So, here’s something super disturbing that happened.
Twitter user @jobreauxx tweeted yesterday evening, “The man behind me on this flight. DIED. OF COVID. MIDFLIGHT. I have so many questions.”
The man behind me on this flight. DIED. OF COVID. MIDFLIGHT.
I have so many questions.
— Jo LaFlame (@jobreauxx) December 15, 2020
Shortly after writing the tweet, @jobreauxx followed up with another one, saying, “& we finna continue this flight. On the SAME CONTAMINATED ass plane. Wet wipes *better* save the day this time. Bc I’m shook.”
& we finna continue this flight. On the SAME CONTAMINATED ass plane.
Wet wipes *better* save the day this time. Bc I’m shook.
— Jo LaFlame (@jobreauxx) December 15, 2020
And another that said, ““HoW yOu KnOW iTs cOVId???” His wife confirmed a positive test when talking to EMTs.”
“HoW yOu KnOW iTs cOVId???”
His wife confirmed a positive test when talking to EMTs.
— Jo LaFlame (@jobreauxx) December 15, 2020
Another person corroborated the story, saying that they, too, were on the plane, which was a United flight headed from Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles, California.
Some guy literally died on my plane coming back from Disneyworld, nurse who worked on him during the flight trying to revive him said it was covid related. Family got on the flight with him showing major covid symptoms..and we didn’t change planes even after he passed..
— Shay (@shaylabobmonsta) December 15, 2020
*We assumed(and it’s just an assumption) he was traveling back from Disneyworld. His family was pulling down disney bags when they were leaving the flight
— Shay (@shaylabobmonsta) December 15, 2020
The flight diverted to New Orleans, where it made an emergency landing at Louis Armstrong International Airport.
According to @jobreauxx, the man was removed from the aircraft and the passengers used wet wipes to disinfect themselves before the plane took off again, eventually landing in Los Angeles around 1 AM early this morning.
From the CDC:
Travel can increase your chance of spreading and getting COVID-19. Postponing travel and staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.
You and your travel companions (including children) may feel well and not have any symptoms, but you can still spread COVID-19 to family, friends, and community after travel.
If you have a known exposure to COVID-19 you should delay travel, quarantine yourself from other people, get tested, and monitor your health. Check your state or local health department for information about local quarantine requirements.
Don’t travel if you are sick or test positive for COVID-19. Don’t travel with someone who is sick.
From United:
We know travel looks a little different these days, but rest assured that we’re here for you every step of the way. Throughout your journey, we’re putting safety and cleanliness at the forefront of your travel experience through our United CleanPlus℠ program and by teaming up with Clorox. We’re also working closely with the experts at Cleveland Clinic to advise us on enhancing safety measures.
Related: Fist fight breaks out on crowded airplane after passenger refuses to wear mask
StudioTodd
How can this story possibly be true at this point in the pandemic? I thought airlines were taking temperatures and enforcing mask-wearing and taking the risk of infection seriously–that’s the impression I had from the media reports. If true,the airlines are taking literally zero steps to protect their passengers. How does a man with full-blown coronavirus get seated on a flight? From Florida, of all places??
shakes_head
Why do you think Mitch McConnell is holding up a relief bill unless it contains corporate protections? They’ll continue to act irresponsibly if the costs allow it, and they’re literally banking on republicans to protect themselves from wrongdoing. It’s sick.
ChristopherT
Airlines don’t take temperatures. You’re “on your honor” to acknowledge by checking a box on the online-checkin that you don’t have any COVID symptoms or exposure.
Cato
The US response is absurd, unscientific and deadly. Friends in Asia (Thailand, Japan) get scanned using an no-contact infrared thermometer every time they enter a store or public space. If you have a fever, you aren’t allowed.
Thailand, with a population of nearly 70 million, has had 60 COVID deaths total. Since June two people have died. In the US we’re losing two a minute.
1898
you can have covid and not have a fever. checking temperatures is a very unreliable way to diagnose covid. some people have a fever initially and some people don’t. some have a fever but they take tylenol or aspirin to bring the fever down, but they’re still infected and contagious (obviously)
wikidBSTN
How would they know mid flight that it was Covid? What did they do, nasal swab the corpse?
If anyone with Covid was sick enough to die within the span of a plane flight, then surely he would have been in visible distress when he boarded. It’s not like a heart attack. You don’t just suddenly die once infected or you become symptomatic. This is bunk.
jayceecook
Did you even read the article or just the headline before commenting? This isn’t a “Where’s Waldo?” puzzle.
Roy Ajax
The story sounds fishy. It’s not in the news yet. And why were the quotes from CDC and United attached as if it were directly related to this story? The United quote is found on their “What to expect when you fly” page and the CDC quote from their page “Domestic travel during the covid 19 pandemic”.
Milton
2 questions
1) how much of a inconsiderate Arse are you by getting on a plane when sick?
2) given covid in the US why the hell are any of you getting on planes and travelling in the first place?
wiggie
NO WAY IN THE HELL THIS IS TRUE!!!! COVID is not an instant death like a heart attack and they certainly would not be in any condition to fly, let alone be coming from a Disneyland vacation.
BGreen1963
I’ve heard stories from nurses and doctors of people who were recovered or recovering from Covid (or Trump-19 as I call it) who suddenly up and died after thinking they were okay. It does serious damage to brains and hearts, that can take you with a heart attack or stroke suddenly. The guys family probably told the nurse about the Covid diagnosis and were overheard by neighboring passengers. That info would have spread through the passengers faster than Trump-19 itself.
Doug
Yes, COVID can move very quickly and people who seemed to be recovering from it have been found dead in their beds the next morning. Still, I’m wondering just why this man and his family were allowed on the plane by United and apparently not screened. I also wonder if we have the whole story here… I haven’t seen this story reported on the news either on tv or the internet.
Kangol2
You can have an ischemic stroke or go into coronary arrest from Covid-19 quite rapidly if you have manifested symptoms of Covid-19 because the virus attacks the body’s vascular system, and travels to and affects every organ in various ways, but in some of the worst cases provokes the body to overproduce blood clots which, once in the brain, kidneys, liver, and heart can cause those organs to shut down. This is not a new effect but has been noted since March by scientists across the globe. So the story is plausible. Also, I know of at least one person who suffered a mini-stroke after thinking he’d recovered from Covid-19, and I lost a relative who felt what she thought were cold symptoms, followed by increasing difficulty in breathing, the day before she died from Covid-19 after being rushed to the hospital.
Cato
You called it. 36 hours after it supposedly happened there are no reports in any media, mainstream or right-wing crazy, reporting this story. Bad work Querty – can you please make an attempt verify your stories before you post them?
butchqueen
Queerty, you’re slipping.
Prax07
Sounds like the plot of a horror movie. Scary. This is why I don’t associate since this all started. Even just going to Walmart for essentials gives me anxiety.
Man About Town
What the hell does “finna” mean?
Kangol2
Finna = fixing to = about to do something.
It’s vernacular English. I hope this has been helpful.
Kangol2
And now this story has been confirmed by the Washington Post, so it isn’t fake:
Go to [gaps included in order to allow posting the link]:
https: // http:// www. washingtonpost. com/ travel/2020/12/18/ united-flight-death-covid/ ?itid=mc_ magnet-coronavirus_1