Nearly 11,000 people have been exposed to the coronavirus on flights, the CDC says - The Washington Post

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention investigated 1,600 cases of people who flew while at risk of spreading the coronavirus, identifying nearly 11,000 people who potentially were exposed to the virus on flights.But though the agency says some of those travelers subsequently fell ill, in the face of incomplete contact tracing information and a virus that incubates over several days, it has not been able to confirm a case of transmission on a plane.That does not mean it hasn’t happened, and recent scientific studies have documented likely cases of transmission on flights abroad.“An absence of cases identified or reported is not evidence that there were no cases,” said Caitlin Shockey, a spokeswoman for the CDC’s Division of Global Migration and Quarantine.“CDC is not able to definitively determine that potential cases were associated (or not) with exposure in the air cabin or through air travel given the numerous opportunities for potential exposure associated with the entire travel journey and widespread global distribution of the virus,” Shockey wrote in an email.She said that though the agency has received information about people who may have been exposed on flights subsequently becoming ill with the novel coronavirus, pinpointing when someone was exposed is difficult. And airlines have imposed mask requirements even without a federal mandate.Asked about the CDC’s numbers, Katherine Estep, a spokeswoman for the industry organization Airlines for America, emphasized that there are no documented cases of transmission involving U.S. flights.“Flying remains a safe and healthy experience,” Estep said.But though the CDC has not confirmed such transmissions domestically, new studies of flights in Asia and Europe have identified instances where scientists think the virus has spread on commercial flights — including one where passengers were wearing N95 masks, according to a paper published in a CDC journal. Carome, of Public Citizen, said the aviation industry could explore such options as temperature screenings and rapid testing, something airlines are interested in doing as trials as a way of restarting international travel.One final viral infusion: Trump’s move to block travel from Europe triggered chaos and a surge of passengers from the outbreak’s centerOfficials at state and county health departments said that, like the CDC, they’re regularly documenting cases of people flying while capable of spreading the virus.When local officials find a case, they typically share the information with their state’s health authorities, and then the CDC coordinates with airlines to determine the identities of people who potentially have been exposed.