August 7, 2020 in Resoundingly Human
Hate the middle seat? Flying in the pandemic might mean only windows and aisles
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https://doi.org/10.1287/orms.2020.04.30p
I came up with the estimate that if you are flying on a plane that is full and the middle seats are full, then your chance of being infected, given the rate of COVID infection in the United States about now, it’s about 1 in 4,300 is your chance of coming down with COVID. And if the middle seat is kept empty, your chance goes down to about 1 in 7,700.
In recent episodes of the podcast we have covered a number of ways that O.R. and analytics have helped address the myriad challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how they are helping us map out a return to normal, or in most cases a new normal. With social distancing remaining a key priority, there are so many aspects of our day-to-day lives that will be different for the foreseeable future. And in order to find a way to return to many of these activities, like going to school, getting back to a traditional office environment, and in the case of this episode, traveling by airplane in a way that prioritizes the safety of the passengers and crew, the key is O.R. and analytics.
For this episode, I am joined by Arnie Barnett, professor of management science and statistics at MIT, to discuss his work regarding a new kind of aviation safety, one unique to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Want to learn more? Check out the additional links and resources listed below for more information about what was discussed in this episode.
COVID-19 on a plane: Should the middle seat stay empty?
The greatest coronavirus risks when you fly, The Wall Street Journal
A corona death every day for flyers when middle seats are sold, Seattle PI
Learning to live with coronavirus risk, The Wall Street Journal
Experts say this is the safest mode of transportation during COVID-19, Condé Nast Traveler
Ashley Kilgore has more than a decade of experience in nonprofit communications and public relations, to include print, radio, video, and web. Contact Ashley Kilgore.