How Far Sneeze Germs Travel in an Airplane [VIDEO]

The craziness of holiday travel is almost here and thanks to the scientists and engineers at the FAA Center of Excellence at Purdue University we now have an animated simulation of what happens when someone sneezes on a plane. And it's scary.

Basically the sneeze from one passenger can travel 50 feet around that person, thanks to re-circulated cabin air, and then after a 50-foot flight around the plane, the sneeze droplets ultimately land on the passengers directly to the left and right of the sneezer. So nasty, right?

You might think you're safe at the front of the cabin, but all it takes to get someone's germs on you is for someone to sneeze a couple rows behind you, and forget about it if you are right next to a sneezer who doesn't cover his mouth or use a tissue.

So what can you do to protect yourself? Take some extra vitamin C before your flight, use hand sanitizer and avoid touching your face with your hands. Oh, and if you're the sneezer, for the love of humanity, please cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and if you don't have one of those handy, bury your face in the nook of your arm.