Swine Flu: Woman's 'Flu-Like Symptoms' Divert Plane To Boston

BOSTON — A flight from Germany has been diverted to Boston because a passenger complained of flu-like symptoms.

Airport spokesman Phil Orlandella says United Airlines Flight 903 landed in Boston early Friday afternoon after a 53-year-old female passenger reported her symptoms.

He says the woman was checked at Massachusetts General Hospital and the flight continued to Washington Dulles International Airport.

United spokesman Rahsaan Johnson says the pilot landed in Boston on the advice of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It isn't yet clear what caused the woman's symptoms or whether she might be suffering from swine flu.

Johnson says the flight had 245 passengers and 14 crew members.

(This version CORRECTS that the plane had 14 crew members, not six.)

Comments

[MagicalPossibilities]

Total overreacti­on... Jeez, given the dire warnings you would think the airlines would carry a few surgical masks for these situations.

[wordvarc]

Ahhh...CHO­O!

[clumberfeet]

Joe Biden was right.

[randakost]

Call me silly (go ahead, do it!) but I have a cold and I haven't been to my gym in a week, though I usually work out through these things if they're not serious. I've actually considered­...there I am, coughing and sounding congested.­.even though I cover my mouth and wipe down whatever I'm working with...am I going to make the other people really nervous? I'm really uncomfortable cause I NEED to get some exercise, but choosing to go hiking in the rain tomorrow instead, where I'll be less likely to freak people out.

[wdw505]

i have allergies and i sneeze yesterday then the elevator cleared...­.....funny as hel1

[boatsfra]

I coughed at a Bruce Springsteen concert...­Front row seats! EASY!

[Checquoline]

OMG! now you gave it to everyone on the Huff Po.

[barriosbabe]

I sympathize. I've skipped two gym sessions and one Zumba.

[Harmony1812]

So, this lady did not have symptoms before boarding the plane? She had to mess up the travel plans for a planeload of people just becuase she wanted attention or what?

[KillTheMessenger]

So now we need to have a genetic test of all our viruses before we board planes! And I though taking off my shoes was excessive.

:-)

And never forget: Sneezing in public is treason!

[plooger]

what the heck is the point of "diverting" to Boston, when finishing the trip to Washington wouldn't have taken much more time?

[CraigB]

I had the same thought. It's about an hour further, and if she had swine flu and was symptomatic, it would have been too late to prevent the other passengers from being exposed. So unless, they thought she might die without immediate treatment, landing in Boston made no sense.

[redsongia]

Why is my city suddenly the place to be when you have swine flu?

[wdw505]

because it is a liberal city and expendable

[wordvarc]

good medical research and adequate and available care...

[wdw505]

this could be his Katrina...­....no matter what he does or does not do he will be wrong in some manner....­...

closing the border....­..he is wrong by hurting mexico's economy if the virus does not get worse.

not closing the border....­..he is wrong if the virus does get worse in the US.

buying too many anti-virus drug he is wasting money if it doesn't get much worse

if he does not order enough he is wrong for allowing it to get out of hand

it is a no win position

[KillTheMessenger]

NON SENSE

[wdw505]

but fun......h­e is in a no win position

[CJWebber]

What worries me more than this flu is the realization that so many people are addicted to fear. They seem to relish it.

[wdw505]

just waiting to paint mrbo with it

[KillTheMessenger]

What worries me is that in the US these people can carry guns...

:-)

[wdw505]

it is called a right to carry

[Diogenis]

..........­..........­....Please do not sneeze on line. Thank you, The Management

[Adrienne Williams - Huffpost Blogger]

I guess Joe Biden was right, eh? Ah the days of being on a plane, for 18 hours living in Japan.

[gorgol]

Biden was right. The air in planes is circulated­...perhaps not "politically correct/money correct"..­.but what happens if this gets worse....I guarantee that people are going to start canceling vacations.­..
and yes...18 hours..is plenty of time..to infect everyone. I wonder if they are going to take the names of all those on board...an­d what if they are infected?? geeze...

[wdw505]

no most of the air in planes is recirculated not just circulated

[tploomis]

This doesn't make sense. If everybody on a plane could be infected by one person with swine flu on the plane, then our experience with flying would be that we would always get sick, because many people on planes have various illnesses, some percentage of which are contagious. That hasn't been my personal experience when flying -- I've almost never been sick after flying long distances.

if this woman had flu symptoms, why did she get on the plane in the first place? Oh, that's right, some people do that, like the guy with incurable TB that got on a plane without regard for the health of others and is now suing because he thinks his reputation was subsequently damaged.

But why did the woman with flu symptoms decide in the middle of the flight to make an issue of it? Oh, that's right, some people like to make big scenes, inconvenience others, and generally be hypochondriacal drama queens.

[wdw505]

no it is still an over reaction

[trimom]

My thoughts exactly.

[underthegun1]

Hmmm, what will I be doing today. Maybe go to Home Depot, or Bed Bath and Beyond if I have enough time. What I won't be doing is worrying about some media-produced pandemic. Have fun with those cool masks though.

[Bompa]

Ok everybody run up and down the isle yelling.."­UNCLEAN..U­NCLEAN!!!"­..

Nothing like a little panic to make for an exciting flight....­.. (groan....­)

[dollbaby]

What I dont get is why the plane was allowed to land in Boston as opposed to Dulles? Ok, you guys can be exposed but not people at Dulles.

[underthegun1]

If I was on that flight I would be going off! What a joke.

[Diogenis]

The power of an "alleged bug"!~

[Harmony1812]

That lady would be at the top of my ^*it list.

[hark]

So, um, can we call off the impeachment of Joe Biden, then?

Seems like a lot of hysteria going around, but not much common sense, or swine flu, for that matter. Everyday flu kills 36000 Americans a year. This one? One, so far as I know. Yet it's received more attention than ten year's worth of the regular stuff.

Seems like an awful lot of people are guilty of what they want to lynch Joe Biden for.

[jt1980]

Think percentage, not number. In Mexico, out of 2000 cases, the mortality death has been around 8%. 30,000 is nowhere near the 8% rate of normal flu cases annually in the USA.

[KillTheMessenger]

Mexico is not the US. For one thing the number is most likely way over-reported, for another you could be dealing with immunologically compromised people among those who really died. No comparison. If you had an outbreak of the Spanish Flu today, mortality would be way less than it was in 1918. I bet with you that after two weeks the Spanish Flu would disappear from the news, just like this one will.

[Wiseronenow]

Flight attendant: "Oh, yes, that will be $5.00 for the blanket and pillow and $3.50 for the face mask". If the airlines can make money on this health situation, they will. My option to the flight attendant, "make that a double, hold the ice and I'll be fine".

[wdw505]

and they will reuse the masks.....­....laughi­ng....more profit

[KillTheMessenger]

But you can get your oxygen for free!

[hereinlou]

Statistically, wouldn't it be more likely that this woman just has one of your everyday-r­un-of-the-­mill flu? Or maybe a cold?

[wdw505]

yep

[KillTheMessenger]

She might be simulating for all we know.

[tploomis]

She might be a highly suggestible hypochondriac.