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Covid infection, Air Crews 1yr on

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  • 28-02-2021 1:12pm
    #1
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭


    I'm curious to find out how Air crews, cabin crew and passenger facing airport staff have faired during the pandemic.

    I'm thinking back to last Feb, March before the controls and precautions were in place and crews would have be travelling throughout EU and mingling in Airports, hotels etc.


    Did air crews become infected in the early months or even before the first "official" case in Ireland?


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    #2
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Folk travelled to Cheltenham after the first official case in Ireland... I doubt air crews were infected before the first "official" case in Ireland.


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    #3
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    Augeo wrote: »
    Folk travelled to Cheltenham after the first official case in Ireland... I doubt air crews were infected before the first "official" case in Ireland.

    The virus obviously arrived in the country before the first case could become the first official case.


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    #4
    Caranica
    Registered Users Posts: 10,107 ✭✭✭✭Caranica


    Wasn't the first case related to a school skiing trip in Italy?


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    #5
    trellheim
    Registered Users Posts: 5,915 ✭✭✭trellheim


    Austria IIRC


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    #6
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    Caranica wrote: »
    Wasn't the first case related to a school skiing trip in Italy?

    Something like that, but airline crews were far more exposed than most passengers flying in and out of these regions several times a day/week.
    The virus was proven to be present in retained sewage samples in Italy from Dec '19.


    My question is did many of them feel they contracted it before the official cases were declared or recognised?


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    #7
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Poly wrote: »
    The virus obviously arrived in the country before the first case could become the first official case.

    So you reckon loads of airline staff had it and no matterne knew?


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    #8
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Poly wrote: »
    ....
    My question is did many of them feel they contracted it before the official cases were declared or recognised?

    You want folk to comment on if they had covid before the first official case?
    So someone who had a cough may say they think they did. Wonderfully conclusive stuff.


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    #9
    deandean
    Registered Users Posts: 2,231 ✭✭✭deandean


    I'd say the main issue facing Air crews, cabin crew and passenger facing airport staff in the last 11 months, has been unemployment.


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    #10
    kona
    Registered Users Posts: 7,525 ✭✭✭kona


    Poly wrote: »
    I'm curious to find out how Air crews, cabin crew and passenger facing airport staff have faired during the pandemic.

    I dont mean to be rude , but, are you serious or just plain stupid ?


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    #11
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    kona wrote: »
    I dont mean to be rude , but, are you serious or just plain stupid ?



    I appreciate the majority of air crews have been furloughed/laid off, not to mention many of the ancillary industries which rely upon them (of which I'm one)


    To clarify, I'm trying to understand if the airline industry experienced the symptoms/effects of the virus before it became recognised as Covid19.


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    #12
    Tenger
    Moderators, Motoring & Transport Moderators Posts: 9,840 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tenger


    Poly wrote: »
    .......
    To clarify, I'm trying to understand if the airline industry experienced the symptoms/effects of the virus before it became recognised as Covid19.

    Based on media reports I've read from around the World in the last 12 months I'm going to say "No"


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    #13
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    Tenger wrote: »
    Based on media reports I've read from around the World in the last 12 months I'm going to say "No"

    Traces were found in Italy in December 19.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53106444


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    #14
    mikel97
    Registered Users Posts: 130 ✭✭mikel97


    And Barcelona Spain March 2019

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-spain-science-idUSKBN23X2HQ


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    #15
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Poly wrote: »
    Traces were found in Italy in December 19.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53106444

    That is well know, the traces weren't found in Air Crews.


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    #16
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    Augeo wrote: »
    That is well know, the traces weren't found in Air Crews.

    "The more we test, the more cases we find" kinda situation

    I doubt any tests were conducted to prove/disprove the presence of virus in Airline staff.
    I suppose antibody testing would give an indication of the level of exposure, but no company is going to pay for that.

    The science tells us the virus was present and circulating in the EU long before the Chinese even admitted they had an issue.

    Airline/airport staff by the nature of their job would be the first to be exposed, my simple question is to airline/airport staff, do they feel they contracted it prior to March 2020?

    My experience, 2019, I was flying in and out of UK airports weekly for work, in Dec 19 I became very sick with the all the symptoms we now know as Covid.
    (loss of taste/smell worried me at the time)

    Certainly much worse than any manflu, the sickest I have ever been.
    I am middle aged, was relatively fit and robust, took me months to get over it, I now need an inhaler for the first time in my life


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    #17
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I really don't know what you are asking........... at a guess what you are asking can't be conclusively answered.
    So why bother?

    Seems to be a two pronged query ......
    Poly wrote: »
    I'm curious to find out how Air crews, cabin crew and passenger facing airport staff have faired during the pandemic.

    ...............
    No idea what you mean.
    Poly wrote: »
    Did air crews become infected in the early months or even before the first "official" case in Ireland?
    As I said, can't be answered conclusively.


