To take a sick toddler on holiday?

I do think there’s an element of catastrophising..(?sp) from some quarters.

Short haul crew can end up flying maybe up to 500 sectors a year, Longhaul maybe up 200, immersed in what some people think and portray as some sort of germ soup.

They certainly come into contact with thousands of passengers, some with hidden conditions, yet AFAIK sickness rates generally aren’t that elevated verses the general population - I know they can be elevated a bit but that’s mainly because some relatively benign conditions such as head colds mean they shouldn’t fly.

I think if they have been sick since the weekend it is highly likely not to be contagious by Thursday. Some children just don't tolerate eating or drinking well after a stomach bug as they don't restrict what they eat until they feel better (I usually survive on crackers and bland food for a few days after a stomach bug). DS who is 12 insisted on a pizza the next day as he felt better and lo and behold was sick again! I think what is however far more like is that the OP or her DH/DP might come down with it before the flight and be too ill to travel. I'm so sorry OP. Kids always get sick at the worst times.

It isn't about your son OP. It's about all of the people you might spread the illness to by taking him on this flight. You'll ruin everyone else's holiday. There's a reason schools say to wait 48hrs before sending children back to school after D&V.

Highly unlikely to be be regular d+v though .. nothing to do with local/hotel food/water/dinks/ice/local bugs? .. also not many from a flight actually stay in the same hotel, they’re usually dotted about all over the resort. And as a pp said, flights aren’t just random recirculated air - it passes through filters/cleaning/bacteria systems. The fact remains, 1 child who has just recovered from d+v is not going to infect a full plane of passengers for an entire week. It really is that simple.

I'm sorry you were poorly.

The thing is though, how do you know this didn't happen to that woman too? She might have been feeling fine and then came down with a bug, or she might have been pregnant/ hungover/travel sick. You don't know you caught something from her.

It’s not just about him though, what about everyone else’s holiday you are going to ruin?

Also many of rhe viruses that toddlers get,adults have already had and have immunity to. With good hygiene, hand washing etc, its highly unlikely ops child will infect the whole plane!! They could in fact infect no one.

Talk to your insurance and see if you can rebook for a couple of weeks time

Yeah because there'll be loads of availability "in a couple of weeks time" in peak season.

Its completely unrealistic!

Reality: most people have to book annual leave well ahead, have a limited amount of it and can't cancel short notice. Meaning if op cancels, she'll likely have to use annual leave anyway and waste it sat at home.

Most holiday accomodation at a decent price is booked up well ahead. Flights too. Its unlikely op can simply "rebook this in a couple of weeks" in peak season. If she misses this, shes probably missing her summer holiday entirely.

Travel insurance might refund what you spent, it may not cover re booking at short notice in peak weeks at a much higher cost.

Some travel insurance providers will require a lot of evidence eg drs notes to support a claim.

If you make large claim you could be hit with huge premiums next year.

Yes in an ideal world op wouldn't go but she needs to be fully aware of the likely impacts of that choice - downplaying it doesn't help.

In a hotel stay years ago when everyone had been on the same flight. People going down with it within 48 hours. Lasted 5 days for most people. The hotel was quarantined after 4 days and no one could come in or out. So yep it happens.

Absolutely agree….

Aircraft air is indeed recirculated to a degree but it usually runs through HEPA filters in the process, plus a percentage is dumped and replaced with fresh outside air every time the flow goes around the circulation loop…If I recall things correctly the cabin gets well into a double figure of total air changes an hour.

If you look at the published research there is evidence that you can run into contamination problems with some diseases across adjacent/almost adjacent passnegers/nearby seat rows but I can’t think of an instance of an entire aircraft load of passengers and crew actually ending up being ill because of one passenger with of D&V getting onboard…

I got sick on a holiday I saved up for for five years because of a family who did this (I know because they were nearby and I overheard them talking about how to manage their toddler's D&V). It was supposed to be a special trip and it cost an absolute fortune. I spent 75% of it in the hotel bathroom.

Please don't do it. I could cry every time I think about how that holiday was wasted, all the money wasted, how I got to see and do basically nothing there because two parents didn't want to be inconvenienced.

Yes I do. And never in our lifetime have I heard of an entire aeroplane of passengers being infected with a virus for a full week from 1 child having d+v. Simple as 🤷‍♀️

Pointless comparing to a cruise ship as that’s not what the family are going on. Why don’t you compare it to an aeroplane, the actual transport? Hmm let’s think, probably because your statement would not have the same impact, as after all, when have you ever heard of a full aeroplane of passengers being infected with d+v for an entire week? 🤔

Postpone the holiday for a couple of weeks. I had to travel ill on a flight before. I wasn't actively vomiting but recovered from a non contagious illness and it was torture

Do you have children?

The reason for comparison with a cruise ship is because it spreads like wildfire in a place with access to fresh air.

It is hyperbole to say than hundreds of passengers will be affected for an entire week - when in your life have you ever actually heard that happen?

Who mentioned a cruise ship … we’re talking a few hours on an aeroplane not 168 hours on a ship 🤷‍♀️

Everyone is assuming it's a sickness bug. But hes had it several days and no one else is sick?

He feels fine in himself the whole time? No temperature or anything.

Hmmm sounds like there's potwntial might be something different going on. Which may not be infectious but also would make me cautious of leaving the country.

We have Noro in the house and I'm so fucking ill.

We are due to go away Friday (and although we'll all be 48h clear by then) I'm going to change our trains for Saturday / Sunday as I just don't feel well enough to travel.

The illest I've ever been (Noro again about 6 years ago) was from one of my DC who were in the "be sick, feel better, back to normal self quickly" camp. Took me down so badly.

So don't assume because your DC is well that he's not contagious.

I would monitor home for the rest of the day and have the appropriate remedies packed, if no more sickness between now and morning I would go unless full on diarrhoea. Insurance won't pay out on minor illnesses that are waning

You need to cancel, don't be selfish.

I had this situation when our son was three, I cancelled and his d&v were covered, he would actually have been covered upto 48 hours after the last episode.

What you have to ask is would you be happy to be sat next to someone elses toddler on an aeroplane who have d&v? If the answer is no, why do you think its okay to inflict him on others, if you wouldn’t want it yourself?

Bugs spread like wildfire on a plane due to the air being recycled on them. It is not hyperbole at all. The same with covid/other air born respiratory viruses.

Have you never seen what happens when a cruise ship gets a d&v outbreak?