I’m sitting on a plane, and across the aisle are two middle-aged women, having a great visit, laughing, talking about their day at work, how happy they are to be going home and it happens. One of the ladies starts coughing, not that dry, hacky cough from being in a dry hotel room, but a nasty cough, that rumbly, yucky, cough. I think to myself, stop, don’t be paranoid, it is not a conspiracy, she is probably recovering from a bad cold with a lingering cough. Then she starts blowing her nose, apologizes to her seatmate, returns to her kindle. I reach for my KN95 mask.
No worries, all ends well, kind of. As we are deplaning, I hear her say to her seatmate, “gosh I hope you don’t catch this!” I seriously turned around and made eye contact with her and she smiled at me. What this told me was that she KNEW she was sick when she boarded a plane full of people and did not take precautions (mask) knowing that she was likely spreading whatever virus she was carrying. Sure, the likelihood of the virus being COVID/Omicron is probably slim, however, the question is, did she do the right thing?
As we continue to dive back into “life” with on-site visits, conferences, meetings, we are many times required to travel. Understandably, there are going to be times when we head to the airport and our throat is a little scratchy, we have a little cough, or our nose starts dripping. That is life! However, when you board a plane with active symptoms of a viral infection, it is YOUR responsibility to take precautions. Remember, you never know if your seatmate is immunocompromised, going home to a 90-year grandma, or has a newborn baby at home. Everyone’s life is important, we need to keep in mind that we shouldn’t allow our needs and wants to impose on the safety and well-being of our fellow “villagers.” Please be considerate, if you are symptomatic of active illness, stay home, don’t board a plane, or go to an office full of people, that is what sick days are for! Stay well and stay informed!
For more information and resources:
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2022/p0811-covid-guidance.html