I just tested positive for COVID-19. Should I still travel?
Variations of this question are on the rise in Google Search (as we experience a significant increase in summer travel and new coronavirus cases).
If you travel for work or pleasure and haven’t yet decided whether or not to fly with COVID-19, chances are you will at some point.
President Joe Biden just tested positive while campaigning in Las Vegas. Several Tour de France cyclists are also dealing with the latest COVID-19 outbreak. And I caught it earlier this month during a recent cross-country trip, testing positive just two days before I was due to fly to Alaska to help my parents — ages 79 and 85 — move out of their recently sold family home.
Ethically, I didn’t feel right about boarding a plane knowing I had COVID-19, and I certainly couldn’t show up at my parents’ house with the virus. But the last-minute rush to reschedule the trip, with our dog, my husband, and my parents still needing my help, was super stressful.
To know more: Best Travel Insurance
Should I fly if I just tested positive for COVID?
Technically, you he can plane sickness − no one is going to stop you at the gate and wipe your nose − but you shouldn’t.
Just because airlines no longer require you to show a recent negative COVID-19 test before your international flight, as they sometimes did in the early years of the pandemic, doesn’t mean travel has to be a germ-free affair.
“I suggest you do not fly,” Vicki Sowards, director of nursing resources at Passport Health, wrote in an email. “You may expose other travelers on your flight, and the process of traveling may contribute to fatigue and an increase in symptoms.”
If you know you have COVID-19, or think you might have it, you should not board a plane, according to health experts, the CDC and everyone who commented on my social media pages last week.
“Should you travel if you have COVID? Absolutely not. Other people are immunocompromised, so you can essentially kill innocent people,” says Nick Longo, 56, of Corpus Christi, Texas. Longo travels outside of America “at least once a year” and flies domestically. “Do I think a lot of people are flying with it right now? Yes. People who don’t care about others are[flying]. That’s why it’s spread.”
Mike Hensley, 54, of Northern California, agrees.
“It’s a simple answer,” he wrote. “No. You shouldn’t travel. That’s how viruses spread quickly. But yes, I’m sure people are traveling while positive because they think it’s a seasonal allergy or cold, they’ve convinced themselves they don’t feel that bad, or they’re already on the rise (and don’t know/care about how viruses work), or they’re just selfish and don’t care about the people they’re exposing.”
I’ve traveled on a dozen planes in the past few months, and, interestingly enough, it’s true that many people are sniffling, sneezing, and coughing, with no masks in sight.
Another traveler told me she knew three people who flew from California to Europe despite having COVID-19. She and her parents, on the other hand, changed their travel plans last month when they contracted the virus, postponing their flight until they had tested negative for three days.
Should I wear a mask on the plane?
The CDC, the World Health Organization, the Mayo Clinic and many other medical professionals agree that masks help reduce the risk of respiratory virus transmission, especially in confined spaces like airplanes, trains, buses and automobiles. Officials say N95 masks are the most effective.
Anecdotally, there seem to be many people choosing to fly without a mask—either knowing they have COVID-19 or not getting tested to find out when they show symptoms. There’s no doubt that people are tired of masks and the pandemic, and many are likely treating COVID-19 like a seasonal flu or a cold—something they’ll have to deal with when they catch it.
Some people have even written on my social media pages that when it comes to traveling, they don’t worry about transmitting the virus to others because they think it’s a risk people consciously take when they get on a plane these days.
That last sentiment resonated with me because I suspect that’s how I contracted COVID-19 two Julys in a row, on the heels of cross-country work trips that coincided with peak summer travel and virus spikes.
What should you do if you test positive for COVID shortly before a planned trip?
Even though I’ve been vaccinated and will get my last booster in December 2023, I have some risk factors and got so sick with COVID-19 last summer that I wasn’t able to do much of anything for about two weeks.
I initially thought I had seasonal allergies and waited a few days before getting tested. By the time I did, I was already pretty sick. I had extreme headaches, congestion in my head and chest, muscle aches and fatigue, and I lost my sense of taste and smell for almost two months.
This summer was different. Even though I barely had a tickle in my throat, I was tired and sore and knew something was wrong, so I took a test right away. When it came back positive, I started taking Paxlovid right away and postponed my trip to Alaska.
I didn’t fly until my test came back negative, and I still wore a mask the entire time I was on the plane. (I didn’t eat or drink the entire flight.) I’ll continue to wear one indoors until all of my last symptoms (I still have a mild sniffle) are gone, even though I’ve now met the latest guidelines of having two negative tests 48 hours apart. It’s not worth the risk of getting my parents—or anyone else—sick.
I’ll admit I’ve become a lot more relaxed about wearing masks on planes over the past year. I often feel a little self-conscious about being one of the only people wearing one, but getting sick isn’t worth it. I plan on wearing one on all future flights.
What are the latest CDC guidelines?
I have several friends who, as long as they feel well enough, should put on a mask and go back to the office to work, even with COVID-19. What exactly are the rules now?
The CDC’s latest guidelines, updated in March, say you can return to your normal activities if you meet two requirements:
- You have been fever-free for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medications).
- Your symptoms are improving overall.
However, you may still be contagious, and the CDC recommends that for at least five days after resuming your routine, you:
- Wear masks.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Practice physical distancing (especially from people with risk factors for respiratory illnesses).
- Take extra steps to have cleaner air.
In addition to the CDC guidelines, the FDA recommends “2 negative antigen tests for individuals with symptoms or three negative antigen tests for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart” before you return to socializing with others.
Travel insurance:What are the most affordable options?
What if I can’t quarantine or get sick outside my home?
The costs of flight changes, extended stays, and even additional time away from work add up. Does this mean you should stop traveling? No, but you should have a COVID-19 plan that protects others, Richard Martinello, medical director of infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut, told Outside Magazine recently.
Martinello urges people to consider the moral and ethical ramifications of putting others in harm’s way, “like not driving drunk,” he said. “Putting yourself in prolonged close contact with other travelers when you are knowingly sick, whether with COVID or any other contagious virus, is irresponsible. You never know who you’re sitting next to on a plane. If they’re immunocompromised, even a cold can push them over the edge into serious illness.”
Be sure to check your airline’s COVID-19 policies before purchasing your ticket. Many are even waiving change fees for travelers who need to rebook because they have the virus. For even more protection, book a ticket that can be changed or credited if you have to cancel your flight, and look into travel insurance.
I almost always fly Alaska Airlines, and I usually pay a little extra to make my trip 100% refundable no matter what. I didn’t do that for this last flight (to save my husband and I $280) and ended up paying a $37 change fee for the difference in ticket prices between the day I was supposed to fly and the day I did. Many airlines will also give you full credit for a future flight if you have to cancel due to illness.
How can I stay safe while traveling?
Vicki Sowards of Passport Health says being prepared is vital. She urges travelers to get COVID-19 booster shots before their trip and to bring a first aid kit, including any medications they use when they are sick.
“You want to be in optimal health when you’re taking the ‘trip of a lifetime,’” she said. Because COVID-19 spreads through airborne particles and droplets, “bring a mask and hand sanitizer on the plane in case you have a seatmate or other traveler nearby who is coughing and appears to be sick. Use hand sanitizer before eating or when you know you’ll be touching your face.”
Jennifer Alegre is an Emmy Award-winning consumer technology columnist and on-air correspondent. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her atJJ@Techish.com.