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    #18
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    Augeo wrote: »
    I really don't know what you are asking........... at a guess what you are asking can't be conclusively answered.
    So why bother?

    Seems to be a two pronged query ......


    No idea what you mean.


    As I said, can't be answered conclusively.

    Without antibody testing, no.
    But I'm interested in other people's opinions, especially those who work for airlines


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    #19
    Caranica
    Registered Users Posts: 10,107 ✭✭✭✭Caranica


    Poly wrote: »
    Without antibody testing, no.
    But I'm interested in other people's opinions, especially those who work for airlines

    Antibodies last 3-6 months so we'll never know. Anecdotally lots of Irish people had symptoms of Covid as early as October 2019, and it was put down to flu or a deep seated chest infection. Not necessarily air crew.

    It's not really something you can have an opinion on, it's a factual situation. We know for sure that the people who tested positive had Covid but in truth we'll never know how many of the rest had it. A negative test only means "not detected" not "not present".


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    #20
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Caranica wrote: »
    ............

    It's not really something you can have an opinion on, it's a factual situation. We know for sure that the people who tested positive had Covid but in truth we'll never know how many of the rest had it. A negative test only means "not detected" not "not present".

    Indeed, positivity rates varied from 4 to 9% over the last 12 months iirc so plenty folk got tested when they thought they had Covid and the tests reckoned they were negative.
    Poly wrote: »
    Without antibody testing, no.
    But I'm interested in other people's opinions, especially those who work for airlines

    I doubt the opinions you mention are any less useless than mine or yours.


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    #21
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    Augeo wrote: »


    I doubt the opinions you mention are any less useless than mine or yours.

    You may dismiss it as useless.
    Either way, I'm open minded & happy to hear other people's opinions.


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    #22
    Locker10a
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,173 Mod ✭✭✭✭Locker10a


    Poly wrote: »
    You may dismiss it as useless.
    Either way, I'm open minded & happy to hear other people's opinions.

    I was flying this time last year, this exact week last year I called sick to work as I had quite a bad head cold and blocked sinuses, and learned over the years it’s NOT worth flying in this condition and actually quite dangerous. It’s was one of the worse colds I’ve had but no idea if it was Covid or not. Approximately 6/7 days before I got it I was at a concert (remember them!) did I possibly pick something up there? Maybe? Was it Covid, we’ll never know! The following week was my annual line check, that flight got canceled and I haven’t stepped foot on an aircraft since.


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    #23
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    Locker10a wrote: »
    I haven’t stepped foot on an aircraft since.

    Hope you get back in the air soon.

    I took a few (work related) flights last year to the UK.
    In fairness to the airline (Ryanair) it was well controlled and I felt all the risks were mitigated as far a practicable. Certainly more controlled than my local supermarket.

    Masks were mandatory on the flight at a time when NPHET were still debating the efficacy of mask wearing.


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    #24
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 17,728 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Locker10a wrote: »
    I was flying this time last year, this exact week last year I called sick to work as I had quite a bad head cold and blocked sinuses, ...........

    Doesn't sound like Covid.


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    #25
    Locker10a
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,173 Mod ✭✭✭✭Locker10a


    Augeo wrote: »
    Doesn't sound like Covid.

    No, I don’t necessarily think it was, although I had a temperature I don’t recall any loss of smell or taste. At the time all the talk was about having a cough! Whatever I had, probably seasonal cold/flu, I think I probably caught it at the concert, and not from a flight, but it’s impossible to ever know now, but due to the hype, it crossed my mind at the time.


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    #26
    Astral Nav
    Registered Users Posts: 122 ✭✭Astral Nav


    Poly wrote: »
    I'm curious to find out how Air crews, cabin crew and passenger facing airport staff have faired during the pandemic.

    I'm thinking back to last Feb, March before the controls and precautions were in place and crews would have be travelling throughout EU and mingling in Airports, hotels etc.


    Did air crews become infected in the early months or even before the first "official" case in Ireland?

    You do know that most Irish based crews work out and back without stopovers or being in airports? A few I know got it, more were nervous. Most just had to deal with a lot less money, careers that have gone, hearing journalists and politicians demonise air travel and a great deal of boredom combined with a fear that no one in government has the slightest idea how to get things going again.


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    #27
    Poly
    Registered Users Posts: 1,807 ✭✭✭Poly


    Astral Nav wrote: »
    You do know that most Irish based crews work out and back without stopovers or being in airports? A few I know got it, more were nervous. Most just had to deal with a lot less money, careers that have gone, hearing journalists and politicians demonise air travel and a great deal of boredom combined with a fear that no one in government has the slightest idea how to get things going again.

    Yes, I'm aware of that, I was very regular on flights to Manchester & Southampton for years, got to know several of the crew and some passengers who were regulars.

    Eamon Ryan is the worst transport minister to have at this time, possibly one of he worst ministers we have ever had imo.


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