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Home » United Airlines » 3,000 United Airlines Employees Currently Positive For COVID-19
United Airlines

3,000 United Airlines Employees Currently Positive For COVID-19

Matthew Klint Posted onJanuary 11, 2022November 14, 2023 44 Comments

a group of people wearing face masks in an airplane

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has told employees that 3,000 employees are currently positive for COVID-19. But crediting United’s vaccine mandate, Kirby noted that not one vaccinated employee is currently hospitalized or has recently died due to COVID-19.

With 3,000 United Airlines Employees Positive For COVID-19, CEO Credits Vaccine Mandate For Lack Of Hospitalizations and Deaths

There are currently about 3,000 United Airlines employees who are positive for COVID-19 according to an internal memo reviewed by Live and Let’s Fly. This has impacted operations, with some stations battling a severe shortage of workers. For example, United recently had nearly 1/3 of its workforce at Newark Liberty International Airport call in sick on one day alone.

When United Airlines announced the vaccine mandate to employees in August 2021, it framed it as a way to protect employees from hospitalization or death due to COVID-19:

[W]e have learned a lot about this disease, including how vaccines are – by far – the most effective way to protect people from COVID-19. In fact, we know now that an unvaccinated person is about 50 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than a vaccinated person and nearly 300 times more likely to die.

Those stats are incredibly compelling and led us to an important decision about your safety: This fall, every U.S.-based United employee will be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine…

This week, Kirby is crediting United’s vaccine mandate for protecting employees during the omicron surge:

[O]ur vaccine requirement is working – and saving lives. While we have about 3,000 employees who are currently positive for COVID, zero of our vaccinated employees are currently hospitalized.

Since our vaccine policy went into effect, the hospitalization rate among our employees has been 100x lower than the general population in the U.S. Prior to our vaccine requirement, tragically, more than one United employee on average *per week* was dying from COVID.

But we’ve now gone eight straight weeks with zero COVID-related deaths among our vaccinated employees – based on United’s prior experience and the nationwide data related to COVID fatalities among the unvaccinated, that means there are approximately 8-10 United employees who are alive today because of our vaccine requirement.

Even as the efficacy of vaccinations has been called into question due to the contagiousness of the omicron variant, Kirby insists a mandate was the right move:

In dealing with COVID, zero is the word that matters – zero deaths and zero hospitalizations for vaccinated employees. And while I know that some people still disagree with our policy, United is proving that requiring the vaccine is the right thing to do because it saves lives.

United will proactively cancel flights in the days and weeks ahead as it deals with lingering staff shortages, with a plan to cancel early enough to be able to re-accommodate passengers in advance of their travel day.

CONCLUSION

United Airlines currently has about 3,000 employees who are positive for COVID-19. While that number is high, CEO Kirby credits United’s vaccine for the lack of hospitalization and deaths amongst the infected.

image: United Airlines

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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44 Comments

  1. Batchcaloupe Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 7:08 am

    The number is probably higher when you consider those who have had it but didn’t know it due to the fact they were asymptomatic.

    This shows you the complete folly of sleepy, creepy, farty joes handling of this issue. Maybe better said how his handlers are handling this issue. Sleepy, creepy, farty Joe is happy when he gets his pudding!!!

    LETS GO BRANDON!!!

    • HondaRider Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 7:20 am

      Great new comments policy, Matthew. Well done.

    • J H Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 12:51 pm

      Zero of those that were vaccinated. This does not account for those who were given an exception that may be the cause of the spread.

  2. Dave Edwards Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 9:00 am

    And 5 have something more than a head cold. This emphasis on testing is causing more problems for businesses and Americans than the actual virus. I truly believe we have a segment of the population getting tested hoping to test positive to get off work. Why else would people stand in line for hours? Spoiler alert…we all have or had Omni or will get it soon.

    • Victor Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 2:27 pm

      If we allow the virus to spread freely across the vaccinated and unvaccinated population, we are literally creating a platform for the virus to mutate aggressively. We can expect a new form of super COVID virus that can bypass the protection from the current antigen and vaccines and cause more physical damages and fatality. Even though viruses are not living organism, they are smart enough to learn and mutate in order to stay alive.

