If you ever find yourself feeling unwell after an airline flight, you’re not alone. However, while many are quick to blame this illness on the germ-filled recycled air we breath on a plane, a recent SciShow YouTube video suggests the blame may lie elsewhere.

According to SciShow host Olivia Gordon, although the air inside of a plane is technically recycled, that doesn't mean it's filled with contagious pathogens. In addition, while about half of the air on a plane is filtered and recirculated, the other half is fresh air that comes from outside the plane via the engine compressors.

For the air that is recycled, it goes through a very stringent process before it's able to be breathed in by passengers again. All air in a plane goes through a high efficiency particulate air filter, also known as a HEPA filter, the same kind used in hospitals. What’s more, the filters are only allowed to be installed if they pass testing, which requires them to block at least 99.97 percent of air particles.

And if that’s not enough for you, the air in a plane is filtered about 20-30 times an hour, which means that even if something snuck past the first time, it’s likely not getting through the next 29 rounds.

According to Gordon, it's not unheard of for passengers to get sick following a flight, but this is most likely due to their close proximity to other flyers, not the airplane air itself. In other words, if you sit close to individuals, they are likely to get you sick, no matter what type of air you’re breathing in. So blame your neighbor sitting next to you, not the plane, next time you fall sick after a flight.

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