Passengers Being Notified Of Possible COVID-19 Exposure After Death Of Man Who Collapsed On United Airlines Flight
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- Passengers who were aboard a flight that with a man who later collapsed and died -- from what a coroner said was coronavirus -- are now being notified about possible exposure to COVID-19 on the United Airlines flight.
It was initially thought that the man suffered cardiac arrest, but his wife said he had symptoms of coronavirus and they were flying home to get him tested.
The 164-passenger United Flight 591 took off on the night of December 14 from Orlando to LAX, but was diverted and landed in New Orleans due to the sick passenger.
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An EMT and others had performed CPR on the man, risking their exposure due to close contact with the infected passenger, according to the coroner's report.
United Airlines confirmed on Dec. 18 that it was contacted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the man, who was identified by the Los Angeles Times as 69-year-old Isaias Hernandez of Los Angeles.
The flight attendants who were working the flight also went into quarantine after the plane arrived in Los Angeles, according to the union, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
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