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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to report this passenger to World Health or at least the airline?

79 replies

Quantumblue · 09/05/2018 23:49

I am feeling quite ill and prepared to be wrong.
I recently flew from Stockholm to Singapore, 12 hours in economy. I got on the plane with a slight cold.
The passenger behind me, a girl in her 20s was really ill , quite obviously with flu. She moaned, coughed, sneezed for the entire journey. At no point did she cover her mouth. I could feel her germs just spraying around me.
Back home ( in Oz) I am now that sick. I have missed several days of work and a whole lot of other stuff. DH is now coming down with it.
Given that I still have my boarding pass so know what seat number she was in (in relation to me), is it worth contacting the airline to report this illness? I am sure that several rows of people around her are now ill.
Or is this just my exhausted fevered brain and everyone just accepts this as the risk of travel?

OP posts:
Yogagirl123 · 10/05/2018 07:04

Feeling your pain, OP, in the last few years we have gone away in Dec for winter sun, the last two years we have been ill, either over there or when we get home, I dread going on a plane germs are rife. It is very inconsiderate to not cover mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze. I wouldn’t bother reporting it though! I hope you are feeling much better soon.

DragonsAndCakes · 10/05/2018 07:08

Sneezing would indicate a cold rather than flu.

Musicaltheatremum · 10/05/2018 07:18

Once someone has cold symptoms they are no longer infectious. The infectious phase is before symptoms develop

What?! No the virus is spread in the nasal discharge that's why we cover nose and mouth when we sneeze and cough. There are diseases that aren't infectious when the symptoms come out but not the cold.

Moreisnnogedag · 10/05/2018 07:23

When I flew to Beijing/Hong Kong they had infra red scanners checking everyone's temp - you could see the monitor showing everyone's body heat. There was one guy who positively glowed - he was taken aside :)

But bless you the WHO won't care.

Radicalrooster · 10/05/2018 07:26

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SilverySurfer · 10/05/2018 07:30

I wonder if on another forum somewhere, someone is asking if they should be reporting the OP to the WHO or the airline because they were in the seat in front of the OP who obviously had a cold but still chose to fly and they now have a cold Grin

Tapasandwine · 10/05/2018 07:30

But you already had a cold when you got on the plane and obviously that has developed over the last few days. We don’t always need to blame others for the things that happen to us in life.

Feel better soon.

LightAsTheBreeze · 10/05/2018 07:31

If, as you said in OP you got on the plane with a bit of a cold it sounds like you had whatever you had before boarding the plane, maybe you should not have flown.

oblada · 10/05/2018 07:31

As much as I can appreciate it's not nice to be ill etc I'd have to be very very sick to miss/postpone a long haul flight! I can't imagine my travel insurance would cover me if I said I had flu like symptoms. I'd need more. So what would she be expected to do? (of course she should cover her mouth but the whole idea that you felt her germs spraying behind you is quite ridiculous).

SecretIsland · 10/05/2018 07:32

Once someone has cold symptoms they are no longer infectious. The infectious phase is before symptoms develop

Christ 😳

That is completely and utterly wrong and the most basic google about colds will tell you that.

Haudyerwheesht · 10/05/2018 07:33

This has made me laugh OP if nothing else

Sorry you’re unwell though

Calledyoulastnightfromglasgow · 10/05/2018 07:34

If I am traveling long haul I ain’t cancelling for mild flu.

I think the WHO would be very interested though, as you suggest. They will prioritise this above the increasing rates of malaria and global malnutrition

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 10/05/2018 07:36

I feel your pain because I hate being trapped on public transport, sitting in a cloud of germs, being repeatedly sneezed on.

But...you were already sick when you got on the plane. So you are very much part of the problem (as am I, as are most of us). Just take paracetamol, wait for it to end, then forget about it.

Haudyerwheesht · 10/05/2018 07:37

To those saying it couldn’t be flu - it could. We all had swine flu and it was horrific but I still had to look after 2 ill kids under 4 including a newborn and ‘do’ a very modified and half hearted Christmas for them. If I’d had to get on a flight for example to get to a family funeral or because it was my only way home or I’d lose the money and be stuck then theoretically I could have done it.

Bluntness100 · 10/05/2018 07:37

I will go against the grain here. I think you need to report her to the world health organisation.

Could you then record the call and post a link to it on here please? 🤣

londonrach · 10/05/2018 07:37

Sounds like she had a really bad cold. If flu she couldnt have even got on a plane as you bed bound. My mum had it once and two weeks it took to get better. Hope you better soon but you cant report after the event unless its a more interesting disease where they might need to contact passagers. As its only a cold just rest, drink liquids and get well soon x

sashh · 10/05/2018 07:39

The first time I went to Oz you were issued with a card with a phone number and a list of symptoms you had to declare if they developed within a certain number of days of arrival.

OP

The airline HAS to report any ill passengers so yes it is worth contacting the airline to see if they have done so and the department of health.

www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/ohp-quarantine-factsheet

To anyone who has not been to Australia they are incredibly strict about things being brought in to the country and that includes illness.

You have to declare all food you are bringing in including the nuts/crackers you were given on the plane and the half eaten packet of polos in your pocket.

WakeUpSally · 10/05/2018 07:40

Oh dear OP. I think your cold has addled your brain. Grin

nursy1 · 10/05/2018 08:08

I often get something after a long haul flight. It’s just a hazard of being a person and going places. To take your post to it’s logical conclusion, everyone with a cough/cold would be quarantined and not allowed out.

allflownthenest · 10/05/2018 11:38

I flew to Oz recently to see my son and was ill after the flight for the whole 3 weeks we were there. Unfortunately I think this is the risk we take when flying these days.

It's like people going to work when they are ill as they don't want to let the side down/have time off and they pass it on to everyone else

YouCantGetHereFromThere · 10/05/2018 12:50

You can very often rebook a flight for a charge as long as you’ve not gone for a ticket resembling a pair of handcuffs. It’s usually not much.

Last time we did this (DD had an ear infection) it cost us £800 and travel insurance refused to cover it.

HariboIsMyCrack · 10/05/2018 12:58

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SoyDora · 10/05/2018 13:03

What would you expect the WHO to do?

ForgivenessIsDivine · 10/05/2018 16:45

I thought it was going to Ebola or at least a notifiable disease...

Bowlofbabelfish · 10/05/2018 16:49

Once someone has cold symptoms they are no longer infectious. The infectious phase is before symptoms develop

This is incorrect.