying in September that he takes a supplement to avoid being deficient and "would not mind recommending" it to others. So should you take vitamin D to prevent or even treat COVID-19? (Stone, 4/14)

AP: Loneliness Is Rampant. A Simple Call, Or Hug, May Be A Cure
Rampant loneliness existed long before COVID-19, and experts believe it’s now worse. Evidence suggests it can damage health and shorten lives as much as obesity and smoking. In addition to psychological distress, some studies suggest loneliness may cause physical changes including inflammation and elevated stress hormones that may tighten blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Yet loneliness as a public health issue "has kind of been swept under the rug," said Dr. Ada Stewart, president of the American Association of Family Physicians. There’s no formal medical diagnosis and no mandate to screen for it. "Now the pandemic has unveiled it," Stewart said. "This is real." (4/14)