Can social distancing work at airports? Bangkok airport quiet despite resumption of some flights

[rooster59]

Can social distancing work at airports? Bangkok airport quiet despite resumption of some flights

 

Image: 77kaoded

 

Thai media 77kaoded went to Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday after domestic flights resumed.

 

They said that Vietjet Thailand had four flights - two to Chiang Mai and one each to Krabi and Chiang Rai. There were about 80 passengers on each.

 

They published a video that showed it was very quiet at the airport.

 

Passengers must sit with spaces between them on aircraft, must wear masks at all times, no food or drink is served and social distancing must be maintained at all times.

 

Whether social distancing is possible on public transport such as airlines is questionable.

 

The boss of one of the world's busiest airports said it is not.

 

John Holland-Kaye told the BBC yesterday: "Social distancing does not work in any form of public transport, let alone aviation".

 

As more and more airlines resume domestic service in Thailand air travellers will be asking whether they are safe from infection.

 

Source: 77kaoded

 

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[smedly]

34 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

John Holland-Kaye told the BBC yesterday: "Social distancing does not work in any form of public transport, let alone aviation".

it does in Thailand - who would have thought

[Xi Tha Virus]

CCP Covid-19 goes in waves. The only way to get rid of it is to get rid of CCP.

Edited May 2, 2020 by Xi Tha Virus

[dinsdale]

One would have thought a trip to Don Mueang would have been the better airport to visit for domestic flights.

[apophyss]

If they order social distancing at immigration queue,

just imagine,

for people outcoming, they will have to wait outside airport

and for people incoming, they will have to wait inside airplane...

[Cake Monster]

320 Passengers, and on a Long Holiday weekend as well.

Not going to go well for a long time yet

[tribalfusion001]

Scaremongering has led to this decline, willful destruction of airline businesses by scaring about the virus. I flew from BKK to LHR on 25/03/2020, no spare seats, felt perfectly safe, I had a mask on apart from eating. Of course social distancing is a non starter with flying or on trains, these companies need high passenger numbers to make a profit, without profit, they go bust and then the world is back to the dark ages. Seeing as the virus only effects a small number of mainly unhealthy people who get serious does of it, everyone should be able do what they want and the unhealthy people can stay at home!

Edited May 2, 2020 by tribalfusion001

[Krataiboy]

Surely, sitting on an airplane jammed together like sardines, breathing in recycled air, is much more hazardous than being in an airport lounge. 

 

We are reliably informed that face masks make no discernable difference to one's chances of becoming infected. So exactly what precautions are taken to protect passengers from inhaling viruses and other pathogens en route?

 

 

 

 

[lkv]

15 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

So exactly what precautions are taken to protect passengers from inhaling viruses and other pathogens en route?

The exact same measures many countries take in the bus, metro, train.

 

I do not understand all this paranoia about flying. What about getting into the BTS or MRT?

Edited May 2, 2020 by lkv

[Youlike]

I was astonished to see that on Qatar airport you don't have to wear a mask....Here look

 

 

[Youlike]

18 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Surely, sitting on an airplane jammed together like sardines, breathing in recycled air, is much more hazardous than being in an airport lounge. 

 

We are reliably informed that face masks make no discernable difference to one's chances of becoming infected. So exactly what precautions are taken to protect passengers from inhaling viruses and other pathogens en route?

 

 

 

 

Jammed together?

Watch this flight to Qatar last week

 

[Yadon Toploy]

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

John Holland-Kaye told the BBC yesterday: "Social distancing does not work in any form of public transport, let alone aviation".

He not Thai, he not unnerstan Thairan.

 

24 minutes ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Of course social distancing is a non starter with flying or on trains, these companies need high passenger numbers to make a profit, without profit, they go bust

Apparently not in the case of Thai Airways.

[tribalfusion001]

5 minutes ago, lkv said:

The exact same measures many countries take in the bus, metro, train.

 

I do not understand all this paranoia about flying. What about getting into the BTS or MRT?

Exactly, paranoia, the same people are probably scared of the dark and small spiders.

[Krataiboy]

1 minute ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Scaremongering has led to this decline, willful destruction of airline businesses by scaring about the virus. I flew from BKK to LHR on 25/03/2020, no spare seats, felt perfectly safe, I had a mask on apart from eating. Of course social distancing is a non starter with flying or on trains, these companies need high passenger numbers to make a profit, without profit, they go bust and then the world is back to the dark ages. Seeing as the virus only effects a small number of mainly unhealthy people who get serious does of it, everyone should be able do what they want and the unhealthy people can stay at home!

