I flew back to New York after it declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak. Here's how I prepared for and protected myself during my flight home.

Joey HaddenMar 12, 2020, 01:20 IST

Flying during the spread of the novel coronavirus is possible, but there are many opportunities for the virus to spread on flights and in airports.
The new coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, and has killed more than 4,000 people and infected more than 121,000 as of Wednesday.
I recently flew economy from Austin, Texas, to New York during the spread of the coronavirus in the US.
I took actions to prepare for and protect myself during my flight, like being hyperconscious of human contact and washing my hands after I touched anything.
Here's how I flew US domestic economy during the coronavirus outbreak.
Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

My flight home during the coronavirus outbreak wasn't very different from a typical US domestic economy flight, but one significant difference was my mindset.

I was very conscious of germs involved in every part of the process - from checking in to buckling my seatbelt - and I made efforts to minimize them as much as possible.

In the end, I realized the most important thing I did was something I already knew to do - wash my hands.

Here's how I avoided germs on my flight home during the coronavirus outbreak.

See I flew back to New York after it declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak. Here's how I prepared for and protected myself during my flight home. >>

First, I checked in for my flight online.

This way, I didn't have to touch the machine used to print boarding passes and I avoided physical contact with airport employees.

Source: Business Insider

I also ate breakfast before I went to the airport to avoid additional human contact and germs that linger in airport food courts.

Source: CNBC

When I first got to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, I saw no one.

This could be because as the coronavirus spreads, people are traveling less and more than 100 airlines have canceled flights.

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider

Another explanation could be that more people are checking in online to avoid additional contact, as I did.

There was only a 3-7-minute wait time at the TSA checkpoint, where I contained all my liquids and electronics in one bin and put my bags and shoes directly on the belt.

I did this to expose my belongings to as few germs as possible.

Source: Business Insider

After I went through security, I went straight to the bathroom to wash my hands.

This is one of the best ways to protect yourself from spreading viruses.

Source: Business Insider

Remember to thoroughly wash your hands for about 20 seconds, and don't forget to about those fingernails.

Source: CDC

Then I filled up my water bottle to avoid unnecessary contact with flight attendants on the plane.

I walked slowly to my gate in a somewhat crowded terminal to maintain at least 6 feet of space between myself and the travelers around me because the novel coronavirus can spread to people up to 6 feet apart.

Source: Business Insider

Normally, I'd be all over this toy store to kill time, but not today — too many potential germs.

At my gate, I looked for the least-crowded area to sit and wait to board ...

... which was in the back corner.

I sat in an empty row and I didn't touch the armrests or use cupholder.

While waiting to board I noticed not many people were wearing face masks.

Face masks are more effective in preventing the spread of the virus when they're being worn by those infected, and there is a shortage of them because the supply chains can't meet the increased demand since the outbreak.

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider, Washington Post

When boarding the plane, I had my boarding pass on my phone, eliminating any physical contact between the gate and the plane.

Once I got on the plane, I headed to my window seat, which is exposed to fewer germs than the seats closer to the aisle.

Source: Business Insider

I'm a millennial who's flown 14 long-haul flights. Here are my 10 tips for surviving more than seven hours stuck in economy.

I was especially lucky to have no one seated next to me either.

Before sitting down, I wiped down my seat thoroughly with wet wipes, including the buttons ...

Source: Business Insider

... the tray table ...

Source: Business Insider

... and the inside pocket of the seat in front of me.

Source: Business Insider

Then, I sanitized my hands.

When I buckled, I realized I hadn't wiped it down first ...

So I sanitized my hands again. For the remainder of the flight, I sanitized my hands every time I touched anything, which was less than 10 times in the whole 3.5-hour flight.

Source: Business Insider

I avoided the airplane bathroom because it's touched by multiple passengers on a flight and it requires you to walk through the aisle of the plane, exposing you to even more germs.

Source: Business Insider

I didn't hesitate to use the air conditioning vent above my seat because it dispenses clean air, according to Business Insider.

Source: Business Insider

But I made sure to sanitize my hands after.

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I flew back to New York after it declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak. Here's how I prepared for and protected myself during my flight home.

First, I checked in for my flight online.

This way, I didn't have to touch the machine used to print boarding passes and I avoided physical contact with airport employees.

I also ate breakfast before I went to the airport to avoid additional human contact and germs that linger in airport food courts.

When I first got to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, I saw no one.

This could be because as the coronavirus spreads, people are traveling less and more than 100 airlines have canceled flights.

Another explanation could be that more people are checking in online to avoid additional contact, as I did.

There was only a 3-7-minute wait time at the TSA checkpoint, where I contained all my liquids and electronics in one bin and put my bags and shoes directly on the belt.

I did this to expose my belongings to as few germs as possible.

After I went through security, I went straight to the bathroom to wash my hands.

This is one of the best ways to protect yourself from spreading viruses.

Remember to thoroughly wash your hands for about 20 seconds, and don't forget to about those fingernails.

Then I filled up my water bottle to avoid unnecessary contact with flight attendants on the plane.

I walked slowly to my gate in a somewhat crowded terminal to maintain at least 6 feet of space between myself and the travelers around me because the novel coronavirus can spread to people up to 6 feet apart.

Normally, I'd be all over this toy store to kill time, but not today — too many potential germs.

At my gate, I looked for the least-crowded area to sit and wait to board ...

... which was in the back corner.

I sat in an empty row and I didn't touch the armrests or use cupholder.

While waiting to board I noticed not many people were wearing face masks.

Face masks are more effective in preventing the spread of the virus when they're being worn by those infected, and there is a shortage of them because the supply chains can't meet the increased demand since the outbreak.

When boarding the plane, I had my boarding pass on my phone, eliminating any physical contact between the gate and the plane.

Once I got on the plane, I headed to my window seat, which is exposed to fewer germs than the seats closer to the aisle.

I was especially lucky to have no one seated next to me either.

Before sitting down, I wiped down my seat thoroughly with wet wipes, including the buttons ...

... the tray table ...

... and the inside pocket of the seat in front of me.

Then, I sanitized my hands.

When I buckled, I realized I hadn't wiped it down first ...

So I sanitized my hands again. For the remainder of the flight, I sanitized my hands every time I touched anything, which was less than 10 times in the whole 3.5-hour flight.

I avoided the airplane bathroom because it's touched by multiple passengers on a flight and it requires you to walk through the aisle of the plane, exposing you to even more germs.

I didn't hesitate to use the air conditioning vent above my seat because it dispenses clean air, according to Business Insider.

But I made sure to sanitize my hands after.