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Business Traveller

Swine Flu is the Big Story in Travel, Tourism this Year; How Clean is the Air We Breathe in Airplane Cabins; Practical Advice to Arm Ourselves During Travel; Emergency Medical Centers Save Lives in the Air.

Aired May 13, 2009 - 13:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST: Hello, and welcome to "CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER." I'm Richard Quest, reporting from London.

This month, we can't ignore the biggest story in travel and tourism this year -- the outbreak of swine flu. According to the latest projections by the World Health Organization, if it becomes a pandemic lasting two years, more than two billion people could be affected. Well, so far we know the worst case scenario has been avoided. But it meant we, at "BUSINESS TRAVELLER," decided we ought to do a program about staying healthy on the road.

Coming up, beating bugs and bacteria. On the ground, they're saving lives in the air. We're behind the scenes at a medical emergency center.

Cabin fever. How clean is the air we breathe on board?

And prepare and protect. Practical advice to arm ourselves on the road.

When the first cases of swine flu were detected, the global response was immediate and largely pro-active. It was very different from 2003 and the outbreak of SARS in Asia. It seems lessons had been learned, especially at Hong Kong International Airport.

As Eunice Yoon now explains from Hong Kong, at the airport, they had a well tried and tested program which quickly was put into place.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Thank you for your cooperation.

EUNICE YOON, BUSINESS TRAVELLER CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Fly into Hong Kong and this is what you see, crowds of people on vacation or business wearing face masks. After a case of H1N1 was confirmed here, the government raised its flu response to emergency. Airport staff are now required to wear masks, the floors and restrooms are cleaned every hour. These measures are in place to battle the current flu scare but were built on top of an infrastructure that came out of the SARS crisis six years ago.

HOWARD ENG, AIRPORT MANAGER, HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: We're much better prepared than 2003.

YOON (on camera): After the 2003 SARS outbreak, the government installed these thermal imaging cameras to check people's temperatures and make sure they don't have a fever when they come into the city.

But filling in these health declaration forms is a new procedure. They ask if you have any symptoms of the flu or if you had any contact with swine flu patients over the past seven days.

ANNOUNCER: The local government would like each passenger to complete a health declaration form.

YOON (voice-over): In 2003, the SARS virus killed hundreds, spreading from here to the rest of the world, often by plane.

(on camera): So this is a nightmare for you, isn't it?

(voice-over): Airport Manager Howard Eng says, back then, the flu scare kept people at home. Not this time.

ENG: Normally, we would have about 120,000 passengers. On the bleakest days during the SARS scare, we were down to 5,000 passengers a day. To this juncture, I don't see the same impact on travel today.

YOON: Another new measure, anyone who arrives here from an outbreak zone with a fever and symptoms of a respiratory illness will be taken to a medical clinic at the airport and possibly detained at the hospital.

Yet, even these stringent procedures have their flaws. An infected man, a Mexican national, passed through this airport and came down with a fever and other flu systems later after arriving at his hotel. For that reason, hotels and other businesses are not taking any chances. In many buildings in Hong Kong, you can find dispensers of disinfectant gel and doormats sprayed with rubbing alcohol, another legacy of SARS. Elevator buttons and escalator handrails are cleaned regularly, at this mall, every hour.

Authorities know the measures aren't foolproof.

MALIK PEIRLS, MICROBIOLOGIST, UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG: The challenges we all face is the massive increase in travel that has occurred over the last 30, 40 years. So that -- and that was very illustrated with SARS so that a virus that emerges in any one major travel hub is all across the globe within a matter of days or weeks.

YOON: But armed with lessons learned from SARS, officials here feel better equipped to block an outbreak.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Let's face it, there is never a good time to have a global outbreak of a virus. But in the midst of the worse recession in decades, well, this is a spectacularly bad time. With nearly two dozen countries and 2,000 cases confirmed, it's only fair and proper to ask, what is the effect of swine flu on the travel industry.