Every time I get on a long-haul flight I almost invariably go down with some kind of viral infection a few days later. However, having said that, you are right about the need for healthy people to go about their business or pleasure freely now the pandemic appears to have peaked.

 

Social intercourse is essential to build up herd immunity, which is the best way to permanently see off a virus epidemic - and certainly preferable to relying on any dodgy snake-oil vaccine rushed to market in order to maximise profit.

 

However, in pursuing this desirable objective, it is absolutely crucial successfully to isolate and protect the vulnerable elderly who are often literally sitting ducks for respiratory diseases like the one currently culling them at an alarming rate.

 

The failure to do so in countries like the UK (which inexplicably have pursued a perverse policy of quarantining the healthy rather than just the sick) speaks for itself in the forest-fire progress of COVID 19 through residential and nursing homes which lack even basic medical facilities.

 

We must insist that if and when another pandemic strikes - as "Doctor" Bill Gates and other luminaries say is certain - our political leaders learn the lessons of the present pandemic and do a far better job than they have this time around.

[dinsdale]

30 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Surely, sitting on an airplane jammed together like sardines, breathing in recycled air, is much more hazardous than being in an airport lounge. 

 

We are reliably informed that face masks make no discernable difference to one's chances of becoming infected. So exactly what precautions are taken to protect passengers from inhaling viruses and other pathogens en route?

 

 

 

 

Please tell me where you were reliably informed about face masks. People wear face masks so as to not spread rather than not contract the virus.

[Krataiboy]

14 minutes ago, lkv said:

The exact same measures many countries take in the bus, metro, train.

 

I do not understand all this paranoia about flying. What about getting into the BTS or MRT?

The same applies. And it's not paranoia, just common sense - an increasingly rare commodity these days, it seems.

[Krataiboy]

Just now, dinsdale said:

Please tell me where you were reliably informed about face masks. People wear face masks so as to not spread rather than not contract the virus.

Not so. Hardly anybody in Thailand has the virus, but the vast majority mask up. Maybe they're just trying to avoid the spy cameras.

[JCP108]

What about those busses you take between the gates and the planes? People are usually crammed in there much tighter than they would be sitting next to each other on the plane. Is it like the 3-second rule that germs won't get on something that falls to the ground as long as it's not on the ground longer than that? You won't get sick from another person for the five minutes you're scrunched up against them in the bus going to the plane. 

[Redline]

9 hours ago, tribalfusion001 said:

Scaremongering has led to this decline, willful destruction of airline businesses by scaring about the virus. I flew from BKK to LHR on 25/03/2020, no spare seats, felt perfectly safe, I had a mask on apart from eating. Of course social distancing is a non starter with flying or on trains, these companies need high passenger numbers to make a profit, without profit, they go bust and then the world is back to the dark ages. Seeing as the virus only effects a small number of mainly unhealthy people who get serious does of it, everyone should be able do what they want and the unhealthy people can stay at home!

You failed the reading test 

[samsensam]

9 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Every time I get on a long-haul flight I almost invariably go down with some kind of viral infection a few days later. However, having said that, you are right about the need for healthy people to go about their business or pleasure freely now the pandemic appears to have peaked.

 

Social intercourse is essential to build up herd immunity, which is the best way to permanently see off a virus epidemic - and certainly preferable to relying on any dodgy snake-oil vaccine rushed to market in order to maximise profit.

 

However, in pursuing this desirable objective, it is absolutely crucial successfully to isolate and protect the vulnerable elderly who are often literally sitting ducks for respiratory diseases like the one currently culling them at an alarming rate.

 

The failure to do so in countries like the UK (which inexplicably have pursued a perverse policy of quarantining the healthy rather than just the sick) speaks for itself in the forest-fire progress of COVID 19 through residential and nursing homes which lack even basic medical facilities.

 

We must insist that if and when another pandemic strikes - as "Doctor" Bill Gates and other luminaries say is certain - our political leaders learn the lessons of the present pandemic and do a far better job than they have this time around.

 

Every time I get on a long-haul flight I almost invariably go down with some kind of viral infection a few days later

 

sounds like a deficiency with your immune system.

[kiwikeith]

10 hours ago, Youlike said:

Jammed together?

