I’m live-blogging my SAS EuroBonus SkyTeam Million Mile challenge this week. Click here for background and route information.
Ugh, my SAS seatmate is sick and she is coughing virtually nonstop…
I traveled throughout the pandemic and know that sometimes we have to be in another place or get home, even if we are sick. I’m not one of those flyers who stays home if I have a few sniffles.
That said, it is neither wise nor considerate to travel when you are really sick or contagious. My seatmate took her seat toward the end of the boarding process and it was instantly clear she had a nasty cold.
She was drinking hot tea (good for her…that can help) and coughing…almost without ceasing. It was a nasty hack like a smoker’s cough though she was probably only in her early 20s. And sniffling.
Maybe she just had to get home…it’s not that I dismiss that. And she did cover her mouth…but with a week of travel ahead, it was quite disconcerting to have someone coughing the entire flight, especially because those little particles certainly go through her hand as she coughed.
She was not wearing a mask…I was not wearing a mask…but this is why people do wear masks on planes and at airports. Ideally, she would be the one wearing the mask because she’s the one coughing. I didn’t bring any masks on this trip but maybe I should have…the last thing I need is for either Augustine or me to get sick.
And let’s not forget that seats are packed in tightly so there is no way to escape.
So let’s see if a cold develops in the next couple of days…
Ouch! Not much you can do on this situation unless you decide to be rude with her. You should be OK.
I still carry an N95 in my usual carryon bag along with charger cords, USB B to C converters and whatnot. Not because I ever wear it, but because I have been too lazy to remove it. I think now I will leave it in there.
I hope you get sick, that would be funny.
Dude, what a terrible comment. Why would you wish that to anyone?
Maybe because his racist self deserves it?
Being a jerk and being racist are not the same. How are you figuring that this is racism?
Matthew is at fault if he didn’t bring masks, unless he forgot to pack it but it was on his list. N95 masks help prevent Covid. The pandemic is not over. ICU doctors and nurses wore N95 masks at the height of the pandemic and did not usually catch it.
Let’s learn from Matthew’s mistake.
“The pandemic is not over.” Yes, it will never be over for people that got mentally affected by it.
+1
F#cking assclowns like this guy are why we will always have people to point out and laugh at in public wearing masks.
And are why Trump won so decisively.
I’ve been flying on packed planes a lot this month and last month, and I’ve been on lots of packed trains and buses too. Been around too many coughing people whom I presume to have an easily communicable infection rather than a chronic disorder. Haven’t found myself to have caught any respiratory (or other infection) yet. No mask use, but I will be using some when I have to deal with smog in parts of the developing world. That said, it’s not a bad idea to use a high quality mask to try to avoid getting a communicable disease while traveling, especially if your tolerance for getting sick abroad is low or have to hit the road running when back to home or at whatever is the destination.
Matthew is not at fault. The person who is sick should be the one courteous to others. That was the one thing I hoped would come out of the pandemic, but no dice
Yeah Mathew I certainly don’t _hope_ you get sick, but you probably will…. It’s hard to avoid if you’re exposed for an hour plus.
You may hate masks but they do work, and for more than just COVID. Your seatmate should be wearing a mask, but ultimately it’s your duty to protect yourself; not hers.
This is a very relevant topic that many bloggers doing this SAS million mile challenge haven’t discussed. Travel is hard on the body and flying in a metal tube with hundreds of other people and transiting through airports multiple times in a very short period is very likely to lead to getting sick, or at least run down.
Question is, if you get sick, are you still going to continue your challenge? To quote “… it is neither wise nor considerate to travel when you are really sick or contagious…”
I guess it depends. I have some flexibility to rest for 1-3 days if necessary, though it would be messy.
Unfortunately, if you or your son get it, the other one is more likely to get it too.
Most Scandinavians I know never cough into their hands. They get sort of drilled into coughing into their bent elbows from a young age. That said, I’ve never been anywhere else in the developed world that has had more kids hit with infectious respiratory diseases at more or less the same time than I have encountered in Scandinavia.
Coughing and congestion can persist for days after the contagious period of a cold.
Here is hoping that such is the case here.
Wearing a mask for people coughing in a closed, confined space should be a no brainer, but then again, not everyone cares about others.
On a recent transatlantic flight, I was seated in Polaris class when the person across the aisle began coughing and sneezing immediately after settling in. Without wearing a mask, they pulled out a packet of tissues, cough drops, and a nasal spray from their bag. I debated how to handle the situation beyond wearing my own mask. Ultimately, I made the difficult decision to downgrade myself to a lower cabin class, as there were no available seats left in Polaris. I knew I’d have to remove my mask at some point to eat and drink, and prioritizing my health felt like the safest choice. While I was frustrated by the other passenger’s lack of consideration, I was ultimately relieved that I did not get sick.
I have forfeited the meal on red eye flights to Europe.
Airliners these days are ever more a flying Petri dish ……..
@bossa … +1 . As is the general population , and a majority of eating establishments .
Always bring a mask and a backup for coughing seat mates. Mandatory masking has started in many areas of liberal left on Calif ! This time for Flu and RSV!! Nuts
While in California , one needs a mask at all times .
In Hawaii , not at all .
Alert are you so unaware that Hawaii has the second highest TB rate in the US?
Thank you … I was not aware of this . When possible , I stay far far far away from anyone’s breath .
The problem with singling out an obviously ill person is the inability to define contagious. If the crew touched surfaces infected with norovirus and performed the drink service,how is that less of an issue?
@JoeMart … +1 . Also , when the FA hands one a glass , whilst holding it on the rim .
I certainly hope Matthew doesn’t get sick! But we are in an age of personal responsibility regarding hygiene. Some time ago Matthew had a post about hand washing after using the lavatory. No brainer right? But reading the comments was troubling. People are disgusting. If you do nothing else at least wash your hands!
Except , no one enforces the cooks or food preparers , no ?
Mycoplasma (pneumonia) is hitting the Scandinavian region —especially kids — quite extensively this year.
It’s hitting everywhere. I have half our office out with it currently. What are we going to do? Prior to Covid hardly anyone cared about these issues on planes. People were sick, people coughed, it’s fall and winter….you just accept the risk. Now? My god, are we supposed to quarantine with anything? Frankly the walking pneumonia that is going around at quite a pace is treatable with antibiotics and, while highly contagious when you are the most sick, does come with a lingering cough and stuffiness for the weeks after….when you are not contagious.
Scandinavian doctors — and the gate-keeper nurses — tend to be very reluctant to prescribe antibiotics. Very different medical treatment culture than in the US, Asia and even the UK and France. Maybe LALF should pick up some antibiotics from a hotel-recommended pharmacy in SE Asia just in case.
Some people have a chronic cough that is basically not contagious to most people. But it’s not always easy to know which is which, and coughing spreads more infectious agents than simple breathing.
Commercial kitchen wash sinks are temp, soap and drainage inspected. They are also visible. The comments I referred to were made by LALF readers, many that felt lavatory use touching their own junk was not a problem for them. Maybe you are comfortable with that? Or perhaps Hawaii has no communicable disease?
My comment was for the troll alert.
I hope you don’t get sick but the same thing happened to me years ago and I developed one of the worst colds I ever had. The person was sitting directly behind me. Ugh.
*doesn’t travel with PPE to protect oneself and child
*travels during cold and flu season
*posts article about a fellow traveler being sick on public transport
* hopes he’s doesn’t get sick
Thoughts and prayers
Yes, that’s right. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, Nurse Trottel.