Airport security check trays risks to health, Finnish study.
Passengers should wash their hands quickly after going
through the airport security checks. This is one of the recommendations
based on a study by the supreme Finnish public health body, the Agency
for Health and Wellbeing, into the conditions at the Helsinki
international airport.
The investigation released on
the weekend revealed that the plastic trays used for travelers to put
gadgets and clothing in through the x-ray checking have a huge bacteria
and virus load.
The toilets meanwhile got a clean bill. Samples from the
upper covers of toilets, the flushing handle, and the door handle gave
no indications of viruses. The fact that janitors pop into toilets
regularly can be an explanation.
The highest risks
were found in a children's play corner. A plastic dog pet featured two
contagious viruses. Experts of the Health and Wellbeing Agency concluded
that the particular dog may have made hundreds of kids sick.
The buttons of the card payment terminals in the airport
pharmacy also offered a good collection of the ailments the customers
of the pharmacy appear to have had.
The security check trays carried adeno, influenza A, rhino and corona OC43. The pet dog featured at least adeno and rhino.
The
recommendation for travelers to wash hands quickly after the security
check is not that easy to follow, at least in Helsinki. There are wash
basins in toilets, but their availability is limited compared to the
number of travelers. Many customers actually tend to go directly from
the security checks to enjoy shopping and cafeteria.
Commenting
on the results, the weekend business magazine Talouselama noted that
avoiding touching the trays or boxes in the security checks would
"require major acrobatics".
There was no immediate
comment from the airport authority as to whether the wearing of thin
gloves all through the screening process could be allowed. The security
attendants meanwhile have protective gloves.
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