An American Airlines Pilot Has Tested Positive for the Coronavirus
Taylor Rains March 13, 2020
As of Friday, the United States has reported over 1,700 coronavirus cases, one of which has created a new wave of panic. An American Airlines pilot tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, and passengers and flight crews alike are worried about their risk of exposure.
Confirmed Case in an AA Pilot
According to an American Airlines spokesperson, a DFW-based pilot has tested positive for the coronavirus. The company is aware of the issue and is working with the Center for Disease Prevention (CDC) to address the situation. AA said in a statement, “American’s Chief Medical Officer and leaders from our pilots’ office have been in touch with our Dallas Fort Worth-based pilot who tested positive for COVID-19. We are in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and public health officials and are coordinating with them on all required health and safety measures.”
What Does This Mean for Passengers and Crew?
The news has flight crews and passengers concerned about the possibility of contracting the virus; however, American has said the risk to passengers is low. NBC in Dallas-Forth Worth reached out to the company asking, “Will you be able to tell us what were his routes? Where and to the pilot was flying?” However, the airline responded that they would not be releasing any details about the routes the pilot flew or cities he was in.
FlyerTalk reached out to a source at American who said she could not give any details either but made it clear the company is following the situation closely and updating employees regularly.
If they know the routes, they can track the pilots. Its better to not give out that info, as people are so wacky they're capable to go to his home and hang him.
All this secrecy is just plain wrong. OK, the public doesn't need to know the pilot's name, but the plane[s] he was flying, it's recent routes and such should be released. This damned secrecy and lack of testing is what's leading to the spread of Covid 19. Some expert epidemiologists [non government, but respected academics] are saying they think there may be hundreds of thousands of Americans already exposed or sick, but unrecognized because there's been almost no testing and no reporting. Not testing and not informing the public will lead to the spread of this scourge. The more we know, the better to protect ourselves.