Video simulation shows how germs are easily spread inside an airplane

Ever wonder how it's so easy to get sick while flying, but not necessarily every other crowded venue, like a movie theater? This video simulation below shows how germs are spread when a passenger doesn't cover their mouth while sneezing in an airplane cabin. Take a look.

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Created by researchers at the FAA Center of Excellence at Purdue University, this simulation of a sneezing passenger shows the mechanics of pathogen travel in an airplane cabin.

The sneeze doesn't just spread and cling onto whatever it touches, it actually keeps getting recycled over and over through the airplane's ventilation, soaking all nearby passengers with infected particles. It's like taking a bath in germs. The video concludes that all passengers parallel to the infected passenger in the cabin, and those seated diagonally across behind, are at the highest risk of infection.

By learning how germs are spread through the cabin's ventilation system, the FAA Center for Excellence for Airliner Cabin Environment Research hopes to find ways to optimize new ventilation systems to better protect passengers from the spread of pathogens.

The researchers used engineering simulation software ANSYS to complete the model.

Let this be a warning: please cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, always.

Have any tips on how to prevent getting sick while flying? Let us know in the comments below.