transportprof

The Guardian reports that an Australian doctor flew United back home with Flu like symptoms, then treated 70 patients at a Melbourne suburban clinic and THEN tested positive for Covid19!

See:

Article

DELee

Oboy.

David

zombietooth

This is bad news, and very poor decision-making on the doctor's part. I got sick in early FEB after attending a trade event with Chinese nationals. As I was driving home from the event, I got a bad chill and aches in my joints, so I suspected that I had the flu. I didn't even go home to my wife after 3 days of driving, but isolated myself at my warehouse for 8 days and kept my staff away, working at home, as well. I don't know what I had, but it was strange in that it made me feel very weak along with the coughing and other respiratory symptoms. I convinced myself that I didn't have this thing but, of course, I was never tested so who knows?

A doctor, presumably much smarter and more well-versed in medical matters than myself should've immediately self-quarantined.

username

I guess you won't be one of the Zombies who will attack us...

It sounds like you had it. Congratulations that you had it, did not give it to other people and made through it OK. If everyone is as careful as you are, then we would be a lot safer.

I wonder if the US CDC will start tracking down the doctor's travels - especially notifying the passengers on the DEN-SFO flight. Then of course if he ate the the lounge, the food utensils, etc.

restlessinRNO

It is not hard to understand how this coronavirus is spreading so rapidly.

username

...and how resources (medical personnel, first responders) can be depleted quickly when things like this happen.

nancypants

All the Australian guidance until the last week was about China- added more destinations now but USA isn’t one of them either. The last guidance I’ve seen from our local department of health this guy wouldn’t even have been eligible for a test unless he had severe symptoms with no alternative explanation

how many known cases have there been in Denver and SF?

every time I get on a plane I end up getting off with a runny nose and a cracking sinus headache. I can just imagine my boss’s reaction if I said I had to self isolate for 14 days every time as a result

I’m a little bit disappointed that a chief medical officer health minister sees fit to use words like “flabbergasted” about this guy continuing to work, given that he came from an area that government is not classifying as risk, and he followed the official guidance

transportprof

I wonder exactly the same as you, plus whether United will take the crew on those flights out of service for a couple of weeks and deep clean those aircraft?

I got the email from Oscar today that others have been commenting on in another thread and if those words mean what they say, then there should be a transparent and public response on UA’s part.

I am scheduled to fly SFO-MEL next month and am thus particularly interested to learn the response from UA.

username

Question is probably rhetorical but https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/a...23467b48e9ecf6 and https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

If I were in a foreign country (especially one like the US with super expensive health care system) and feel I might have this, I would try to make it home. However, I definitely would be careful enroute (mask, don't touch things) and self-quarantine upon arriving home.

Judging how UA cleans the planes and how most Americans are still not taking this seriously, I would not count on it.

Here is how EVA handled a case: https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202003050019

mmack

Well, where did he come from? Was he transitioning from an Egyptian cruise? Was he skiing in Colorado for two weeks? Was he with family?
There is very little meaningful information about these cases, which makes it very difficult to assess risk to the general flying public.
I realize that patient privacy is important, but there should be more information about individual cases.

So far in Hawaii it’s only been one patient on a cruise ship (floating disease harbors), but it’s only a matter of time.

Better to have more data.

anniegray

My daughter was on this SFO to MEL flight !

transportprof

Has United (or any other organization) contacted her about the situation?

anniegray

Yes they have

transportprof

I hope that your daughter stays healthy. I also hope that United follows through on Oscar's email promising to put the health of potentially exposed passengers and crew above all else. These flights should be a litmus test of their sincerity on this commitment.

RobOnLI

That was going to be my comment as well. According to that email both aircraft would have been taken out of service for a deep cleaning. But of course all planes do quick turnarounds and the doctor didn't know he had it for days so the germs were already dead on the aircraft. Did anyone notice a 787 out of service recently? My guess is it would have been the one that flew SFO-MEL.

-RM