Another place at the airport, extremely rich in microbes and bacteria, researchers found at the airport. Tourists have been warned that plastic pallets, in which things are stored before inspection, can be dangerous to health – they contain the largest number of viruses at airports – more than in toilets.
Such data are provided by the Associated Press. The study was conducted by the University of Nottingham and the Finnish National Institute of Health and Welfare. Samples from various surfaces at the airport of the Finnish capital Helsinki-Vantaa, which are often touched by passengers, were taken as a basis for the study.
Viruses were detected in 10% of all smears, and most of them were found on plastic inspection trays. Among the “uninvited guests” were influenza viruses and rhinoviruses that cause colds. Note that the study was conducted before the coronavirus became an everyday reality, so it is possible that this dangerous guest on the trays may also be.
Interestingly, the surfaces in the toilet, including toilets and sinks were in this sense cleaner – respiratory viruses were not found there. Frequent disinfection of “dirty” areas probably works and keeps them clean.
But risky places where viruses were detected were also card readers in shops, counters at passport control, stair railings and children’s playgrounds. It will be recalled that a study by their colleagues also called it the dirtiest place at the airport in terms of the presence of germs and viruses at the self-check-in counter.