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Original poster

Would you fly with COVID

139 replies

wannabetraveler · 18/07/2023 00:26

We have a family trip planned for Saturday; transatlantic to see family. My parents haven't seen our kids in a couple of years and it was a chance to really show the kids my home country. this is a big trip with multiple stops (I think 7 different hotels in two countries over a period of 3 weeks) costing around $15K and a year in the planning. Car rental, train tickets, excursions, etc.

My son (primary aged) just tested positive for COVID. Full vaccinated of course. Mild symptoms.

I called the airline and they no longer do COVID-related change fee waivers. COVID is no longer considered a national health emergency. I'm of the opinion that we test on Friday evening and if he's negative, we go ahead and travel (masked, of course.) If he's positive and/or feeling unwell, we see if two of us can delay by 2-3 days and the rest of us go ahead as planned. My husband thinks we should postpone or cancel (until when, I don't know.) Travel insurance doesn't cover cancellation for illness (yes, major cockup on my part.)

I'll be honest, I don't really consider COVID a big deal now; we are all fully vaxxed and wear masks whenever we feel unwell. I don't think the risks of masked travel are high enough to cancel the trip.

What would you do?

OP posts:
GarlicGrace · 18/07/2023 02:01

The threads like this - one every few weeks, that I've seen - are what's convinced me that I'm not getting in a plane for at least another year. I haven't had it yet <touching wood, etc> and I have COPD. It could fucking kill me, there's no way I'm sitting in an airtight metal box with Covid-spreaders who reckon they don't have to care.

So, people, thanks for the warnings.

ChubbyMorticia · 18/07/2023 02:18

I’m astounded that this is a question.

No, I absolutely would NOT fly with Covid. I prefer not to risk someone dying so I can go on a family vacation.

WTF?

Fairymother · 18/07/2023 02:52

Just go and dont test again.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Covid-19 Flying Holidays
MumGMT · 18/07/2023 02:58

we are all fully vaxxed

When were you all vaccinated? I'm always surprised by the people who still say that they're fully vaxxed because surely your immunity has worn off by now?

MumGMT · 18/07/2023 03:01

IveHadItUpToHere · 18/07/2023 00:38

Covid is still a big deal with numerous possible health complications. Your DH is right.
We have vulnerable family members. Every time I consider booking flights to visit my wider family, some selfish thread like this crops up and I realise I'm going to have to wait even longer.

Wait even longer for what though?

At the moment at least some are still testing, the numbers who are still testing if they suspect covid will go down but covid isn't going anywhere, it's here to stay now, there's never going to be a situation where you know that everyone on the plane has tested if they have symptoms.

WinterDeWinter · 18/07/2023 03:05

gosh, you really can divide people into two types can’t you? Those who consider the impact of their actions on others, and selfish shits.

btw not testing doesn’t make you any less of a selfish shit.

UsherBobble · 18/07/2023 03:06

I would go and mask up. You have a few more days until you fly so he probably won't be infectious any more. If you followed the government guidelines with mild symptoms he would probably be back at school after 3 days. So if he can go to school surely he can fly.

Letsrunabath · 18/07/2023 03:11

Just go, it’s no longer a major issue. Make him wear a mask, end of.

Toddlerteaplease · 18/07/2023 03:19

I'd still go and wouldn't have tested in the first place.

MumGMT · 18/07/2023 03:19

WinterDeWinter · 18/07/2023 03:05

gosh, you really can divide people into two types can’t you? Those who consider the impact of their actions on others, and selfish shits.

btw not testing doesn’t make you any less of a selfish shit.

No, you really can't divide into 2 types, because many who seem to consider the impact of their actions on others, really don't at all.

I know a woman who ranted all over facebook about how selfish anti-vaxxers etc were but the same woman brought her baby out to a restaurant on mothers day even though her baby had rubella!

I know plenty more who complain about people going out with covid but they thought nothing about going out with various other viruses. Apparently only covid needed to be considered because that's what they heard from the media.

Then there was all the vaccinated people complaining about the anti-vaxxers even though many of the anti-vaxxers stayed at home with no risk of catching it or spreading it, but the vaccinated were the ones out in all of the pubs/clubs/crowded places thinking it was fine because they'd been jabbed even though the numbers were sky high.

Groutyonehereagain · 18/07/2023 03:21

Please don’t. It would be extremely selfish if you did. Please consider other people.

alpenguin · 18/07/2023 03:33

I’m awake at 3.30 because I tested positive this evening. I feel crap , I can’t breathe and the chest pain is like I’ve never experienced before. I’ve been told by 111, I may have a blood clot or inflammation around my heart and am waiting for someone to look after my kids so I can go to hospital to check. I’m fully vaccinated but immunosuppressed and this isn’t just the fucking sniffles. This is potentially life threatening.

It might not be much to a healthy person but it still kills people daily. Their lives are not less important than the healthy.

Please think beyond your own leisure time and holidays and consider all those people your family may come into contact with while testing positive across the globe.

Lysianthus · 18/07/2023 03:34

You don't need to test. So go.

Lysianthus · 18/07/2023 03:37

alpenguin · 18/07/2023 03:33

I’m awake at 3.30 because I tested positive this evening. I feel crap , I can’t breathe and the chest pain is like I’ve never experienced before. I’ve been told by 111, I may have a blood clot or inflammation around my heart and am waiting for someone to look after my kids so I can go to hospital to check. I’m fully vaccinated but immunosuppressed and this isn’t just the fucking sniffles. This is potentially life threatening.

