Passenger travelling whilst really ill

[Notjustanother]

Took a flight to Berlin last week. Woman next to me was coughing the entire flight; deep phlegmmy cough and spitting stuff up. Clearly should have been in bed. It was grim. As a minimum she should have been wearing a mask.

Five days later I felt very ill, and tested positive for Covid. A former colleague who also happened to be on the flight, sitting in front of this woman, has also tested positive.

Since then I have lost half a stone in weight, been horrendously ill and am having difficulty breathing. Today we were supposed to be going away for a much looked forward to half term holiday, we have had to cancel and pay the £200 insurance excess.

The woman was on a mini break with her husband, but did some work on the flight. She works for a law firm.

Would I be unreasonable to contact the law firm and complain - especially as she was working for them during the flight. I have her name.

I am furious that her rank selfishness has made me (and others on the flight) so ill. There could be no doubt that she was going to infect others on the flight, and must have known that there was a high risk that she had Covid.

I think she needs to be made accountable for her actions, or at the very least be made aware of how her actions have affected others. AIBU?

I would absolutely panic if someone on a flight was coughing up phlegm next to me.
If I catch covid I could be very seriously ill as I have chronic leukaemia.
I always wear a mask on public transport.
That woman was selfish as fuck.
There was a thread about a colleague eating peanuts today.
No way could someone eat peanuts on a plane but apparently they can cough covid over everyone!

I contracted cholera on my holiday this year - now that was (literally) a shit time for the two weeks I was there.
It’s the risk we take whenever we travel.

Maybe I’m a bit more blasé now after teaching throughout covid (I wasn’t a first - I really freaked out!) but we don’t even test now. There is no requirement to. I could covid anywhere - DH (teacher too), my kids (school aged) or the gig I was at last week.

Am I now going to have to fear parents complaining about me for passing Covid onto pupils?! See how nonsense that sounds?

You don't know that she had covid, the flight was full and you could've caught it from anyone or even from someone on your trip. It's rotten but there's not a lot you can do.

There is absolutely no proof this lady had COVID. Plenty of us have listed other causes of coughs, including chronic asthma.

He texted me to say he had Covid the day before I tested positive.

How do you know you didn’t catch it from him?

The poor woman could have lung cancer and coughing up blood and her husband taking her away for a weekend and you are petty to report her to her employers

You have no idea if she had or didn't have Covid.

Take your own precautions in public places if you're concerned and wear a mask.

Oh dear read your update OP

Are you normally this unhinged or is it the Covid causing this behaviour in you?

You probably caught it from your colleague then if he developed symptoms a day before you. Especially if you work together…

I never had a cough with Covid….

I can’t believe you emailed her! So out of order. Did you copy her email address down whilst snooping over her shoulder? That’s really bad form. And at that point you weren’t ill, just annoyed about her coughing? If she was upright and working then she can’t have been that ill.

What I do before flights is use First Defence, then this virus protect thing around my nose. Wash hands frequently, wipe touch points down etc and hope for the best. Did this on a flight recently, and then caught a cold from my DS. Not much escape from viruses at this time of year

By the time that woman was at the coughing up phlegm stage she would be unlikely to be contagious. I suspect you and your colleague caught Covid from someone else. If you were going to be in a high infection risk situation, then why weren't you wearing a mask?

I do want to know if she replies though..

You can't do anything unfortunately although I agree it is bad form to not to try and protect others at least somewhat.

On trains/buses/planes I make sure I have some boots dual defence and an N95 mask handy - use the spray fairly frequently and it does seem to work, I've only had one cold so far this year.

I went on a mini break to Rome and woke feeling ill (aching bones and muscles) in the early hours of the day we were flying back, due back in work the next day. I flew home and tested the next day, was positive. The cough came later. Very possible that I infected the chap next to me.

I don't know any schools that would fine a parent for having a sick child!

You actually emailed her??
Are you insane?!

And I say that as someone who probably caught Covid on a flight recently and was really ill. I chalked it up as part and parcel of travelling internationally 🤷🏼‍♀️

I have an immune deficiency and a rare
lung disease. I have always been mindful of germs and managed to live a full life, taking account of any risks.
If use public services, you are at risk from the public. Were you this panicky pre covid?
I have had 8 vaccines and I’m eligible for anti virals. Yes covid could make me really ill but so could a cold.

I have a respiratory condition that results in regular chest infections, not contagious at all but means I’m often coughing violently for a couple weeks at a time and bringing up phlegm.
There are a number of conditions that give the same symptoms; copd, lung cancer, etc.
Since 2020 going out anywhere during a flare up is horrible due to the judgement and stares of people like you who’ve decided I should stay at home to avoid passing on an illness I don’t have.

Covid can be symptomless meaning you could have caught it from anyone on that plane. If you don’t want to risk catching a virus, don’t go in enclosed spaces filled with other people.

You could have caught covid from anyone, not necessarily her.

You sound like someone who can't really roll with the punches that life throws you, OP.

Looking for someone to blame instead of accepting that shit happens.

Would you try some CBT to help you with that?

It might help you to be less angry and vindictive.

Agreed. Generally speaking I'm far more at risk of getting seriously ill from COVID than the people getting all twitchy and judgy about my cough. Consequently I test very regularly (the govt send me free tests)

When I had Covid I didn't cough at all.
My DH was ill at the same time with a terrible chest infection and coughed continuously for 3 weeks. He never tested positive for Covid.

Thing is, that is impractical. On the other hand, a bit of common sense and courtesy, by masking up on a plane if you are obviously symptomatic, would go a long way and is easy-peasy for most of us...

If you hadn't wanted to risk catching anything and being ill before your holiday you could have either a) worn a mask yourself or b) not taken a short flight.

You have a bad cold with a phlegmy cough OP, I've had the same for 4 days since being among people visibly not washing hands at a UK theme park last weekend.

I'll get over it and so will you.

Protect yourself wear a mask? Keep one for travelling?

Symptomatic of what exactly? A chest infection that isn’t contagious at all? Lung cancer that isn’t contagious? Asthma? Allergies? COPD? Respiratory diseases? All of those things carry the same “symptoms” that could look like covid or a cold, none of them are contagious.
should people who already struggle with debilitating conditions have to wear a mask everytime we go out?

If you choose to go to a busy, enclosed space you’re aware that there is a risk of catching an illness, you have that choice, many people do not have a choice and instead have to live with conditions that are difficult enough without added judgement and strangers diagnosing us.

Jesus, you sound just as unhinged as op.

I can't believe you emailed her 🫣

By your logic OP, just because you can read the personal documents on the laptop of the person next to you, doesn't mean you should.

You're therefore just as in the wrong as the person who (you're guessing) gave you covid. In fact, you're even more wrong because you did this maliciously.

Sorry you missed your holiday but you've acted on your anger and made totally inappropriate comments and decisions.