      • Acura Reply
        January 11, 2022 at 2:48 pm

        VIRUSES AND MUTATIONS CANNOT BE STOPPED. Overall, nature cannot be stopped.

        —WHY— is this so hard for you people to understand?

        • Victor Reply
          January 11, 2022 at 6:10 pm

          The SARS outbreak in 2003, also a form of coronavirus, stopped in April 2004 after infecting over 8,000 people from 29 countries. About 700 people died from the covid in 2003.

          • Acura
            January 11, 2022 at 9:13 pm

            SARS was in an election year, too. our GMO’s were older technology then, as well. either way: SOME viruses die out.

            In each cubic meter of air, there are between 1.6 million and 40 million viruses.

            Let’s shut down the world and force injections into every living person on earth because of one specific virus.

            Re-read that until you understand how crazy all of this is. WTF!!!!!!

            —

            Source:

            As I was putting together a talk today about our microbial world, I just came across this interesting paper in the August issue of The Journal of Virology. A team of Korean scientists set up some traps to catch viruses and bacteria floating in the air. They set up their traps in Seoul, in an industrial complex in western Korea, and in a forest. Based on their collection, they came up with the following estimates… **In each cubic meter of air, there are between 1.6 million and 40 million viruses. **In each cubic meter of air, there are between 860,000 and 11 million bacteria. Given that we breathe roughly .01 cubic meters of air each minute, a simple calculation based on these results suggests we breathe in a few hundred thousand viruses every minute. Half of the viruses the scientists trapped didn’t match any known virus species. But most belong to groups that infect plants or mammals. A note to hypochondriacs: holding your breath may keep viruses from coming into your body, but as a lifestyle choice, it has some drawbacks.

            https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/the-infected-air-nsfh-not-safe-for-hypochondriacs

  3. Jm Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 9:50 am

    Great news…none of the 2000 unvaccinated United employees have died from covid since they were placed on unpaid leave by Kirby either.

    • Billy Bob Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 11:37 am

      But they did get rid of 2000 insubordinate employees that can’t follow simple directions, so they still come out ahead

      • Steve Sanchez Reply
        January 11, 2022 at 6:22 pm

        Yes, you had 2000 “unsubordinate” employees who did not want to be a guinea pig for an untested drug (Not a vaccine) that the manufacturer has no liability for. If you see, the new case surge is almost certainly among the idiots who have taken the experimental gene therapy shots. But go ahead, get another monthly booster and wear 3 masks, a face shield and as hazmat suit – I will take my chances with my vitamin C, D, Zinc and other protocols and I haven’t had a cold in years. I’m 58 years old and I am always fine.

        • Acura Reply
          January 11, 2022 at 9:48 pm

          this point is critical. it’s not a vaccine.

          call it whatever you want, but it’s not a vaccine.

        • Billy Bob Reply
          January 11, 2022 at 10:26 pm

          Everyone that took the VACCINE will be fine and those 2000 people will have no jobs. There are rules if you want to work at United that 95% of people are able to follow them, those that can’t, won’t.

          • Billy Bob
            January 11, 2022 at 11:52 pm

            You must not have kids. Pretty much all vaccines have multiple doses within a year

          • Acura
            January 11, 2022 at 11:55 pm

            yes, I am aware the kids schedule is up to like 55 doses at this point before age 18. another crime against humanity. we are focused on the COVID thing right now. just get vaccinated daily weekly or monthly until the end of your life, FFS

          • Billy Bob
            January 12, 2022 at 12:47 am

            Yea things were so much better before childhood vaccines when life expectancy was 47 years. Your obviously not a serious person. Goodnight

          • Acura
            January 12, 2022 at 1:57 am

            Not a bad person, just calling out your “science”. Coercion is not science. Withholding data is not science. Manipulating data is not science. Cherrypicking studies is not science. Social conditioning is not science. Fearing mongering is not science. Censorship is not science.

  4. Acura Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 10:03 am

    I am sure that no one misses me but breaking my silence this one time re: “But crediting United’s vaccine mandate, Kirby noted that not one vaccinated employee is currently hospitalized or has recently died due to COVID-19”, seeing that the actual news isn’t getting reported here, or many other places.

    yesterday:

    ‘On Good Morning America, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky admitted that over 75% of “COVID deaths” occurred in people “who had at least four comorbidities. So really, these are people who are unwell to begin with.”

