To wear a mask, or not, on public transportation? Which is the right move for you?

To wear a mask, or not, on public transportation? Which is the right move for you?

Transcript¹

Now that the federal mask mandate² on public transport has come to an end, should people continue to wear masks anyway? We explore the latest science on air flow and transmission.

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A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

All right. At this moment, travelers can choose whether or not to wear a mask on most public transportation, but which is the right move for you? Here to tell us about the science of safer travel in the age of COVID is NPR health correspondent Maria Godoy. Maria, planes, trains, buses, rideshares - are the different types of transportation that much different from each other when it comes to the risk of getting infected?

MARIA GODOY, BYLINE³: Well, yes, because it's all about the air we share with others and how it circulates. And that can be quite different depending on the mode of transportation.

MARTÍNEZ: All right. So which one should we start with?

GODOY: Airplanes.

MARTÍNEZ: Because we're all jammed together in that plane.

GODOY: Well, yeah, it's counterintuitive because you are in a small enclosed space. But every researcher I've spoken with agrees that the air filtration and ventilation on an airplane is really about the best it can be for an indoor environment. That cabin gets replenished⁵ with new air a lot. But there's a big caveat⁶ to that. Here's Dr. David Freedman. He's president-elect of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene⁷.

DAVID FREEDMAN: I think it's important to remember that this phenomenal ventilation is only phenomenal when the airplane is in the air with the wheels up, with both engines running fully⁸.

GODOY: When you're in the crowded jetway, getting ready to board or even just sitting in your seat on the runway, that ventilation system isn't always running at full blast, and infectious aerosols⁹ can accumulate all around you. But when those systems are running, they're quite effective. Linsey Marr studies airborne virus transmission at Virginia Tech. She says airplanes filter the air every few minutes. But if someone sitting close to you is infectious...

LINSEY MARR: There's still a risk, though, of transmission with those immediately nearby, like, next to or the row in front or row behind.

GODOY: Or if you're standing¹⁰ in the aisle¹¹ waiting for the bathroom. Marr says even if others aren't wearing masks, she's going to keep wearing an N95 on flights because those masks really do protect the wearer.

MARTÍNEZ: Me, too. All right. So after planes, what's next?

GODOY: Trains and buses. Marr says the data she's seen from the subway systems in New York City and San Francisco show they have good air ventilation. But if you are standing shoulder to shoulder with other riders, that ventilation alone won't be enough. And as for buses, the situation is worse. Jesse Capecelatro of the University of Michigan has researched how air flows on urban buses.

JESSE CAPECELATRO: What we found was if the windows are closed due to sort of the recirculation of the air in the bus, whatever someone breathes out, in about 45 seconds, everyone in the bus is breathing in a portion of that.

GODOY: Opening windows can make a big difference, but you can't always do that on buses. Capecelatro's modeling shows when everyone on a bus is wearing a mask, that dramatically reduces transmission risks. You know, I also spoke⁴ with Neil Siegel. He's a health policy researcher at the University of Maryland, and he says bad bus ventilation raises real equity¹² concerns.

NEIL SIEGEL: Hispanic and Black people are more than twice as likely to take public transit¹³ than white people. And people with lower incomes are also disproportionately more likely to take public transit than people with higher incomes.

GODOY: Siegel says people with fewer options for safer travel are now facing increased risk.

MARTÍNEZ: One more thing really quick - a lot of people take rideshares. What should they know?

GODOY: Keep the windows open. If you're stuck in traffic, have the AC at full blast too to help clear the air.

MARTÍNEZ: That's NPR's Maria Godoy. Maria, thanks.

GODOY: My pleasure.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 replenished   

补充( replenish的过去式和过去分词 )； 重新装满

参考例句：

• She replenished her wardrobe. 她添置了衣服。
• She has replenished a leather [fur] coat recently. 她最近添置了一件皮袄。

6 caveat   

n.警告； 防止误解的说明

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling.为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。
• As I have written before,that's quite a caveat.正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。

7 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 aerosols   

n.气溶胶( aerosol的名词复数 )；喷雾剂；（气体中的）浮粒；喷雾器

参考例句：

• Aerosols are present throughout the atmosphere. 气溶胶存在于整个大气层。 来自辞典例句
• Deodorants are available as aerosols or roll-ons. 除臭剂有喷雾装或滚抹装。 来自辞典例句

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

12 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

13 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。