Coroner confirms United flight passenger’s cause of death was COVID-19 [Video]

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• The 69-year-old United Airlines passenger who died on board last week had COVID-19, as confirmed by Louisiana coroner Gerry Cvitanovich.
• The passenger did not reveal the symptoms prior to the flight.
• United is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help in contact tracing.

The passenger who died on a United Airlines flight last week was confirmed to have COVID-19, Jefferson Parish coroner Gerry Cvitanovich validated.

The 69-year-old flight passenger, identified as Isaias Hernandez from Los Angeles, died due to the coronavirus and respiratory failure, The Washington Post reported.

During the flight, Hernandez’s wife was telling the plane’s medical workers that her husband was experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, including trouble breathing and loss of taste and smell. The medical emergency aboard Flight 591 caused an unplanned landing in New Orleans.

The man did not reveal the symptoms prior to the flight.

United’s early statements about the medical emergency said that it initially believed the man had a heart attack. The airline told The New York Times that it gave passengers the option to take a later flight or continue to Los Angeles — and that all of the passengers chose to continue.

According to the Post, United officials said they only learned about the COVID-19 symptoms later on, but wrongly indicated on a preflight checklist that he did not have symptoms.

On Friday, the air company said it was providing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the needed information to help in contact tracing.

“We are sharing requested information with the agency so they can work with local health officials to conduct outreach to any customer the CDC believes may be at risk for possible exposure or infection,” the airline told the Times.

“We implore passengers [to avoid travel] if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have COVID-related symptoms,” it continued. “If in doubt, the best option is to get tested.”

One of the medical volunteers on board, Tony Aldapa, told CNN on Monday that he has developed fatigue, cough and headache since the incident, but has tested negative for the virus.

Source: The Hill