Staying Healthy While Riding Public Transit in the Pandemic

Feargus O'Sullivan spoke with several experts about the dangers of riding public transit during the pandemic, and the necessary precautions that can protect riders from coronavirus infection.

Experts interviewed for the story include Dr. Simon Clark, associate professor of microbiology at the University of Reading, Dr. Julian Tang, a professor in the Department of Respiratory Sciences at the University of Leicester, and Dr. Lena Ciric, a microbiologist at University College London. The experts discuss the risks of several modes of transportation, like planes, trains, and buses. 

While acknowledging that the risks on public transit are no greater than occupying any enclosed space in proximity to many other people for an extended amount of time, and the precautions in either situation will be similar. 

"So what can you do if you still have to ride? The advice here will sound familiar: Wear a mask, keep your distance and don’t touch your face."

The acknowledgement that many people might have to ride public transit for the tasks of their daily lives, while tacit here, seems to have been lost on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released a report at the end of May that recommended that all people avoid public transit until the novel coronavirus is defeated.