Plane with sick child held at gate in Colorado

[alp227]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- A flight from Mexico was held at a Colorado airport after a 23-month-old child onboard was reported sick, a Frontier Airlines spokeswoman said.

Frontier's Flight 64 from Puerto Vallarta landed at the Denver International Airport on Saturday afternoon.

"Paramedics boarded the flight and have assessed the child and taken the child to a local hospital," said airline spokeswoman Lindsey Purves.

Health officials interviewed the child's family and allowed other passengers to deplane using stairs instead of the jetway, said Jeff Dimond of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/10/03/colorado.flight.sick.child/index.html

[S Calawag]

1. A sensible precaution, it seems...

Someone was on the ball.

[customerserviceguy]

2. Would there have been anything wrong

with allowing the other passengers to deplane to a secured area on the tarmac, perhaps having some folding chairs and under cover? Why pen them up for an extra second on the tin can, in close proximity to a child who might have had a contagious disease?

I guess that will teach anybody who plans a vacation in Mexico. I'd almost rather go to Iraq.

[EFerrari]

4. What? You know that kids all over the world get this stuff, right?

Mexico is a great place to vacation. Very relaxing and affordable, too. We've probably been on that same flight back from Vallarta.

[onecent]

3. My neighbor's 25 years old son was just diagnosed

with hand, foot and mouth disease last week. The doctor told him it was "very common", although usually in younger children. He has 2 children, 1 year old and 4 years old and doctor
says he could be contagious the first few days. The doctor told him there is nothing to do except ride it out. When I saw this story on CNN today I knew immediately it was another FEAR
tactic.. I also researched this disease on line and it is "very common", although, I was surprised, because I am 65 and never heard of this before.

Quote is from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfhf.htm

"HFMD is often confused with foot-and-mouth (also called hoof-and-mouth) disease, a disease of cattle, sheep, and swine; however, the two diseases are not related—they are caused by different viruses. Humans do not get the animal disease, and animals do not get the human disease."

I was pleased to read this as my neighbors are some of my best friends.

[EFerrari]

5. Kids bring home all kinds of stuff.

One of my sons managed to get scarlet fever and his doctor didn't believe me when I called it in. Neither did my boss, lol, but sure enough, it was scarlet fever.

[tblue37]

6. Scarlet fever is just an untreated strep infection that has gone haemolytic.

It is not at all uncommon, though when it shows up in kids in the developed world it usually doesn't get past the stage called "scarletina," because the parents spot the fever and rash and get the kid to the doctor and on antibiotics. My son had it at age 6.

SInce it is so common, I am appalled that your doctor was so sceptical!

[EFerrari]

7. That's about when Nicky had it. He's so fair, the rash was super visible.

It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before so I got out Dr. Spock and looked it up.

[Danmel]

9. My daughter had scarlet fever when she was 6 or 7

All I could think of was Helen Keller, but the pediatrician told me it was just strep & antibiotics would knock it out & I wouldn't have to learn to sign!
That was a relief!

[uppityperson]

8. hand, ft and mouth disease is very common, very transmissible. Most of us had it as kids

since it is usually mild enough for parents to miss. My kid had it, said was feeling a bit down, looked in mouth to see it lined with blisters. Rapid thoughts ran through my mind ranging from "if this was me I'd be in the ER" to "hmmm, hand foot and mouth disease, cool".

Most people haven't heard of it, again since the symptoms are typically mild. If you are around someone who has it, you have been exposed and will probably get it unless you've already had it. There are a few people who get seriously ill, but mostly it isn't bad.

Trying to explain this to the local grade school was difficult since they freaked out. Yes, I was working public health at the time also, made them call me at work to explain what it was.

[MikeW]

10. Not a fear tactic at all

They didnt initally know what the child had and they took reasonable precautions.

What if they kid came into the country with something very serious and highly contageous.

You'd be the first one screaming why didnt they stop them from deplaining.

EMS and security took a reasonable precaution to protect the public in this case.

THE PARENTS ARE TOTAL BONEHEADS FOR FLYING WITH A SICK CHILD THAT COULD EASILY TRANSMIT IT TO SOMEONE ELSE.

[Skittles]

11. CORRECT

[neverforget]

12. I got hand, foot and mouth disease 2 years ago at the age of 37. God did that

suck! I could hardly eat anything because my throat and mouth hurt. It seems that I never got it when I was a kid so I got it when my daughter did.