On my recent flight out to California, they ran out of bins when I was going through the airport security line. According to this recent study called Deposition of respiratory virus pathogens on frequently touched surfaces at airports, my lack of bin for my cell phone and shoes may have saved me from needing to take some sick time off - that's because airport security bins apparently have more viruses than public toilets! When tested over time, the bins had traces of deno, influenza A, rhino and human corona OC43 viruses. Given that thousands of travelers pass through any given major airport in a day, this comes as no surprise. It does force us to reconsider how we are preventing the spread of potentially deadly diseases across the world. The remarkable transportation systems we have created for ourselves in the last several decades allow both us and our pests to travel halfway around the globe in less than 24 hours. I remember traveling to China a little while after the SARS-CoV outbreak and seeing a health official scan all new arrivals with a temperature gun. It turns out that while these seem to be psychologically effective, they do little to actually prevent disease from getting into a country(npr). Especially if you were just infected before getting on the plane via the apparently disease ridden security bins, it’s unlikely that these thermometer guns would be able to pick up on that. Make sure to wash your hands, folks! There are so many diseases that are out there to get you!
-Renata Starbird
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