CNN's Jim Boulden explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM BOULDEN, BUSINESS TRAVELLER CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's hard not to compare this outbreak to the much bigger one of SARS in 2003. Still, while some airlines have cancelled flights to Mexico, the epicenter of the current flu outbreak, the impact on global travel has been minimal, nothing like SARS.

GIOVANNI BISIGNANI, DIRECTOR GENERAL, IATA: Just the areas, flights in and out of Mexico have been really strongly involved in this. The rest of the world is still not directly affected. And I think so it will be a much more easy situation than we experienced with SARS. That was a world crisis.

BOULDEN: Occupancy at many Mexican hotels dropped quickly, hitting businesses along the beaches. Mexico City has also been hurt particularly hard. All of this after the country saw a record number of tourists just last year, even in the midst of a global downturn.

(on camera): The biggest impact now for the Mexican Tourism Board may be from here in Europe. The U.K. is third only to the United States and Canada when it comes to the number of tourists who usually head for Mexico.

(voice-over): So the Mexican Tourist Board in Europe is acting fast, pulling ad campaigns like "Go Mexico" and "Magic Planet."

MANUEL DIAZ CEBRIAN, MEXICO TOURISM BOARD: Every single slogan right now will be -- will sound weird to be honest.

BOULDEN: Mexico will soon launch a new ad campaign if the H1N1 flu remains as mild as currently predicted.

CEBRIAN: With the news now, I can tell you that probably from four weeks to two months is the time we consider it's going to take us to start again. But unfortunately, talking about effectively Europe, you build your plates at least with three or four months in advance.

BOULDEN: So a tough summer expected for the Mexican tourist industry. But tourists have put up with so much over the past 10 years, experts say, travelers these days are taking interruptions in stride.

JEAN-CLAUDE BAUMGARTEN, PRESIDENT, WORLD TRADE & TOURISM COUNCIL: We already been taught by experience, you know? You had September 11. You had SARS. You had bird flu and so on. What we can see -- and that's very interesting -- is that the more crisis happens, so faster this industry bounces (ph).

BOULDEN: Jean-Claude Baumgarten, from the World Trade & Tourism Council, has not revised his prediction that travel will recover towards the end of 2010 or early 2011. And no surprise, he says keep traveling. He is.

BAUMGARTEN: I would say this, travel, do your business, because in terms of crisis, you have to see your clients, you have to see your staff, you have to motivate everybody, even more so than when things are going fine.

BOULDEN: As it stands now, the recession has hit the travel market so hard that globally this outbreak has not had much of an impact to those wanting to travel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: In just a moment, fighting cabin fever. How clean is the air that we breathe in the sky? And saving traveler's lives, the medical emergency center in Arizona.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Has she been vomiting, over?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: Welcome back to "CNN BUSINESS TRAVELLER."

When it comes to travel, the one part of the experience when we really feel out of control is when we're cooped up in the tin can better known as the plane. Think about it, hundreds of other people breathing, sneezing, coughing the same air. How dangerous is it? What can we catch?

Luckily for us, Ayesha Durgahee has been sifting the myths from reality.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

AYESHA DURGAHEE, BUSINESS TRAVELLER CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shoulder to shoulder, strangers confined in one space, in a stale and stuffy cabin. We no longer have to inhale other people's cigarette smoke. Instead, there's the perception of inhaling other people's germs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: But you're in a confined aircraft, when one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DURGAHEE: Air in the cabin doesn't actually move backwards or forwards. It enters from the top of the cabin and is drawn vertically to floor level, taking any germs lurking in the air with it. By the time the air re-enters the cabin, it has been filtered using high-efficiency particulate air, or HEPA filters, that reduces the risk of transmitting airborne diseases.

(on camera): HEPA filters are the same ones used in hospital operating theaters. They're 99.9 percent efficient at removing bacteria and viruses so the air that we breathe onboard is actually cleaner than the air in your office.

(voice-over): HEPA filters may do a good job of providing us with cleaner, fresher air, but what happens if you hear someone cough or sneeze?

