United Airlines is helping to contact passengers after it was established that a man who died on a Monday flight could have died of a heart attack due to COVID-19 complications, reports The New York TImes.
The plane, scheduled to fly from Orlando to Los Angeles, landed unplanned in New Orleans after a man on board suffered a medical emergency.
While the man was being treated for cardiac arrest, flight crew members heard his wife tell first responders that her husband was experiencing symptoms compatible with COVID-19. He had not disclosed the symptoms, which included loss of taste and smell, before boarding the flight, according to the Times.
It has not been confirmed whether or not the man was infected.
“We ask passengers not to travel if they have been diagnosed with Covid-19 or have Covid-related symptoms,” United Airlines said. “If in doubt, the best option is to test yourself.”
The airline was contacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after the incident and complied with its request to provide passenger information, the Times reports.
“We share the requested information with the agency so that they can work with local health officials to provide information to any client that the CDC believes may be at risk for possible exposure or infection,” the airline said.
News of the possible exposure of COVID-19 to the passengers of the planes spread on social networks, a passenger noticing that they did not check their temperature before boarding and that there was no change of plane after leaving New Orleans.
The man behind me on this flight. DECEASED. DE COVID. MIDFLIGHT.
I have so many questions.
– Jo LaFlame (@jobreauxx) December 15, 2020
A guy literally died on my plane returning from Disneyworld, a nurse who worked on him during the flight trying to revive him said she was related to an avid person. The family flew in with him, showing major covid symptoms … and I didn’t change the plane even after it passed.
– Shay (@shaylabobmonsta) December 15, 2020
So I was on this flight too. 1) I never missed the verified temperatures, because the airport had no stations, which sucks. 2) PPL saying “I bet it was white” No, he wasn’t so reluctant to try to bring the race in these pigs https://t.co/uH93KmNyfs
– Shay (@shaylabobmonsta) December 15, 2020
United Airlines addressed the lack of action in a statement to the Times, saying: “The decision to continue to Los Angeles was made after medical professionals initially decided the emergency as heart disease. An change of aircraft was not justified. Instead, passengers were offered the option to take off and take a later flight or continue to Los Angeles. All passengers chose to continue. ”