Watch this flight to Qatar last week

 

The experts say that C19 can travel up to 4 metres in the air. Hot humid weather slows the virus life down. Going on a plane you have more chance of getting the virus. They now say the virus falls to the floor and travels on shoes. They tested hospital wards and staff shoes and all positive. Hence the massive outbreaks in old-age facilities 

[lkv]

24 minutes ago, kiwikeith said:

They now say the virus falls to the floor and travels on shoes.

I do have a fetish of licking my shoes, I must admit. I have to be more careful in the foreseeable future.

Edited May 2, 2020 by lkv

[dinsdale]

12 hours ago, Krataiboy said:

Not so. Hardly anybody in Thailand has the virus, but the vast majority mask up. Maybe they're just trying to avoid the spy cameras.

Mmmm? Well there you go. You have argued against yourself. Seems mask wearing is an effective part of dealing with reducing the spread of this virus. As for hardly anyone being infected we go back to the old chestnut if you don't test, you don't know.

[hotchilli]

20 hours ago, rooster59 said:

John Holland-Kaye told the BBC yesterday: "Social distancing does not work in any form of public transport, let alone aviation".

That's the truth right there... not the rubbish put out to try and make people feel safe.

As for flea markets wet & dry markets we already know how that's going to work out....

elbow to elbow.

[WcCaptain]

It is so true as far as the way people are misinformed as far as the virus is spread. If one is sick PLEASE wear the mask. If your walking down the street and not wearing a mask please tell me the problem?!

Are you afraid that I’m going to grab you and stick my tongue in your mouth? IF I sneezed ahead of you droplets do just that (drop). Where they drop is the catch. In hopes it’s not in area one would have to grab a hand rail, then after rub your eye, or pick your nose, or lick your hand. 
n

Now I must clarify the walking down the street. Not busy streets of Bangkok, or areas of congestion. Just to be clear. 
So people!! Don’t lick door knobs, hand rails, buttons in elevators. Watch for people that want to stick there tongue in your mouth you have never met. 
Be safe. 

[Krataiboy]

10 hours ago, dinsdale said:

Mmmm? Well there you go. You have argued against yourself. Seems mask wearing is an effective part of dealing with reducing the spread of this virus. As for hardly anyone being infected we go back to the old chestnut if you don't test, you don't know.

Far from arguing against myself, I'm arguing (as I consistently have) against the fallacy that wearing a mask will protect against becoming infected by the COVID virus.

 

The tiny gaps in mask materials are large enough for any virus to easily penetrate. Also, wearing a mask for long periods - particularly one of the cheaper varieties or a scarf -is downright unhealthy, as loose fibres can be inhaled and cause respiratory problems.

 

A mask IS useful is when used by an infected person, or a surgeon in an operating theatre, as it stops saliva and other potentially germ-laden fluid from being sneezed or coughed into the air.

Edited May 3, 2020 by Krataiboy

[Krataiboy]

13 hours ago, samsensam said:

 

Every time I get on a long-haul flight I almost invariably go down with some kind of viral infection a few days later

 

sounds like a deficiency with your immune system.

. . . Which can only get worse the longer we are forced into lockdowns and social distancing.

[dinsdale]

20 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Far from arguing against myself, I'm arguing (as I consistently have) against the fallacy that wearing a mask will protect against becoming infected by the COVID virus.

 

The tiny gaps in mask materials are large enough for any virus to easily penetrate. Also, wearing a mask for long periods - particularly one of the cheaper varieties or a scarf -is downright unhealthy, as loose fibres can be inhaled and cause respiratory problems.

 

A mask IS useful is when used by an infected person, or a surgeon in an operating theatre, as it stops saliva and other potentially germ-laden fluid from being sneezed or coughed into the air.

You really haven't kept up have you. It's about protecting others. How do you know you are infected if you are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. You don't unless you have been tested usually more than once. It's about protecting other people from yourself not about you being protected. I realise this may be a difficult concept. 

Edited May 3, 2020 by dinsdale

[Krataiboy]

1 hour ago, dinsdale said:

You really haven't kept up have you. It's about protecting others. How do you know you are infected if you are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic. You don't unless you have been tested usually more than once. It's about protecting other people from yourself not about you being protected. I realise this may be a difficult concept. 

Far too difficult. Could you explain again, please. But make sure you put your mask on first like a good little boy.

[dinsdale]

9 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Far too difficult. Could you explain again, please. But make sure you put your mask on first like a good little boy.

You mean a responsible, socially conscious, non-individualistic, non-selfcentred little boy surely.