Jun 24, 2020, 6:06 am
Last edit by: NewbieRunner
Moderator announcement - June 23, 2020:
Flyertalk’s moderators generally take a hands-off approach when it comes to judging the accuracy of members’ statements. While that’s fine for travel debates, a pandemic is clearly a more serious issue.
A meta-analysis of 172 studies that looked at various interventions to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, SARS and MERS from an infected person to people close to them, published in The Lancet on June 1, found that mask wearing significantly reduces the risk of viral transmission.
Given the science, the forum moderators are disallowing any further posts that debate whether or not masks should be worn. Posts that do so will be deleted and members subject to discipline.
Please also note, we do not allow posting of conspiracy theories or racist terms used in place of Covid-19, coronavirus, etc.
- Coronavirus and Travel moderator team
Flyertalk’s moderators generally take a hands-off approach when it comes to judging the accuracy of members’ statements. While that’s fine for travel debates, a pandemic is clearly a more serious issue.
A meta-analysis of 172 studies that looked at various interventions to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, SARS and MERS from an infected person to people close to them, published in The Lancet on June 1, found that mask wearing significantly reduces the risk of viral transmission.
Given the science, the forum moderators are disallowing any further posts that debate whether or not masks should be worn. Posts that do so will be deleted and members subject to discipline.
Please also note, we do not allow posting of conspiracy theories or racist terms used in place of Covid-19, coronavirus, etc.
- Coronavirus and Travel moderator team
Coronavirus and masks/face coverings [Consolidated thread]
Mar 3, 2020, 5:57 pm
#91
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
Did not catch the Coronavirus. That said here in Skopje SOMETHING is in the air and has triggered allergies I didn't know I had...walk into the airbnb and it's like 3-4 huge sneezes, walk outside to the car, another couple...and I keep forgetting to put kleenex in my pocket.
Mar 3, 2020, 9:40 pm
#92
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
But it would be an expensive and very uncomfortable experience, best left to professionals dealing with the sick.
Mar 4, 2020, 12:13 am
#93
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,819
Wood burning stoves. It is a huge problem in the Balkans in winter for historical reasons, and Skopje is the worst city on a very long list. It's enough for me to avoid the place (and Sarajevo) at this time of year.
Mar 4, 2020, 3:42 am
#95
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: A hop, skip and jump away from MAN.
Programs: BAEC Gold, ex-VS Gold, ex-UA Gold, Premier Inn Platinum-Iridium
Posts: 1,114
Just back from a MAD trip.
Some masks around, mostly ill-fitting, improperly worn, etc., so the wearers' hands are going up to their faces more than if they hadn't been wearing the masks, as they kept fiddling with and adjusting them.
Other one was a lady who I observed wearing her mask in LHR, and on the aircraft, but removed it once the aircraft had landed in MAD and the door was open. Obviously the Coronavirus can't infect Spanish people while in Spain, at least in her mind!
Also noted the issue mentioned with disposing of masks - noticed quite a few dropped masks that had landed in hard to get places, like down the gaps between two side-by-side escalators, etc.
Some masks around, mostly ill-fitting, improperly worn, etc., so the wearers' hands are going up to their faces more than if they hadn't been wearing the masks, as they kept fiddling with and adjusting them.
Other one was a lady who I observed wearing her mask in LHR, and on the aircraft, but removed it once the aircraft had landed in MAD and the door was open. Obviously the Coronavirus can't infect Spanish people while in Spain, at least in her mind!
Also noted the issue mentioned with disposing of masks - noticed quite a few dropped masks that had landed in hard to get places, like down the gaps between two side-by-side escalators, etc.
Mar 4, 2020, 3:54 am
#96
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: All over the place often South Wales and Lake District
Programs: BA Gold for Life Accor Platinum
Posts: 4,552
The one that make me laugh in DOH a few weeks ago was someone moving their mask off their face to sneeze into their hands. Now where is the facepalm emoji...
Mar 4, 2020, 5:18 am
#97
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 224
Did an overnight TP run to HEL on Monday. Spotted quite a few mask wearers in HEL and some on our BA outbound and inbound flights. Pretty much all of them looked like they were from the far east or a far east race.
