Anti Federalist
10-17-2014, 01:24 PM
Airline: Ebola not a concern as sick passenger was kept in lavatory
By Dane Schiller
Updated 10:38 am, Friday, October 17, 2014
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/As-Ebola-fear-spreads-flight-crew-locks-sick-5829359.php
A University of Texas professor said she was "disgusted" on an American Airlines flight as the crew, she believes was fearing the spread of Ebola, kept a woman who had vomited shut in the plane's bathroom.
"I was outraged by what I saw," said Martha Selby, who is the head of the Austin university's Asian Studies Department.
Selby was on Flight 2325 Thursday evening from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago as she made her way to an academic conference.
"She was making her way to the bathroom and vomited in the aisle," Selby recalled of the passenger. "The flight attendants, I think, over-reacted completely. It was just crazy."
She said the sick passenger, who appeared to be in her 40s, was told by the flight crew that given current public health concerns she would have to tell them where she had been traveling and that she'd have to stay in the bathroom, Selby said.
"They told her to stay in the bathroom, and she stayed in the bathroom. They said, 'We can't let you out,'" Selby recalled. "This was way out of control and it is because of the hype."
But American Airlines said that the crew was not concerned about Ebola and was merely taking good care of a passenger who had gotten violently ill.
"There were no concerns related to Ebola," said American Airlines spokeswoman Michelle Mohr. "Our crew saw a very sick woman that probably had food poisoning or something. She was so sick that she asked to remain in the lavatory for the duration of the flight."
Mohr said that while there is certainly a heightened sensitivity in society as well as among crew members about Ebola, that was not a factor in this instance.
"This was just a sick passenger, and we took care of her," she said. "Our crew did the right thing."
She said the woman was never told she had to stay in the lavatory.
Last week, an American Airlines flight made an emergency stop in Midland over concerns about another vomiting passenger.
Ebola has been an especially tense matter in Dallas as a man recently died there after flying to the United States from Liberia, where he'd been infected. Two nurses who treated him were infected and are in the hospital, and several other health-care workers are being monitored for signs of the Ebola.
Eric Duncan had lied to officials about having been exposed to the virus before getting on the plane to the United States.
Western Africa has been the epicenter for Ebola, with the Centers for Disease Control urging people to avoid all non-essential travel to Liberia as well as Guinea and Sierra Leone.
On the American Airlines flight attendants took a red seat belt extender and cordoned off the very back of the plane where the bathroom was located. Mohr said it was blocked off simply because it had become soiled with vomit, not because of concerns it was infectious.
The woman spent the remainder of the flight, about 45 minutes, in the bathroom.
Selby said she understands health concerns, but believes the incident amounted to racial profiling - the woman was black - and a violation of the woman's civil rights.
"If I had puked on the plane, would they have they done that to me? I'm a 60-year-old white woman with gray hair. No, they would not have," she said, noting that fellow passengers shared her concerns about race playing a role in the incident.
When the plane landed, all passengers were told to remain in their seats as emergency personnel boarded the plane and took the woman away. He carry on bag was wrapped in plastic and taken with her, Selby said.
"She was ill, whether she had a tummy upset or was airsick, I have no idea," Selby said. "It was so alarming how it was handled and it panicked everybody on the airplane."
Mohr, of American Airlines, said the company has reviewed procedures for keeping passengers safe and will continue to take any steps directed by the Centers for Disease Control.
"The safety of our customers and employees is American Airlines first priority," she said. "We are following the direction of, and strictly adhering to, all Centers for Disease Control guidelines in place for airlines in response to the Ebola outbreak."
By Dane Schiller
Updated 10:38 am, Friday, October 17, 2014
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/As-Ebola-fear-spreads-flight-crew-locks-sick-5829359.php
A University of Texas professor said she was "disgusted" on an American Airlines flight as the crew, she believes was fearing the spread of Ebola, kept a woman who had vomited shut in the plane's bathroom.
"I was outraged by what I saw," said Martha Selby, who is the head of the Austin university's Asian Studies Department.
Selby was on Flight 2325 Thursday evening from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago as she made her way to an academic conference.
"She was making her way to the bathroom and vomited in the aisle," Selby recalled of the passenger. "The flight attendants, I think, over-reacted completely. It was just crazy."
She said the sick passenger, who appeared to be in her 40s, was told by the flight crew that given current public health concerns she would have to tell them where she had been traveling and that she'd have to stay in the bathroom, Selby said.
"They told her to stay in the bathroom, and she stayed in the bathroom. They said, 'We can't let you out,'" Selby recalled. "This was way out of control and it is because of the hype."
But American Airlines said that the crew was not concerned about Ebola and was merely taking good care of a passenger who had gotten violently ill.
"There were no concerns related to Ebola," said American Airlines spokeswoman Michelle Mohr. "Our crew saw a very sick woman that probably had food poisoning or something. She was so sick that she asked to remain in the lavatory for the duration of the flight."
Mohr said that while there is certainly a heightened sensitivity in society as well as among crew members about Ebola, that was not a factor in this instance.
"This was just a sick passenger, and we took care of her," she said. "Our crew did the right thing."
She said the woman was never told she had to stay in the lavatory.
Last week, an American Airlines flight made an emergency stop in Midland over concerns about another vomiting passenger.
Ebola has been an especially tense matter in Dallas as a man recently died there after flying to the United States from Liberia, where he'd been infected. Two nurses who treated him were infected and are in the hospital, and several other health-care workers are being monitored for signs of the Ebola.
Eric Duncan had lied to officials about having been exposed to the virus before getting on the plane to the United States.
Western Africa has been the epicenter for Ebola, with the Centers for Disease Control urging people to avoid all non-essential travel to Liberia as well as Guinea and Sierra Leone.
On the American Airlines flight attendants took a red seat belt extender and cordoned off the very back of the plane where the bathroom was located. Mohr said it was blocked off simply because it had become soiled with vomit, not because of concerns it was infectious.
The woman spent the remainder of the flight, about 45 minutes, in the bathroom.
Selby said she understands health concerns, but believes the incident amounted to racial profiling - the woman was black - and a violation of the woman's civil rights.
"If I had puked on the plane, would they have they done that to me? I'm a 60-year-old white woman with gray hair. No, they would not have," she said, noting that fellow passengers shared her concerns about race playing a role in the incident.
When the plane landed, all passengers were told to remain in their seats as emergency personnel boarded the plane and took the woman away. He carry on bag was wrapped in plastic and taken with her, Selby said.
"She was ill, whether she had a tummy upset or was airsick, I have no idea," Selby said. "It was so alarming how it was handled and it panicked everybody on the airplane."
Mohr, of American Airlines, said the company has reviewed procedures for keeping passengers safe and will continue to take any steps directed by the Centers for Disease Control.
"The safety of our customers and employees is American Airlines first priority," she said. "We are following the direction of, and strictly adhering to, all Centers for Disease Control guidelines in place for airlines in response to the Ebola outbreak."