Contact tracing underway after COVID suspected in mid-air death of airline passenger
NEW ORLEANS – United Airlines is conducting contact tracing of passengers who may have been exposed to a passenger who flew while positive with coronavirus and died in a freak mid-air incident that forced a cross-country flight to divert to New Orleans this week.
The airline released details of the COVID situation Friday, according to USA Today. At first, United said it believed the passenger died of cardiac arrest but learned the CDC “suggests” it was a positive COVID-19 case, USA Today reported.
Despite at least one passenger posting on social media during the ordeal, United said it was informed the passenger died at the hospital and, since it was presumed a heart-related death, passengers were given an option to continue on the plane or take a later flight.
The man behind me on this flight. DIED. OF COVID. MIDFLIGHT.
— Jo LaFlame (@jobreauxx) December 15, 2020
I have so many questions.
The flight was bound for Los Angeles from Orlando when it landed at the New Orleans airport Monday.
"Now that the CDC has contacted us directly, we are sharing requested information with the agency so they can work with local health officials to conduct outreach to any customer the CDC believes may be at risk for possible exposure or infection,” an airline spokesperson told USA Today.
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