I did spot a woman on the bus in Chiswick on my way home from LHR yesterday who was wearing a mask, which attracted a few eye rolls from the other bus passengers!
I did spot a woman on the bus in Chiswick on my way home from LHR yesterday who was wearing a mask, which attracted a few eye rolls from the other bus passengers!
Mar 4, 2020, 7:00 am
#98
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: The Garden of England
Programs: BA Silver AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 661
Spotted around 30 mask wearers around T5 this morning. Most masks seemed to be type that the nice lady who does the Current Future Ex-Mrs Spike nails wears. One was loose enough for the wearer to be able to get her finger up her nose 😂
Spike
Spike
Mar 4, 2020, 8:35 am
#99
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
That's interesting, I haven't seen much in the way of smoke in the city, whereas I did see open flame burnings while driving between the countries. But it could be this for sure, all I know is I've been sneezing like crazy since I got here.
Mar 4, 2020, 9:00 am
#100
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Feb 2010
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold; Flying Blue Life Platinum; LH Sen.; Hilton Diamond; Kemal Kebabs Prized Customer
Posts: 63,819
The relevant particulates are under 10 microns across, so there isn't much to see, but you may smell a certain smokiness in the air. There is one other town in North Macedonia with the highest level of pollution in Europe, Tetovo, but Skopje is usually in the top 4 most polluted cities in Europe and easily the most polluted European capital city, where the impact has a measurable negative impact on lifespan. It looks ok when you are there, a bit of haze maybe, but the city is hemmed in by mountains,it suffers from temperature inversion and isn't that windy, so pollution gets capped down at low levels. Access to wood is easy and cheap, given the surrounding forests, and so when subsidised coal ended with the collapse of Tito's Yugoslavia there was this fatal switch to wood burning stoves.
Mar 4, 2020, 9:55 am
#102
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: KOI
Programs: BA
Posts: 309
Surprisingly no one appeared to be wearing masks on my half-full (or half-empty, depending on your outlook) BA11 LHR-SIN flight last week, including no crew doing so. I saw one couple pop them on when leaving the aircraft. Also surprisingly very few wearing them in the airport. Plenty on my subsequent SQ flight to Oz with most crew doing so.
Personally, I just finished a 14 days home quarantine ordered by NHS Scotland under the Public Health Act (law) because of what is likely a traveller's cough (and the fact I arrived from somewhere over 25 degrees warmer) and it wasn't fun.
Mar 4, 2020, 11:03 am
#103
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Bombay
Programs: EC Blue, EB Silver, FB Gold
Posts: 551
There was a story in a Norwegian newspaper today about a Swedish woman who was hung over on BA12 after a rather heavy night in Singapore, but the crew suspected corona. The flight got the royal salute on arrival, and put into quarantine on arrival. She is now in quarantine in London where she lives. I’m unable to find a link right now, but perhaps this was the culprit. FYI she tested negative.
Mar 4, 2020, 11:20 am
#104
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (for now)
Posts: 1,000
If you are old and vulnerable flu is dodgy at any time.
Just travel, live your life and enjoy the sale fares and empty cabins.
Mar 4, 2020, 4:14 pm
#105
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
The relevant particulates are under 10 microns across, so there isn't much to see, but you may smell a certain smokiness in the air. There is one other town in North Macedonia with the highest level of pollution in Europe, Tetovo, but Skopje is usually in the top 4 most polluted cities in Europe and easily the most polluted European capital city, where the impact has a measurable negative impact on lifespan. It looks ok when you are there, a bit of haze maybe, but the city is hemmed in by mountains,it suffers from temperature inversion and isn't that windy, so pollution gets capped down at low levels. Access to wood is easy and cheap, given the surrounding forests, and so when subsidised coal ended with the collapse of Tito's Yugoslavia there was this fatal switch to wood burning stoves.
I wouldn't say it's "ridiculous" but I agree with the rest of your statement. My biggest issue is that I haven't seen much of the sale fares. At least, nothing like out of the normal type sales. I fully expected to see like some premium cabin fares with low prices, but haven't seen much of it yet. Hoping some stuff still pops up, I've got free time in the summer...