Glad I Wore A Face Mask On Plane (best, airline, airport)

[itscolduphere]

Here's an eye-opener for those of you who are wondering if you should be safe and bring along some face masks for your plane trip....

My husband and I recently took a short flight from RDU into Hartford, and while at the drugstore buying the usual travel size toothpastes, etc., I thought I would buy a box of facemasks "just in case" because I had recently saw on ABC News that Dr. Timothy Johnson recommended wearing them while flying, as a precaution against H1N1.

So there we are at the gate waiting for our flight out, and there's this businessman who's literally coughing up a lung, and sneezing, and his nose is all red and he looks exhausted and quite sick. So my husband and I looked at each other and were very glad we brought the masks. Meanwhile, this guy doesn't stop coughing and sneezing... it's so bad that we wonder why the airline people aren't telling him not to fly and giving him a refund...

Finally, I went over to him (not standing too close) and I say, "excuse me sir, you don't appear to be feeling very well, would you like one of these masks". To my relief, he says yes. I asked him if he knew how to use it, he did not. So I took one out of the box to give to him, then took another one to show him how to put it on.

I was relieved to see he actually put it on while boarding. There were a few rows in between he and my husband and I... and it was a little comical but serious at the same time, the comments from the guys in between us... One guy says to him, "dude, you REALLY should have stayed home!", and then a bit later... "keep that mask on buddy, or we'll have to throw you out that emergency door!" The guy took it with a sense of humor, but he also needed to know how highly irresponsible it was to get on the plane in that condition. When I gave the guy the mask at the airport... people looking at us looked very relieved. While in flight, those same people were probably wishing they had a mask also!

This was a special trip for us, and I'm glad we had the masks. Not saying the guy had Swine Flu, but, I didn't care how ridiculous we may have looked... we ended up staying well.

If you're wondering if you should wear a mask during a flight, while H1N1 is going around... just do it. You might say it won't help, but it can't hurt. Just think ahead if you will be comfortable or not if you have to sit next to a sick person.

The kicker is, the guy was on the same flight back! He saw my husband and I waiting for the return flight, and sort of had this "oh, no.. where can I hide" look on his face. I waved to him and offered him another mask, he said no thanks, I'm much better (and he was!) So just take some masks. They come in boxfuls of 25 at Walgreens. You can pass them out if there's a sick person on the flight... and it will be your "good deed for the day".

[Tek_Freek]

Interesting post. I think we should consider masks for our flights to and from FL later this year.

[LovingSAT]

I agree great post and thank you for sharing. Kudos to you for offering and him for accepting. Glad he is feeling better too.

[princesasabia]

Nope face masks dont work. H1N1 is airborne and a droplet could touch you anywhere on the surface of your skin or even your eyes. I know a pathologist who even told me that face masks dont work.

[pitroad]

Originally Posted by princesasabia

Nope face masks dont work. H1N1 is airborne and a droplet could touch you anywhere on the surface of your skin or even your eyes. I know a pathologist who even told me that face masks dont work.

I had not given thought to wearing a mask on an upcoming trip but now I think I will. If nothing else it will give me a sense of relief knowing at least I'm doing something and not just sitting there like a bump and hoping I don't get infected. I would like to hear if anyone has directly spoken to their PCP regarding the mask.

[supernerdgirl]

the problem with this is every time I get on an airplane and then land, I get a sinus infection. it's because of the change in pressure, and has happened every time I've flown my entire life. now if that was the case, and I was returning on a flight with you, you might assume i was contagious with all the coughing and runny nose mess that I would have, although I would not be.

I have enjoyed how in this country "coughing/runny nose" is now equivalent to "OMG SWINE FLU!"

[itscolduphere]

That man may not have had H1N1, or even Flu of any type. But I enjoyed my trip and stayed healthy, even if wearing the mask only had a positive effect psychologically...

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by supernerdgirl

the problem with this is every time I get on an airplane and then land, I get a sinus infection. it's because of the change in pressure, and has happened every time I've flown my entire life. now if that was the case, and I was returning on a flight with you, you might assume i was contagious with all the coughing and runny nose mess that I would have, although I would not be.

I have enjoyed how in this country "coughing/runny nose" is now equivalent to "OMG SWINE FLU!"

Or they could have just gotten out of a taxi that reeked of cigarette smoke and they are allergic to it. Or stood in the security line next to someone wearing way too much perfume/cologne that set off their allergies. I had the cigarette cab on the way to the airport recently for my flight home. I was coughing and sneezing like crazy. Didn't help that the day after I had arrived I came down w/ a sinus infection. Got an antibiotic from the doctor while I was there and was much better by the time I flew back home. However, the cigarette smoke filled cab set off the trigger again for my allergies. I have bad allergies and asthma. If someone saw me when something has triggered my allergies they would see the same coughing up a lung, red nose, itchy eyes red eyes, sneezing, etc. And allergies are not contagious. I'm not going to "stay home" just because someone MIGHT think that I'm "contagious" or they are going to "catch" something from me and I sure would not have put on a mask. Why? I want to breathe and I'm trying to grasp for fresh air as it is. It is sometimes those offending odors coming from others that need the mask over their entire bodies

[BergenCountyJohnny]

I will never wear one of those masks on a plane, ever. If anything, I'll use my own handkerchief (yes, I actually carry one with me, especially when I travel). But realistically, what I've learned after years of flying, is that it's best to build up on vitamin c and other immunity-building supplements before flying. The body is amazing, it can take a lot more than people think. But bottom line, I will not wear one of those masks like some peasant in an over-polluted city in China would.

[Asheville Native]

Originally Posted by BergenCountyJohnny

I will never wear one of those masks on a plane, ever. If anything, I'll use my own handkerchief (yes, I actually carry one with me, especially when I travel). But realistically, what I've learned after years of flying, is that it's best to build up on vitamin c and other immunity-building supplements before flying. The body is amazing, it can take a lot more than people think. But bottom line, I will not wear one of those masks like some peasant in an over-polluted city in China would.

Well ain't you just special, but you know that little bug don't give a damn and can decimate your system as completely as it can to the system of people you seem to look down upon, except they chose to protect themselves and may view your death as just a random statistic on the evening news.

You are in no way superior to the peasants you talk down to here, you have just had the fortune of being born in a country that offered more opportunities.

And do you want a surgeon caring for you or someone you care about wearing a hanky, or a surgical mask?