    Walensky’s comments come after many doctors, including the ones routinely featured on KUSI News, have been saying the same thing for nearly two years.

    As we know, big tech has silenced many doctors and politicians who attempted to calm the fears of those worried about COVID by posting statistics like this one.

    Many Republicans say the Biden Administration is slowly starting to change their tune on COVID because of plummeting poll numbers.’

    • Jonathan Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 12:55 pm

      This clip is out of context and your commentary is misleading.

      For those who are interested in the context of what the Director said, look it up on Snopes or any other legitimate fact checking tool.

      • Acura Reply
        January 11, 2022 at 1:00 pm

        What exactly is misleading or out of context? Nothing, so FOH.

        Also, Snopes is legitmate? LMFAO. Buzzfeed: “The Co-Founder Of Snopes Wrote Dozens Of Plagiarized Articles For The Fact-Checking Site”. Stay brainwashed, yo.

        Facebook in December: “Facebook Quietly Admits Its Third-Party ‘Fact-Checks’ Are ‘Opinions’”

        but please, enlighten me.

        Your house of cards is shattered and it’s certainly amusing AF to watch y’all still try to put it back together.

      • Acura Reply
        January 11, 2022 at 9:30 pm

        The comorbidity data has been there ALL along, for YEARS now, on the CDC website. It applies to all populations. It’s just not spoon fed to you by the MSM, and you don’t check yourself. Stop relying on a narrative and dig deeper.

      • Acura Reply
        January 11, 2022 at 9:37 pm

        The war is not meant to be won. it is meant to be continuous. but: the narrative is shifting.

        POLITICO: Decoding what Biden health officials told Congress about Omicron

        also POLITICO: ‘Rules need to be clear’: Dems call for Covid strategy reset as cases spike

        why is everyone tripping over each other? The war is not meant to be won. it is meant to be continuous. conflicting information from official sources demoralizes a population.

        Rochelle Walensky triple masked today in front of Congress? What is going on? Why is she taking the fall for Fauci?

        And Stacey Abrams didn’t go to Biden’s voting rights speech? her national issue? What is going on, bruh, for real?

        think it’s the sound of y’all losing? but idk

  5. Don Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 10:12 am

    Fauci promised us for the last year, that Vaccines stop the spread?

    I know he changed his tune a few weeks ago, as it was obvious this was mis-information.
    But, uhm, is anyone going to be held to account on this lie?

    • Batchcaloupe Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 8:46 pm

      This clown Fauci is on his way out and he knows it. As soon as the Republicans take back the house in November, I bet he retires. He won’t be able to stand the heat.

      What that CDC beaureacrat said about comorbidities would have gotten her banned on Twitter not that long ago…..the theatrics continue!!

      • Billy Bob Reply
        January 11, 2022 at 10:35 pm

        Just what we need, fire all the scientists and put a self certified “optometrist”, a roid raging crossfit congresswoman, and an accused sex trafficking congressman in charge of public health

  6. miamiorbust Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 11:00 am

    Don’t like Kirby. Not a huge fan of vaccine mandates – find most corporate leaders have zero clue of what vaccination does and does not provide and grandstand on shaky premise that they are protecting vaccinated workers. But I respect Kirby’s statement above. He was always claiming a moral imperative to reduce risk of death in unvaccinated workers. While protecting employees from their own bad health decisions ranging from smoking to obesity is hardly his job I respect his right to implement the standard in this case of vaccination.

  7. Mark Richards Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 11:13 am

    Spoken as a true narcissist. Where is the board members to reel this clown in! How long does this idiot get to be reckless with his words. He is definitely digging a deeper grave but oh well better for his employees when they get their win in court! You are a fool Sir and you deserve anything you get at this point.

  8. George Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 12:04 pm

    When will people learn our government lies. All the time. Non-Stop. and yet everybody keeps listening to them. It is easier to fool someone than convince them they’ve been fooled I guess.

    • Billy Bob Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 1:19 pm

      Don’t trust your lying eyes either. Trust the guy on Facebook you went to grade school with that works at the grocery store

  9. David Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 12:31 pm

    “CEO Kirby credits United’s vaccine for the lack of hospitalization and deaths amongst the infected.” He has to cover his ass somehow. Is this really the role of an employer, to force a one size fits all health mandate onto employees? If you let them start down this road what’s next, mandated smoking cessation programs, exercise and diet programs to cut down on excessive weight and diabetes? Where does it end?

