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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:
VelvetLiesAndChickenPies · 18/07/2023 06:02

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.

Hope you're ok and being looked after. Sounds frightening.

Angelina1972 · 18/07/2023 06:11

@alpenguin

do hope you are okay, wishing you a speedy recovery.

IglesiasPiggl · 18/07/2023 06:16

Don't test if you don't intend to act upon the results. This is why I got rid of my testing kits. You're not obliged to, hardly anyone does and you losing out on the trip will in no way help because there will be others on the plane who have Covid anyway.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Covid-19 Flying Holidays
babysharkdoodoodedoodedoo · 18/07/2023 06:20

I would still go. Just let him wear a mask on plane. No way would I make him and the whole family miss out!

GreenwichOrTwicks · 18/07/2023 06:25

justasking111 · 18/07/2023 01:14

BUT she'll never know if the other people on the plane have covid. Don't dump the guilt on the rest of the population. We've just got to live with it. My neighbour is a heart transplant patient. He's out and about every day, goes on holidays. He doesn't let the risk of catching something interfere with his life

Show quote history

This.
Just go.

SpanadorFanador · 18/07/2023 06:31

I certainly wouldn’t be missing a chance to see my parents and to show my children my home country in those circumstances. These things are important.

There seems to be a bit of a covid spike at the moment. He probably won’t be the only one with covid on the plane. You guys might be the only ones who know they have covid though. A situation that can be rectified in the future by chucking out your testing kits.

I’m sorry if that sounds selfish. But children have missed out on so much as a result of covid. I’m reluctant to make any more compromises in my family. My kids are living life to the full from now on. You aren’t breaking any ‘rules’. I hope he had a lovely holiday.

Rubyrach · 18/07/2023 06:32

I am on a triple cocktail of immune suppression drugs. I think at this stage I’d say go and mask up. FFP3 masks are better than the flimsy ones to protect others. We do have to live with this now and to be honest it is not just covid but any potential infection that can make those of us in this category ill. It’s not ideal and flying does make me anxious now but life cannot standstill forever.

Munches · 18/07/2023 06:35

Emmarjayne · 18/07/2023 01:16

Can everyone just take into consideration that alot of people that get Covid don't just experience a sniffle. I've had Covid twice, missed my dad's 60th family holiday that I waited 2 years for because of lockdown and the day we were ment to leave I tested positive. Both times I've had Covid I've been bed ridden with hot and cold flushes, headaches, I have felt absolutely awful and all I could do was sleep. It wasn't a snotty nose, or cough

Yes this exactly !!
Fucking really gets my goat when people whine “ but it’s only a cold”..

Err for you maybe, but not for many people. I’ve recently had covid in the past few weeks- am only just testing negative. It is the second time I’ve had it and am fully vaccinated.
I was very unwell both times for a couple of weeks and completely bed ridden. Now it has left me feeling very tired and sad. It did last time and I’ve already got mental illnesses .

To add, I was due to have a very urgent operation. This got cancelled. Apparently, once someone’s had covid, there is huge risk of respiratory distress to the lungs during a general anaesthetic. I am not allowed to have this surgery for a number of weeks due to the lungs needing to recover after covid.

It absolutely is not “ just a cold”..

User1864876 · 18/07/2023 06:40

Are people keeping these test forever, why would you test, it was probably out of date

TooManyNameChanges12 · 18/07/2023 06:41

Oh op. This is Terribly bad luck. I'd agonise over this as well. The decent thing to do would be what you suggested, test again and if necessary make your and come a few days later with one of the parents.

However, to be honest I wouldn't judge you if you just went ahead with your flight on Saturday.

During the later phase of the pandemic the isolation period was 5 days wasn't it? So you'd be just about ok to go on Saturday. Definitely wear masks all of you all the time but your son will be less infectious by the time he gets on the flight and there will be other people around with COVID, the flu or worse.

Also, if I remember correctly, the flights aren't the riskiest as the ventilation on planes is usually quite good and unless you are sitting next to someone with COVID you aren't that likely to get it. You are more likely to get exposed in the airport.

Also, there is nothing morally superior about not testing. On the contrary. You wouldn't have the moral dilemma that the op has now but at least now she knows she can try to reduce the exposure to others (by masking up or staying away from others) even if she decides to go ahead with the flights.

User1864876 · 18/07/2023 06:43

Saturday, it's only Tuesday, he will probably be fine by then.

HappyAsASandboy · 18/07/2023 06:46

I wouldn't know if we had covid or not because we don't test for it.

If I was too sick to travel then I wouldn't travel. If I was well enough to travel then I'd travel. It wouldn't make any difference whether it was Covid or another virus.

Lostinplaces · 18/07/2023 06:48

Just go. There will be others on the plane who have it and don’t even know.

Peony654 · 18/07/2023 06:56

Of course go, and bin the tests. It’s a normal illness like any other - there’s always ill people on planes, just a risk if you chose to fly

HarrysStyle · 18/07/2023 07:00

Definitely go. He can wear a mask on the plane. As a teacher we don't have the choice now if we have CoVid, we are expected to go in and teach 30 x kids as normal so this isn't any worse than that!

Have a lovely break Smile

Shinyandnew1 · 18/07/2023 07:02

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

I didn’t think primary aged children were vaccinated! Did you pay for this to be done privately and if so, how long ago?

Velvian · 18/07/2023 07:03

Definitely go. The infrastructure and arrangements for Covid have disappeared. Covid is everywhere.

SpringIntoChaos · 18/07/2023 07:04

timegoingtooquickly · 18/07/2023 00:37

Why did you test?

Don't be a dick!

guineacup · 18/07/2023 07:05

He'll have had Covid at least 5 days by then so is unlikely to be infectious.

ThisIsACoolUserName · 18/07/2023 07:05

Why on earth did you test?!!
You say yourself that you don't think Covid is a big deal, but now you've put your holiday in jeopardy.
I don't test for Covid (just as I dont test for the common cold or flu), so never have to face this dilemma.

ArcticSkewer · 18/07/2023 07:07

IglesiasPiggl · 18/07/2023 06:16

Don't test if you don't intend to act upon the results. This is why I got rid of my testing kits. You're not obliged to, hardly anyone does and you losing out on the trip will in no way help because there will be others on the plane who have Covid anyway.

This.

What's the point in testing?

What's the point in testing then ignoring the results?

Moral dilemma that never needed to happen. Think of it as a tax on idiocy.

Swishswish26 · 18/07/2023 07:07

Just go. Even if you do cancel it would be pointless as there’ll be numerous other people on the flight with Covid anyway. I don’t know anyone who tests for Covid anymore. Not sure why you tested really.

Swishswish26 · 18/07/2023 07:09

You also say ‘fully vaccinated of course’. I have a primary school dd and pretty sure there was never a vaccination programme for that age and again, I know of no primary age child that has been vaccinated.

guineacup · 18/07/2023 07:10

If people really don't want to take the risk of getting Covid, they shouldn't fly, or should wear FFP3 masks for the flight. No amount of wishing we had the rigorous testing regimes of 2020 and 2021 will make it so.
Also, the weaker strain, vaccines and treatments mean that it is so much more treatable than it was back in 2020.

milkysmum · 18/07/2023 07:14

My youngest is in primary and is vaccinated. Given my time over I'm not sure i'd bother but DS did have his ( he's 11 now).

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