United Airlines is helping contact passengers after it was determined that a man who died on a Monday flight could have died of a heart attack due to complications from COVID-19, reports The New York Times.
The plane, scheduled to fly from Orlando to Los Angeles, landed unplanned in New Orleans after a man on the flight suffered a medical emergency.
While it was the man for his cardiac arrest, flight crew members overheard his wife telling first responders that her husband had experienced COVID-19 compatible symptoms. According to the Times, he had not revealed the symptoms, which included loss of taste and smell, before boarding the flight.
It has not been confirmed whether the man had become infected or not.
“We implore passengers not to travel if they have been diagnosed with Covid-19 or have Covid-related symptoms,” United Airlines said. “In case of doubt, the best option is to do tests.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contacted the airline after the incident and has been complying with its request to provide passenger information, the Times reports.
“We are sharing the requested information with the agency so they can work with local health officials to carry out outreach actions to any client the CDC believes may be at risk for possible exposure or infection,” the airline said. .
News of the possible exposure of COVID-19 to aircraft passengers was spread on social media, and one passenger noted that they had not checked the temperature before boarding and that there was no change of aircraft after to Get Out of New Orleans |
The man behind me on this flight. DEATH. DE CVVID. MIDFLIGHT.
I have so many questions.
– Jo LaFlame (@jobreauxx) December 15, 2020
A boy literally died on my plane returning from Disneyworld, a nurse who worked on him during the flight trying to revive him said she was related to a covid. The family flew in with him showing important covid symptoms … and we didn’t change planes even after he passed …
– Shay (@shaylabobmonsta) December 15, 2020
So I was on that flight too. 1) We never managed to control the temperatures because the airport had no stations, which sucks. 2) PPL saying “I bet it was white” No, I kept trying to bring the breed to these pigs https://t.co/uH93KmNyfs
– Shay (@shaylabobmonsta) December 15, 2020
United Airlines addressed the lack of action in a statement to the Times, saying: “The decision to continue on to Los Angeles was made after medical professionals initially decided the emergency as heart anguish. No one was justified. change on the plane. they were given the option to disembark and take a later flight or continue to Los Angeles. All passengers chose to continue. ”