SARS and its Impact on the Readiness of the Global Air Travel Industry

Even with the widespread pandemic of SARS occurring a decade ago, biologists confirm that the virus always has the chance to occur again among human populations. However, there are certain reasons present to justify that authorities of today are better prepared for countering a similar situation. The modern aviation industry has evolved with improved built-in systems established in the aircraft to allow cleaner, filtered air.

The highlight of the age is the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a state-of-art airliner built to match the available technology along with the evolving needs and precautions for the airline sector. In light of excessive pollution levels in major regions, not to miss out the impact of smog and air pockets of gases in the higher atmosphere, these air filtration systems would ensure safe respiration for all the passengers on board.

The Dreamliner also includes an improved internal air pressure control system along with a humidity control system, allowing a greater control of the environment settled within the aircraft. Newer models which are subsequently being released do have these features to set new standards for comfortable flying experiences accordingly.

It’s not just restricted to the airlines in general. The entire aviation sector is participating in a coordinative manner so as to tackle the possibility of detecting SARS as early as possible. An earlier diagnosis would prove advantageous in multiple dimensions. Firstly it may prove to avoid a potential case from getting into the final stage by taking a pre-emptive initiative.

Secondly, in case of highly viral diseases such as SARS, an early quarantine would allow authorities to cordon off the affected area and keep the SARS diagnosed or suspected patients at bay from getting in contact with others. The more expansive the quarantine, the greater the time and effort involved for tracking down and checking individuals for clearance from SARS.

With such a large scale impact, all emergency units and authorities have had a practical exposure upon evaluating the symptoms associated with SARS. Even general awareness campaigns have provided an avenue for combating a similar situation in the near future. Proper vaccines and medication for the disease have now been brought forward in the pharmaceutical industry to regulate the convenient availability in the times of need.

Global health watchdog organizations, particularly the World Health Organization (WHO) has now established committees dedicated to each region spread in all major destinations. The new strategy which has been inducted to be among the first and foremost measures after discovering any occurrence of SARS is to communicate and validate its presence.

This would alert other regions and countries for reconfirming the presence of SARS among its travelers respectively. A coordinated effort would then ensure an efficient participation of all interested parties, leaving lesser burden to be shouldered by each identity in question.

Historical evidence has found that the preliminary confirmation for the presence of SARS prevailing among the general community was carried out at hotels. This has led to hotels being overly concerned for stringent hygienic pre-emptive measures against the possibility of SARS. Fumigation sorties, sprays and inspections are some of the initiatives adopted for this purpose. Major airports in the Far East region are now hosting thermal imaging technology to scan out commuting passengers for a thorough evaluation of a potential case.

SARS has mostly been associated with pneumonia as well as flu. These are common symptoms found among conventional patients suffering from ailments. With its impact focused upon the respiratory system, the human body needs to rely on its abilities of immunity to combat such diseases.