Get the latest health news and see our latest Health Watch segments by FOX 5's Sarah Simmons. Just click here!
Get the latest health news and see our latest Health Watch segments by FOX 5's Sarah Simmons. Just click here!
No one likes to get stuck next to a sick person an airplane but it turns out those pesky airborne germs will likely affect you no matter where you sit in the cabin.
A new animated video put together by Pennsylvania-based engineering firm Ansys simulates just what happens when someone seated in the middle of an airplane sneezes.
The results aren’t pretty.
Instead of staying in a little bubble around the sneezing passenger, airborne particles can travel up to 50 ft, dispersing in all directions around the cabin due to plane airflow.
"The particles are colored to show you where the stuff goes," Robert Harwood, a director at Ansys, told Popular Science. "Those droplets get picked up by the airflow and get transplanted all over the cabin. They actually spread quite far."
The idea behind the video is to give public health officials and airlines a greater understanding of how certain germs spread and the information could be used to help curb the spread of infectious diseases that are airborne like influenza. Just in time for flu season.
Although air inside the main cabin is recycled about every two minutes, Harwood says that new air conditioning systems can help regulate how certain germs are spread but safer cabins often mean higher costs.
"They [airlines] want the cheapest flight but also for their passengers to be healthy. Our technology is useful because they can see how they can achieve that and improve performance without sacrificing cost."
Despite the apparent widespread dispersion of these germs, it’s still not that easy to catch something like the flu while flying. And the simulation does not apply to the much feared Ebola virus, which cannot be spread through the air.
Thursday, February 12 2015 11:01 AM EST2015-02-12 16:01:33 GMT
Cameroonian pop singer, Dencia, sparked a worldwide debate over the issue of skin lightening or bleaching. FOX 5's Shawn Yancy has been looking at the issues surrounding the practice of skin lightening for weeks, and spoke with Dencia, who joined us in studio.
Cameroonian pop singer, Dencia, sparked a worldwide debate over the issue of skin lightening or bleaching. FOX 5's Shawn Yancy has been looking at the issues surrounding the practice of skin lightening for weeks, and spoke with Dencia, who joined us in studio.
Tuesday, February 10 2015 2:00 PM EST2015-02-10 19:00:14 GMT
FAIRFAX CO., Va. - A suspected case of measles in a Fairfax County resident is being investigated by the county's health department. In a release posted online, the Fairfax County Health Department said test results will not be known for approximately 24 hours.
FAIRFAX CO., Va. - A suspected case of measles in a Fairfax County resident is being investigated by the county's health department. In a release posted online, the Fairfax County Health Department said test results will not be known for approximately 24 hours.
Tuesday, February 3 2015 12:31 PM EST2015-02-03 17:31:43 GMT
Hillary Clinton, the leading likely Democratic contender for the party nomination in 2016, couldn't resist taking a dig at the GOP hopefuls on Twitter. "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest."
Hillary Clinton, the leading likely Democratic contender for the party nomination in 2016, couldn't resist taking a dig at the GOP hopefuls on Twitter. "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest."
Friday, January 30 2015 7:38 AM EST2015-01-30 12:38:57 GMT
After a rough start to the flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the number of flu cases seems to have peaked -- and is even starting to decline in many parts of the nation.
After a rough start to the flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the number of flu cases seems to have peaked -- and is even starting to decline in many parts of the nation.
Friday, January 30 2015 7:35 AM EST2015-01-30 12:35:43 GMT
A new study suggests that binge watching television may be a sign of loneliness or depression. Researchers came to that conclusion after checking in with three-hundred 18-to-29 year-olds about their television viewing habits and their moods.
A new study suggests that binge watching television may be a sign of loneliness or depression. Researchers came to that conclusion after checking in with three-hundred 18-to-29 year-olds about their television viewing habits and their moods.
Friday, January 30 2015 7:32 AM EST2015-01-30 12:32:08 GMT
The number of measles cases reported in the U.S. in January has surpassed the total median number of cases in previous years, and more adults are contracting the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said during a telebriefing Thursday afternoon. The virus is also being traced back to a greater number of places than in previous years, according to the CDC. As of Thursday, Jan. 29, 84 measles cases had been reported in 14 states. The median number of measles cases...
The number of measles cases reported in the U.S. in January has surpassed the total median number of cases in previous years, and more adults are contracting the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said during a telebriefing Thursday afternoon. The virus is also being traced back to a greater number of places than in previous years, according to the CDC. As of Thursday, Jan. 29, 84 measles cases had been reported in 14 states. The median number of measles cases...
Monday, January 19 2015 11:34 AM EST2015-01-19 16:34:40 GMT
Wintry weather. Post-holiday debt. Failed New Years resolutions. And everyone back in the office after taking time off. Those things added together amount to what is believed to be the most depressing day of the year for many: today, January 19, dubbed “Blue Monday.”
Wintry weather. Post-holiday debt. Failed New Years resolutions. And everyone back in the office after taking time off. Those things added together amount to what is believed to be the most depressing day of the year for many: today, January 19, dubbed “Blue Monday.”
Friday, January 16 2015 6:43 AM EST2015-01-16 11:43:24 GMT
By Jonathan Serrie Published January 16, 2015 FoxNews.com ATLANTA – This year's flu vaccine is only 23 percent effective, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That figure is on the low side of effectiveness for flu vaccines, and confirms earlier speculation among public health officials that this season's vaccine was a poor match for the dominant viruses in circulation. In the 10 years the CDC has been studying fl...
By Jonathan Serrie Published January 16, 2015 FoxNews.com ATLANTA – This year's flu vaccine is only 23 percent effective, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That figure is on the low side of effectiveness for flu vaccines, and confirms earlier speculation among public health officials that this season's vaccine was a poor match for the dominant viruses in circulation. In the 10 years the CDC has been studying fl...
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