Covid and planes

[Sojourner]

I always wear my KN-95 mask in airports and in planes, and I suspect I always will. Considering how awful it is to get the flu or COVID, not to mention the common cold, why not wear a mask? It's not like masking is harmful or painful, and even if it were painful, isn't it better to experience a little pain/discomfort for a few hours on an airplane than to suffer the misery of COVID for a solid week (or more)? I just don't get it.

 

[donheff]

I always wear my KN-95 mask in airports and in planes, and I suspect I always will.

Same here. Those mob scenes are Petrie dishes for colds, flu, and Covid. Once everyone is seated and underway plane ventilation systems are reputed to be effective so it’s probably ok to eat and drink. But why not take a modest precaution during crowded transit to give you the best chance at having a nice vacation?

 

[Teacher Terry]

Personally I have bad allergies so am always pulling the mask down to blow my nose despite being on numerous medications. Last year I flew air Canada and had to mask the whole time and it was not fun.

 

[fh2000]

In January, DW and I were on a 15 day cruise trip. We wore surgical masks the whole time except in main dining room. We always chose private table of 2, but other guests were very close to us.

The day we got off, I started to feel a little itching on my throat. I then went on for a month long cough, running nose routine. I was tested in urgent care and it was not COVID, nor flu. Not sure what I actually got.

We have 2 upcoming trips on plane soon, and we will continue to wear masks though we know the risk of catching something is always there, with or without masks.

 

[2017ish]

We flew fairly frequently beginning in May 2020. Hated having to wear masks, especially on long international flights with layovers (BNA to Cairo via ATL and Istanbul in early 2021 was the worst). Once it was no longer mandated, we stopped wearing--and quit dodgng compliance!). To our knowledge, no covid for either of us, and we've had more than 20 required tests.

Was nice, but unsurprising, to see the Cochrane meta analysis confirm our conclusions as to the efficacy of masking for viruses.

 

[RetiredAt49]

I had Covid and IMHO the common cold/flu is worse. I’ll never wear a mask again and I think it’s all a scam.

 

[explanade]

Was nice, but unsurprising, to see the Cochrane meta analysis confirm our conclusions as to the efficacy of masking for viruses.

Cochrane doesn’t say that. It was the lead researcher who said it and they later issued a semi-retraction with a different conclusion than that individual.

 

[JoeWras]

I'll probably wear one. They may help a bit. But it is pretty clear their effectiveness is much, much less than hoped for. There's nothing about a mask that makes you bulletproof.

And let's not forget our hands. Airports and planes are full of surface contamination.

 

[Ronstar]

We use a nasal spray after flying and after being in a tight group of people. And wash hands frequently. So far no covid.

 

[Major Tom]

If you’re going to get it, you’re going to get it.

I think there might be a certain truth to this. Neither my best friend or I have ever shown symptoms or tested positive for COVID. She works 5 days a week in a big museum, closely interacting with large numbers of the general public, many of who are not masked. She wears a cloth mask, which I suspect is of only limited effectiveness, given that many of the people she interacts with are not masked. Nevertheless, she has, to her knowledge, never contracted COVID. I am retired, and it is much easier for me to socially distance. Neither of us are prone to catching common colds, flu, and the like. We almost never get sick with anything. When we do, it is almost always a very mild case; the type that wouldn't keep us at home anyway. I think we are both lucky in that we seem to have a fairly high resistance to infections.

Call me overcautious, but when I have to fly these days I wear the mask non-stop - no breaks for eating/drinking. I also make sure I get a window seat. But hey, I'm the lone nut you still see wearing a mask in the grocery store so what do I know?

There will most likely be a rather important family event for me to attend in the UK in the next month or two. I live in California, from which it is a 10 1/2 hour flight. Although fully vaccinated, I am still very uncertain at the prospect of spending all that time in an enclosed space with a large number of people. I might be overreacting, but I'm waiting for one more vaccination. By that time, I feel that the virus will have mutated even further, into even less virulent strains. With that, and the effect of a newer shot that will, presumably, be more updated in terms of the strains it is effective against, I think I'll finally be at the point where I'll feel comfortable easing up a lot more with my behavior in public. As much as it pains me, I am leaning towards not attending this family event.

 

[Alan]

There will most likely be a rather important family event for me to attend in the UK in the next month or two. I live in California, from which it is a 10 1/2 hour flight. Although fully vaccinated, I am still very uncertain at the prospect of spending all that time in an enclosed space with a large number of people. I might be overreacting, but I'm waiting for one more vaccination. By that time, I feel that the virus will have mutated even further, into even less virulent strains. With that, and the effect of a newer shot that will, presumably, be more updated in terms of the strains it is effective against, I think I'll finally be at the point where I'll feel comfortable easing up a lot more with my behavior in public. As much as it pains me, I am leaning towards not attending this family event.

Our daughter’s partner recently flew to California and Nevada for a week on business from England and she is currently there herself, returning in a few days. He has never had Covid that he knows about and she caught it for the first time in February, mild symptoms for 10 days. (My wife and I also caught it at that time, no idea from where we all got it). He also spent a month in Australia during January visiting family.

They both mask up for the long flights but have decided other than that they won’t take extraordinary precautions as their work involves some necessary in-person meetings and travel. (They both work from home and most of their meetings are online.)

Being retired for 13 years and having traveled extensively during that time we have decided to greatly cut down on air travel and cruises these days.

 

[ElizabethT]

This thread has convinced me and DH to wear masks when we fly to Spain in a couple of weeks. After training, and training hard, for three months, the last thing we'd want is to pick up something on the way over to begin our 200 mile trek.

I've had COVID once, right after returning from a long haul flight. Masked on the plane, but took it off while stuck in the long, snaking US customs line ( ), and likewise, pre-COVID, got Noro virus after another long haul flight.

So thanks again for the reminder that flying can be hazardous to our health!

 

[Teacher Terry]

Between flying to and from Europe I was on 6 flights and didn’t catch anything. Very few people were wearing masks in the airport or planes but I definitely support everyone in making their own choice.