DR. RICHARD DAWOOD, FLEET STREET CLINIC: If a person sneezed two rows behind you, you might be at risk from direct inhalation of some of those droplets, but what you wouldn't be at risk from is the idea that those droplets would be taken into the ventilation system and they would be blown out at you in the fresh air supply.

Filtration of air within the aircraft cabin is highly efficient. And you can expect probably a full change of air within the cabin every three minutes or so.

DURGAHEE: Airlines aren't required to make public their cabin air data. And there are no rules for humidity, temperature or bacteria levels. There's very little information available. In fact, the last key findings were in 2001 where, in the U.S, an aircraft using only re-circulated air was compared with an aircraft using outside air. The study showed that 20 percent of passengers on both aircraft contracted a cold within a week of stepping off the plane. So just think that we are more susceptible to illness when we fly.

DAWOOD: We certainly know that there's an increased rate of respiratory infection in people who travel. There are certainly factors in the aircraft that could make it more likely. One of these is the general dryness of the cabin air. It's pumped in from the outside and that removes the -- an important layer of protection, the moisture film that lines the mouth, the nose, the throat, the respiratory passages. That acts as an important barrier. And when that's gone, it's certainly possible that bacteria and viruses can break through.

DURGAHEE: It's not just about the quality of the air we breathe on board that leaves our immune systems weakened. It's the combination of time zone changes, jet lag and the stress of the airport, all part and parcel of the travel process.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Preparing for the worst is the stock in trade of airlines and airports, especially when it comes to medical emergencies. That's why there are companies like MedAire, with control rooms and large numbers of doctors ready to give advice if necessary.

We now take you behind the scenes for a rare look at the MedAire control center in Arizona.

When you're up in the air, it's these guys on the ground who are on the front line when it comes to your health.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a 78-year-old male passenger who is having some chest pain...

QUEST: It looks like a call center. It's actually MedAire's Global Emergency Response Center.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Monitor and give some fluids.

QUEST: The company was founded 20 years ago by former nurse Joan Sullivan Garrett to provide medical assistance to passengers and crew of airlines, yachts and commercial ships.

JOAN SULLIVAN GARRETT, CHAIRWOMAN & FOUNDER, MEDAIRE: Because it's 24 by seven, we're getting calls day and night. And these calls are from a variety of locations. We have calls coming from the gates. We have calls coming from Reservations. We have calls coming from the jet way before they even approach the cabin. And sometimes we even get calls from the runway. And then we have calls from -- in many cases, we're taking care of the airline crew because they're traveling, they're exposed to sick people and so they get sick. And so, again, that takes us well up to almost 100,000 calls from a variety of different sources.

QUEST: Last year, MedAire received more than 17,000 in-flight calls. Passengers fainting is the most common medical complaint. It's followed by nausea and vomiting. Heart attacks on board are thankfully relatively rare.

The company's founder says, over the last few years, there has been an improvement in health care on board flights with a marked decline in fatalities and a reduced number of flight diversions.

GARRETT: If I were going to be able to plan a heart attack for myself, I would hope that I was on an airline because the time to defibrillation is less than two minutes. That's unheard of in most metropolitan areas. So I'm not recommending that if you have chest pains, get on a plane. But I am saying, if you are on a plane and you do have chest pain, put that hand up, ring the bell, or understand that they are very well trained to deal with that scenario.

QUEST: Since the outbreak of swine flu, MedAire has seen a significant rise in the number of calls like this one. It's 9:45 pacific time. A passenger on board an American carrier enroute to Kenner, Louisiana, is in trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do copy to zero, female passenger with flu- like symptoms. You can page (ph). Nausea, fever, diarrhea. Has she been vomiting, over? I copy that information. If you'll please stand by, I'll have you speak with a MedAire physician.

QUEST: Dr. Andrzej Dmowski is one of the 35 physicians on hand at the Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center.

