Just how safe is it to fly during the pandemic? The story of one international flight in March—before the advent of mask and glove protocols—suggests that even with infected passengers aboard, the odds of catching COVID-19 are relatively small.

For our comprehensive coverage and latest updates on COVID-19 click here.

Reporting Aug. 18 in the journal JAMA Network Open, German researchers recount the health outcomes for 102 passengers who boarded a Boeing 737 in Tel Aviv, Israel, on March 9 and landed in Frankfurt, Germany, 4 hours 40 minutes later.

This was before the advent of strict hygiene protocols—mandatory masks on passengers and crew, discouragement of gatherings in aisles, curtailment of onboard meals—that airlines have since put in place to curb SARS-CoV-2 transmission.