Would you fly to see family over Christmas ?

[christmastree00]

Whilst adhering to local rules of course. Covid Test and quarantine as appropriate as well as sticking to local rules of mixing etc.

Yeah I would. Life's too short. This shit has been going on long enough now. For a virus that affects less than 1% of the population I honestly cannot understand why we are still in and out of teirs and lockdowns

Nothing would persuade me to get on a plane till we have been vaccinated. I do not believe at all that planes are safe.

www.dw.com/en/how-safe-is-air-travel-during-covid-19/a-55435284

www.vox.com/21525068/covid-19-airplane-risk-coronavirus-pandemic-airports

I think you are getting skewed views from your doctor friends.

Mine (including me) are all having a very low key Christmas.

I'm not travelling home to see my family and spending the day alone instead as I don't think the travel time and my occupational exposure make sense for the vulnerable bods in my family.

@callmeadoctor these are from the two links you posted (and without being taken out of context):

There will have been an estimated 20 million flightss* by year end, which is still a significant number as it pertains to that single flight into Ireland and its 59 infections. We're only talking about one flight out of millions, and only 59 people out of about a billion potential annual air travelers.

That's a tiny risk. It's so tiny that even if you multiply that number by 1000, the risk still ends up being 0.000028%.

The study concluded that due to the high air-circulation rate, the risk of being infected even while sitting next to an infectious person was very, very low: According to the test results, it would take 54 hours for someone sitting next to an infected passenger to be exposed to an infectious dose of the virus.

The article goes on to say that this risk could increase if passengers were moving around, or not wearing a mask. I can assure you moving around isn't permitted anymore, you're even told to avoid queuing for the toilet. Only get up when the light is green. Taking your mask off isn't allowed unless you're eating or drinking - and most people share a row with their family anyway.

If it makes you feel any better, my mum said she would fly in if it weren't for the quarantine... And she is careful normally

Planes are really NOT safe. ffs

I weep thinking about how i can't see my young sons this Christmas. I would give almost anything to hold them and kiss them. I'm crying thinking about them.
But I can't. I will wait. My husband had booked to spend Christmas in the country with them but his hotel was shut down and he would be quarantining for the duration so just waving to them from a window.

Oh my heart feels so heavy.

Absolutely not. It'll be a long time before I feel safe to fly

Article in the Guardian today about what epidemiologists etc are doing for Xmas. Suffice to say not one is getting on a plane, or welcoming people from the US, or welcoming anyone actually. Hunkering down, very low key, writing it off till next time. Made me think of this thread.

Nope. I live in Australia and haven’t seen family either. And have managed to not go on flights despite it being a very normal part of my life (last year probably every 3 weeks on average)

Current guidelines flying into one of our quarantine places include a negative test before leaving. Multiple people test positive while in their 2 weeks mandatory quarantine. Flight crews are testing positive.

It REALLY isn’t that hard to just not fly for ONE FUCKING YEAR

It REALLY isn’t that hard to just not fly for ONE FUCKING YEAR

I agree. I haven't seen any of my family since February. I would rather be able to see them next year than potentially pass the virus on to them at Christmas and never see them again.

I would fly but currently no point, 5 days in isolation + the risk of longer if caught in transit means I could end up needing a month off work to go and I'd have no job to come back to. Also my family are in tier 3 not much point flying if I can't actually see anyone

I suppose it also depends on your general day to day risk and the day to day risk of those you are visiting

I've had the best break ever from my family of origin...not being able to travel to Ireland has really benefitted my mental health. I find my family there very stressful and only go over out of duty.

The people I would visit have quite high exposure to the virus generally. So do I, because of my work basically. So people who generally can't just hide behind their sofa have a different approach to it I think. They have to be out there every day, so it feels different to someone who can work from home and who can just get deliveries and never go out. Something to consider.

Absolutely not. Stay home this year .....

Tricky one. You’ll be tested but only once so it’s not foolproof. Very unlikely. Everyone on plane tested, avoid public transport.

No. We did it in the summer. DH got a temperature the night before going home so we had to reschedule flights, chase a test and try to isolate him within a small house with older people. It came back negative but it was very stressful and we will not be traveling again until the pandemic is over.

The way people wear masks when shopping, ignore social distancing and actually touch others while trying to make their way to the can of celebrations on shelves is makes me think that planes might be safer...👀
I would rather risk an airport than the ASDA at the moment...

Alonelonelyloner by young sons donyou mean children? Who's looking after them? Pretty much every country allows reunification of parents with minor age children...

@Alonelonelyloner

I weep thinking about how i can't see my young sons this Christmas. I would give almost anything to hold them and kiss them. I'm crying thinking about them. But I can't. I will wait. My husband had booked to spend Christmas in the country with them but his hotel was shut down and he would be quarantining for the duration so just waving to them from a window.

Oh my heart feels so heavy.

Why are you and your husband not in the same country as your young children?! Surely this isn’t just a “Christmas issue” it’s a long term one?

No way.

Sorry to bring this back up but have you seen news @christmastree00. Looks like some flights are being temporarily cancelled and quarantine imposed where it wasn't before for arrivals from UK.
Now I am glad we didn't risk it with mum.