DR. ANDREZEJ DMOWSKI: I understand you have a 50-year-old passenger with flu symptoms, nausea, fever, diarrhea and vomiting, is that correct? How many times has the passenger vomited? We can give one tablet Promethazine, which should help with the nausea. We can try to let that dissolve under the tongue with a little ice. Elevate the legs. Continue the oxygen. Possibly place a mask on the patient just because she has the -- had some flu-like symptoms. And we'll have medics meet you on arrival. This isn't a typical flu. There's many other things going on with the vomiting, the diarrhea...

GARRETT: We were very engaged and very engaged during SARS. And we were also extremely involved because a lot of crews were grounded all over the world when 9/11 happened. And so we had to deal with the anthrax and calls from all sorts of things. So today, it fits pretty much with what we're accustomed to.

DR. DAVID STREITWEISER, BANNER GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPITAL: One of the more interesting cases didn't involve a person. It involved a case of frozen eyeballs that one of our client airlines accidently transported to the wrong location. And they were going to be used for transplant purposes. Had to remain frozen to be usable. And they had to stay overnight now in a non-refrigerated environment. They couldn't get them to the correct location until the next day where they could be used. So the airline didn't know what to do with them. And we were able to use our resources at the hospital, talk to our transplant service and say, well, how would you preserve frozen eyeballs. And they gave us the precise instructions, how much dry ice to use. And it worked out great.

QUEST: Next time you're on a flight and the shout goes up, "Is there a doctor on board," you can be safe in the knowledge, whatever the problem, sound advice is just a call away.

When we come back, practical tips for keeping traveling bugs and bacteria at bay.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

QUEST: So far, so good. But there is no getting away from it. When we travel, we are inevitably gong to come into close quarters with complete strangers. So how do we escape these encounters without anyone getting harmed? It's simple. We follow some basic rules of the road.

It's all about protecting yourself first. So make sure you've got lots of small little pockets of handkerchiefs for when you blow your nose or need to cover your nose and mouth. It might seem obvious, but then, staying safe often is.

A lot of people are wearing surgical face masks when they travel. Well, these certainly work in the operating theater, but they are less than successful in the open spaces of an airport. And why? Because you breathe into the mask. You then remove it. The germs get on your hands and so germs get spread even further. And there's also evidence that says, once they get wet inside, they become less than effective. It's a nice thing to have, but don't rely on it.

This is what you really need, hand sanitizer. And you need lots of it. And you need to use it as liberally as you possibly can. Every time you meet somebody new or you go to a meeting, don't be afraid to spray the surface.

Think about having some antiseptic wipes in your bag. I'll show you in a moment why these are useful.

All in all, staying as safe and away from the flu is as much about common sense as anything else. Spend the money first. You'll be safe after.

There are some documents, such as your passport, that inevitably you're going to be handing over to complete strangers again and again. When you get the document back, it's only the passport you want, so discreetly give it a wipe with an antiseptic cleaner.

It is unrealistic to expect you're not going to have normal social physical contacting with new acquaintances and greet old friends.

Lovely to see you.

But keep contact limited. And whenever possible, have a tactful spray.

Breaking bread and enjoying a meal with colleagues is a vital part of doing business. But make sure it's only the food that you share. So keep a separate pair of chop sticks or spoons for serving. What you don't want is everybody dipping in to the same sauce or soup. That way, of course, you end up with everybody else's germs.

My miso soup is not your miso soup. I'm not being unpleasant. You don't want what I've got and I don't want what you've got.

Be particularly careful when it comes to dunking. Whether it's sushi or fondue, don't be sticking your food into somebody else's pot.

When all is said and done, this is really just good common sense. And the food's very good as well.

Where are you going?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hong Kong.

QUEST: Enjoying it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Loving it.

QUEST: And you, sir, where are you off to?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thailand.

QUEST: Thailand.

Travel really does broaden the mind. But you don't want to take anything home unnecessarily. So what differences are you doing in the way you're traveling? What precautions are you taking? Send me an e-mail. We'll share the best on the web. That's quest@cnn.com.

Have a safe trip.

And that's "CNN BUSINESS TRAVLLER" for this month. I'm Richard Quest, heading to South Africa.

Wherever your travels make take you, I hope it's healthy and profitable. And I'll see you in Johannesburg.

END