It might not be much to a healthy person but it still kills people daily. Their lives are not less important than the healthy.

Please think beyond your own leisure time and holidays and consider all those people your family may come into contact with while testing positive across the globe.

I'm really sorry about your health, and this doesn't detract from my other advice. Unfortunately covid is, in my opinion, no different from other transmissible illnesses and we cannot keep people away from every possible source. Again, I'm sorry.

Loub55 · 18/07/2023 03:57

MumGMT · 18/07/2023 02:58

we are all fully vaxxed

When were you all vaccinated? I'm always surprised by the people who still say that they're fully vaxxed because surely your immunity has worn off by now?

I agree, esp the OP saying her primary aged child is "of course' vaccinated. I only know of one couple that chose to vaccinate their child, and that was over a year ago!

EconomyClassRockstar · 18/07/2023 04:09

If it makes you feel better, just chuck a mask on you all and go.

AngelAurora · 18/07/2023 04:14

wannabetraveler · 18/07/2023 00:26

We have a family trip planned for Saturday; transatlantic to see family. My parents haven't seen our kids in a couple of years and it was a chance to really show the kids my home country. this is a big trip with multiple stops (I think 7 different hotels in two countries over a period of 3 weeks) costing around $15K and a year in the planning. Car rental, train tickets, excursions, etc.

My son (primary aged) just tested positive for COVID. Full vaccinated of course. Mild symptoms.

I called the airline and they no longer do COVID-related change fee waivers. COVID is no longer considered a national health emergency. I'm of the opinion that we test on Friday evening and if he's negative, we go ahead and travel (masked, of course.) If he's positive and/or feeling unwell, we see if two of us can delay by 2-3 days and the rest of us go ahead as planned. My husband thinks we should postpone or cancel (until when, I don't know.) Travel insurance doesn't cover cancellation for illness (yes, major cockup on my part.)

I'll be honest, I don't really consider COVID a big deal now; we are all fully vaxxed and wear masks whenever we feel unwell. I don't think the risks of masked travel are high enough to cancel the trip.

What would you do?

Why on Earth are you testing him for when you are no longer required too?

AngelAurora · 18/07/2023 04:28

ChubbyChinook · 18/07/2023 00:30

It may not be a big deal to you, but for those of us that are immunocompromised it's a very BIG DEAL. Just because it won't hurt you, doesn't mean it's ok to spread COVID around on planes. Please don't fly while testing positive, this is why I can still not travel abroad, the risk of sitting next to you while positive is too great.

You are responsible for your own risks, it's down to no one else.

Sugarplumfury · 18/07/2023 04:33

Up to about 6 months ago I’d have said just go, but I’ve got 2 friends who got covid in February and now have long covid. They’ve gone from active 60 and 70 year olds, to struggling to do anything without needing to rest. They’re so down about it as they both had the fitness of someone decades younger. Now I can do more than them and I have a degenerative genetic condition and got awarded PIP last year. I honestly didn’t realise covid was still making some people so sick.

Toomuch2019 · 18/07/2023 04:38

I think it's a shame that flights can't be rebooked because of covid, I thought that was still the case with other transmissible illnesses such as chicken pox that you can't fly with.

It's a really tough one because no you shouldn't really fly but we are in a world where many others are still disregarding/not testing. I caught covid myself on a flight to hol and spent a portion being quite ill but sadly not sure how to avoid it these days as there are so many people at airports/flying etc someone probably has it!

Overthebow · 18/07/2023 05:10

I would go, but I wouldn’t have tested so I wouldn’t know it was covid. I haven’t tested or a longtime now and have flown with a slight cold so it may have happened to me. Covid is like any other illness now, yes there are some people vulnerable to it but that’s the same as other illnesses. It’s no longer a world pandemic and insurance or the airline won’t pay out for it anymore unless too unwell to fly. Therefore it has to be treated like anything else, too unwell and don’t go, otherwise go.

Overthebow · 18/07/2023 05:15

Those saying you’ll have to wait longer or another year until you decide to fly again, what are you thinking will be different then? It’s no longer a pandemic, most people aren’t testing and haven’t for a while now so most people won’t know if it’s covid or not, and it’s an illnesses that’s always going to be around now. There’s going to be people with covid wherever you go and whatever you do, and likely someone will have it on a plane ride. They’re not being selfish, it’s just treated the same as other illnesses now.

Herbiebanannas · 18/07/2023 05:21

The fact is that regardless of if you go or not there will be others on the flight with COVID. Some will have symptoms, and some won’t.

This is pretty much the case for every bus and train as well.

Its just like any other virus now and is circulating through society to such an extent it’s pretty much unavoidable.

Just go, and throw the rest of the tests away.

LiberteEgaliteBeyonce · 18/07/2023 05:29

To those who argue that flying with Covid is dangerous for people with compromised immunity (I am not disputing this), I wonder what the solution is? Should anyone going anywhere that is poorly ventilated (planes, trains, shopping centres, supermarkets, schools, etc...) test every time?

Yes one can argue that on a long haul flight, the risk is greater than on a London Oxford train ride, I get that. But how about those who work in schools or Tesco for example?

Furthermore, I know from first-hand experience that not all test are reliable and may show you as negative when you are positive.

I'd fly and get my kid to wear a mask to limit risk to others.

Lancasterel · 18/07/2023 05:36

Blimey, a primary-aged kid and a $15k holiday?! I think you have to go, don’t you? You can get pretty good masks if you think he will wear it and presumably by the weekend he could very well be negative anyway! A younger child with mild symptoms… I don’t think you can stop a holiday for that!

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