Why you may need to wear a mask on plane

Passengers taking international flights have been asked to wear their masks to avoid the risks of contracting Covid-19.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says while the countries have continued to record fewer cases in the last year, there was a need for people to stay alert.

“Passengers should be advised to wear masks in high-risk settings such as long-haul flights,” WHO senior emergency officer for Europe Catherine Smallwood said.

“This should be a recommendation issued to passengers arriving from anywhere where there is widespread Covid-19 transmission.”

The global agency has not reported any new variants since the emergence of the Omicron in November 2021 which even led to a sharp rise in new infections in China and the US.

The variant has since then had a number of mutations.

Late last year, most airlines especially in Europe dropped the masking rules that were originally designed established to help prevent the spread of the virus.

Some airlines, however, still require passengers flying to and within countries in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas to have it.

Locally, the government has not reported any cases from the new variant with experts maintaining there was no cause for alarm.

“We are stable. Based on vaccination rates and pre-exposure to Omicron, we do not expect a serious surge when we are finally hit,” Shem Otoi, a Covid-19 modeling expert is quoted.

South Africa is the only African country that has recorded a few cases of the XBB.1.5 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant. South African experts say, however, that it is not a cause for alarm.

“In spite of XBB.1.5 from the US and the explosive wave in China, I do not expect a big wave of infections with hospitalization in South Africa due to the high population. XBB.1.5 is still Omicron and anyone worried should get a booster,” said South Africa-based virologist Tulio de Oliviera.