United passenger who died may have had Covid-19 symptoms, airline says

[UpInArms]

Source: CNN

United Airlines is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to contact anyone who was on board a diverted flight from Orlando to Los Angeles after the death of a passenger who may have exhibited coronavirus symptoms.

On Monday, a man on board United Airlines Flight 591 had a medical emergency, and the flight was diverted to New Orleans, according to a United Airlines statement.

... snip ...

The passenger's wife was overheard telling the EMT that her husband had Covid-related symptoms, including loss of taste and smell, according to the spokeswoman.
However, Covid-19 was never confirmed by the medical professionals at the time, the spokeswoman said.

When he checked into the flight, the passenger acknowledged on the airline's Ready-to-Fly checklist that he had not been diagnosed with Covid-19 and did not have Covid-related symptoms, the spokeswoman said.

After receiving more information about the health of this passenger, "it is apparent he wrongly acknowledged this requirement," the spokeswoman said.



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/19/us/united-passenger-died-covid-symptoms/index.html

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Speechless ... I am

[BusyBeingBest]

1. He was feeling sick in the days leading up to his flight, LIED about it, and

now possibly infected a whole plane full of people. My sympathy is coming up short.

[mountain grammy]

2. unbelievable..

Complete disregard for others. Yes, no words.

[iluvtennis]

9. +++ agree. Their mentality is "It's all about me, everyone else deosn't matter". nt

[Chemisse]

3. I'll bet people lie about Covid symptoms often.

Although I'd assume most are not traveling when they are on the verge of dying from it.

Either way, the other passengers are at put at risk. Flying won't really be safe again until Covid has been harnessed via vaccine.

[Rebl2]

13. I am sure

that is so true. Also some people never know they have it, so that’s a problem.

[EllieBC]

4. I wonder if this case is the same as in this tweet?

Link to tweet

?s=21

[Ms. Toad]

5. Likely - given the date on the tweet.

The incident happened Monday (Dec 14). Althought the death was reported at the time to have been a cardiac emergency.

[EllieBC]

6. Yeah I traveled down the Twitter rabbit hole on the tweet.

A few other tweets back it up.

Link to tweet

?s=21

Link to tweet

?s=21

Terrifying.

[LisaL]

12. People who were sitting in close proximity to this guy should be most concerned.

From studies of people infected on planes, the ones at close proximity to the sick person are at most risk.

[pfitz59]

7. Self-reporting fails again....

need honest folk to make it work...

[Ms. Toad]

8. People are playing the odds -

chances are what I'm feeling isn't serious, chances are even if it is COVID it won't be serious for me/whoever I give it to, what I want to do (may be the last time I get to see/do something, is an important family tradition, is paid for and I can't get a refund). I had hoped that about 2 weeks ago when we shifted from not very many people knowing someone personally with COVID to most people knowing someone that people would take it more seriously. But I guess not.

Public spaces should, at a minimum, substitute oxygen saturation for temperature - it is still objective, and is more likely to be a symptom of COVID. It requires less sterilization than temperature, and is just about as quick.

[LisaL]

11. Loss of taste and smell is pretty specific to covid.

Sounds like this guy and his wife flew regardless of his covid symptoms. So clearly you can't trust people to self-report because at least some will do what they want regardless of having covid symptoms.
As for temperature, the way they take it nowadays is infrared. No contact required, so no sterilization required.

[BumRushDaShow]

14. The problem with "temperature checks" is that unlike the earlier SARS (SARS-CoV-1 in 2002/2003)

THIS SARS (SARS-CoV-2 a/k/a COVID-19) doesn't always present with a temperature because it apparently depends on where it lands and starts replicating. NIH had published a meta-analysis that indicated that about 78% reported a fever, however they also believe the data in general naturally over-samples those who are actually experiencing symptoms, where pre-symptomatic and asymptomatic infectious individuals would not have a fever (or few if any symptoms), and would be missed with a "temperature check".

Apparently some countries are actually having passengers do "smell tests" (with I assume test strips or using some other item like a vile of liquid), where the traveler needs to correctly ID the scent. That and/or perhaps a pulse-ox might be a better indicator for someone without a fever and/or cough (where even a cough could be due to dry air or allergy). Of course doing this could really hold up a traveling line.

[LisaL]

17. I am not suggesting taste and smell checks be done to test for covid.

This particular guy died on the plane apparently had loss of sense of smell and taste per the article. Yet he claimed no symptoms upon boarding.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. The debate (particularly in England) was to possibly utilize taste/smell as a screening tool

along with the temperature checks and self-reporting... and within the medical and epidemiology community, it has been debated for some time, including the cons (not wanting to be "punitive" ) of such a screening.

This is probably due to the self-reporting problem (which would also add to the asymptomatic/pre-symptomatic problem).

In the case of the passenger who essentially claimed no symptoms, but actually was symptomatic - if they had a loss of taste/smell as part of those unreported symptoms, then the passenger would not have been allowed to board if they failed that test (assuming such a policy had been put in place).

When the medical professionals keep repeating over and over and over and over that we are facing a "new normal", then it needs to be driven home that the "new normal" is not just "normal + masks" (and even then, because some localities mandate them). It means a serious behavior change.

[Ms. Toad]

15. Taste and smell is also subjective so you're back to needing to trust people

And I can count on the number of places that are using IR for temperature on one hand. In fact, I believe I've encountered only one place since March (and I've had my temperature taken at least 2 dozen times in the last two weeks - not a single IR temp check and - which surprised me - at least 3 oral temperature checks.) Most were the forehead rollers, a few were in the ear checks.

[LisaL]

16. Wow. I would refuse an oral temperature checks right now for fear of infection.

Where did they do an oral temperature check on you?

[Ms. Toad]

19. Doctor's office -

I was diagnosed wtih sarcoma about 3 weeks ago (and have had two surgeries already with the 3rd coming Tuesday). It's been a whirlwind of visits at three different sites, all but one run by the Cleveland Clinic.

They use a forehead roll at the entrance to the facilities (or o temp check) & in the surgical center. Thermometers in all but one of the CC doctors's offices, ear temp in my regular doctors' offices, and the forehead roll at the COVID testing site (needed a negative test in advance of two of the three surgeries).

The only laser temp I've encountered was months ago - at the entrance to a different medical facility.

I don't specifically recall having my temperature taken any place other than a medical facility.

2020 sucks.

And I just put two and two together last night: This is my second cancer. The first was in 2016, the other Trurmp election year.

[iluvtennis]

10. And it seems this happeneded before on a Spirit airlines flight.

Link to tweet

[C Moon]

18. Someone did this at my wife's work (claimed no symptoms...

but was lying) and went into the workplace—infected several others as a result.