I'm going to fly from Fl. to Ca. the day after tomorrow, and here's the precautions I'm taking;

[A HERETIC I AM]

None.

Not a sausage.

Because if I'm going to get a highly communicable disease, It's going to happen anyway. Wearing a mask will not do very much, so I'm not going to wear one.

Why?

Because I don't want to, that's why. Oh, I will probably move away from someone sneezing and coughing a bunch while I sit at the bar between flights, but I would do that anyway.

If I get sick, I get sick. Whatever. I'm not going to carry on like the rest of humanity is a danger to my existence. This planet is out to kill us off no matter what. This is a blip on the radar.

That is all. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Edit: And just to make sure some people don't think I'm being glib, or brushing away the seriousness of Covid-19, I'm not, far from it, but I saw my Pulmonologist the other day and she told me that as a COPD patient, I was in a higher risk category anyway, and based on everything else I've read, it is the ones that already HAVE it that need to wear masks, not the rest of us.

Those that have it, are suffering or ill and those that have died from it have my sympathies, but like I said, I'm not going to carry on as if everyone around me is a threat to my health. They aren't.

[USALiberal]

1. +1000! I would do the same! nt

[TheBlackAdder]

21. Yep. You just put a little vaseline in your nasal passages to prevent drying, prevents infections.

.

I got my pilot's license in 1980.

.

[iwillalwayswonderwhy]

2. Yeah, if I had a planned and paid for flight, I'd do the same

But at this point, I’m taking a wait and see attitude before planning anything.

I do have expensive show tickets and plans to be in a studio audience. These were planned in November. I still intend to attend them. But new plans, I will put on hold for now.

[lunasun]

3. I travel + have a thin blue mask in my pocket in case I do get a seat next to someone not only sick

but not covering their cough ,sneezes etc.
I have yet to use it .
Will it help? I have no idea notN95
Will fly back home to Chicago next week and then work local for a long time .
I have a friend who works 5 days a week at Ohare
I’m thinking he gets more germies everyday than me on a random flight
but he is never sick not even a cold or flu during the winter months
Maybe just a healthy dude
I’ve had 2 bad colds this winter season, not looking for another virus 🤧

[HipChick]

4. I'm right with you...got a 6hr flight next week..

and then going from DC to London a week later..
If I don't get my upgrade, I might wipe down the seat...

[58Sunliner]

5. I'll assume you are not immunocompromised.

[agingdem]

6. Denver next week with a Las Vegas stopover

I lived thru the Asian Flu, the Hong Kong Flu and whatever else raises it's ugly head in the winter...I'm 71 years old, my immune system is shot to hell...septic shock in October...the media is pushing this ridiculous hype and honestly if I'm going to die I hope it's sitting in front of a penny slot machine...

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. LOL....

There ya go!

[apcalc]

7. I'll assume you have the luxury of no underlying health condition.

That is, no lung condition ( asthma, COPD and the like), diabetes, cancer, etc.

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. Read my edit

I have COPD

Quit smoking 2 years ago next month.

[apcalc]

10. Wow , COPD and you are going?

Your attitude is very different from mine.

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. Sure. It's part of my job and I'm just not that worried.

Now, if it was my job to go aboard a cruise ship full of sick people and pilot it out of the harbor, I might have a different attitude. If I was flying FROM San Francisco or Seattle or LAX, I also might have a different attitude.


But I'm not. I'm flying from Jacksonville, which has ZERO reported cases, through DFW, which has zero cases, to Bakersfield, which has zero cases.


I understand the risks, to be sure.

I'm just not too alarmed by them for this trip.

[apcalc]

13. Best wishes!

[Kaleva]

11. Several studies have found that face masks are effective

"According to a study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, families with kids who had flu-like symptoms and used the masks properly were 80% less likely to be diagnosed with the same thing.

Another study looked at 400 people who had the flu found that family members who wore a surgical mask and washed their hands reduced their chance of getting the flu by 70%.

“Individual brands of masks and that sort of thing hasn't been studied, but the few studies that have looked at them do have an effect – in some studies, up to 50 to 80% reduction in transmission,” UW virology expert Alex Greninger said. “They seem to stop large droplets, and I think the other key thing to mention with masks is that it really depends on what you're willing to wear.”

Coronavirus is most commonly spread through the air by coughing or sneezing or though close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

While masks do seem promising, it's also important to utilize other preventive measures. Make sure you wash your hands often during flu season, especially if you're around others who may be sick. Also, be sure to get your annual flu shot to protect yourself and others from spreading the virus."

https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/surgical-mask-effectiveness/281-9c762e52-c2ec-4dec-b5f3-77ee833fca1e

"At the start of flu season in the last two years, participants were randomly assigned to six weeks of wearing a standard medical procedure mask alone, mask use and hand sanitizer use, or a control group with no intervention. Researchers followed students for incidence of influenza like illness symptoms, defined as cough with at least one other characteristic symptom such as fever, chills or body aches, Monto said.

From the third week on, both the mask only and mask/hand sanitizer interventions showed a significant or nearly significant reduction in the rate of influenza-like illness symptoms in comparison to the control group. The observed reduction in rate of flu-like symptoms remained even after adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, hand washing practices, sleep quality, and flu vaccination."

https://news.umich.edu/masks-hand-washing-prevent-spread-of-flu-like-symptoms-by-up-to-50-percent/

[MLAA]

14. I'm grounding myself and husband for awhile.

No non-essential travel for me, and since I recently retired all travel is non essential. My husband is up there in age and has COPD, so no way on travel.

Good luck

[A HERETIC I AM]

15. Well thanks!

I'll be fine.

[MLAA]

16. 🙂

[Kali]

17. well, yeah everyone around you IS a threat to your health.

but it has always been like that.

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. So THAT'S why you live up in a canyon!!

[Arazi]

18. The airplane filters are actually super powerful. Put the air blowing on you

It will create your own little purified air bubble.

No bullshit, it's TRUE. Use wipes on the tray and atm rests. Don't touch the mags or info sheets. Wash your hands. You'll be fine.

Good luck

[A HERETIC I AM]

20. Thanks.

I've definitely stepped up the hand washing.