  10. derek Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 1:46 pm

    The airline bosses used to say that air travel was safe, that there are these great HEPA filters, etc. No, the virus can get in your nose through flimsy cloth masks before getting sucked out by the ventilation system. I know. I got a bad cold on US Airways 10 years ago sitting next to a coughing woman.

  11. Lonnie Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 7:16 pm

    Funny kirby didn’t mention my close friend that died 2 weeks after his vaccination. He was coerced to get the shot and immediately payed the price. Scott kirby has blood on his hands

    • Matthew Klint Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 7:26 pm

      What was his/her name? Please reach out to discuss.

    • Acura Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 9:41 pm

      My sincere condolences for your loss, Lonnie.

      Matthew – more appropriate to offer condolences to fellow humans suffering a loss, before specifics, no?

      • Matthew Klint Reply
        January 11, 2022 at 9:50 pm

        I do offer my condolences, but am suspicious, but open to learning more.

        • Acura Reply
          January 11, 2022 at 11:47 pm

          this straddle of the middle is grating. We all know that people tragically have died after doses of both primary doses and boosters. Official data shows this. So why is that so hard to believe it could happen to a United employee? Ask questions, demand answers.

  12. Stuart Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 8:36 pm

    “Don’t Look Up.”

    • Acura Reply
      January 11, 2022 at 9:24 pm

      With all due respect Stuart, y’all should have started bracing for impact a lot earlier than this. While I can appreciate how much time and effort you put into your generally eloquent comments, we might be running out of time.

      I have quoted Marianne Williamson many times now: this is the moment before the miracle or the moment before the extinction.

      While I know you like to think that we have time, I’m not so sure that we do.

      Newsweek: Netherlands Announces Plan To Give People Up to Six Doses of COVID Vaccine

      plus Canada ordered enough for ten doses for each of their citizens. When does it end?

      While I appreciate your recent comments on other articles as of late, more productive comments are needed.

  13. Acura Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 9:44 pm

    SFGATE:

    Head of COVID response for UCSF’s ER dept.: ‘I have not intubated a single COVID patient during this Omicron surge’

    ‘After reviewing the charts of every COVID-positive patient at UCSF hospitals on Jan. 4, Dr. Jeanne Noble, an associate professor of emergency medicine at UCSF, determined that 70% of them were in the hospital for other reasons.

    “The real COVID crisis that our hospitals are facing is a severe staffing shortage that is compromising the quality of our care,” Noble said’

    https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/COVID-San-Francisco-staff-shortage-UCSF-16758335.php

    • Erock Reply
      January 12, 2022 at 12:30 am

      For the love of God stop spamming the comments section with your crazy ramblings and never ending links.

      • Acura Reply
        January 12, 2022 at 1:40 am

        1) not crazy
        2) not ramblings
        3) I haven’t commented on any article besides this one since December 19th, so please, STFU

  14. Acura Reply
    January 11, 2022 at 11:02 pm

    “Pfizer CEO says omicron vaccine will be ready in March.

    Its main benefits will be:

    Reduction of Omicron mortality from almost zero to almost zero
    Billions of dollars of recurring revenue for Pfizer”

    —

    Trudeau: “People who are fiercely against vaccination. They are extremists who don’t believe in science, they’re often misogynists, also often racists.”

    —

    ‘Quebec govt announces it will make unvaccinated pay a “Health care contribution” or what @ThomasMulcair just told me on @EvanSolomonShow “an anti Vax Tax”. This is a New World. Using universal public health system to financially punish based on behaviour.’

    ‘And the left wonders why the Center and right worry about intrusive government, even in health care. Unbelievable. How stupid can we get? How about a fat tax? A sugar tax (for all you pre-diabetic–and that’s pretty much everyone). Mandatory exercise! It’s for your own good!’

  15. Jan Reply
    January 12, 2022 at 1:22 am

    Another comment section that got Acura’d; sad,

  16. pelican55 Reply
    January 14, 2022 at 1:02 pm

    3000 is MUCH better than Delta’s 8000…. go bash DL.

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