United flight EMT feels ‘like I was hit by a train’ as Covid symptoms strike days after ‘virus’ patient heroics on plane
THE United Airlines flight EMT said he feels “like I was hit by a train” as Covid symptoms struck days after helping a dying “coronavirus patient” on the plane. Tony Aldapa attempted to help a fellow passenger who was having a medical emergency on Los Angeles-bound United Flight 591 from Orlando, Florida, on Monday. Aldapa said: “When […]
THE United Airlines flight EMT said he feels “like I was hit by a train” as Covid symptoms struck days after helping a dying “coronavirus patient” on the plane.
Tony Aldapa attempted to help a fellow passenger who was having a medical emergency on Los Angeles-bound United Flight 591 from Orlando, Florida, on Monday.
Aldapa said: “When I woke up again on Wednesday, my whole body was still hurting.
“I had a headache, a little bit of a cough, and then it kinda — everyday since then my cough will be a little bit worse, or my headache will be a little bit worse, I feel like I got hit by a train. Not well.”
The EMT added that he had a Covid test following the incident, which came back negative.
Despite rescue attempts and continued CPR by a handful of passengers, the plane was eventually rerouted to New Orleans just one hour and 30 minutes into the flight.
According to the Daily Mail, Aldapa took to Twitter over the weekend to address the harrowing experience.
He wrote: “I made the decision to attempt to save the passengers life and along with two others performed CPR for close to an hour until we landed.
“And continued to help the firefighters when they came onboard.
“I knew the risks involved in performing CPR on someone that potentially has COVID but I made the choice to do so anyways.”
Aldapa then explained how the sick passenger’s wife never said her husband was positive for Covid, she only mentioned he had a test planned once they were in their destination.
Recalling his helpful actions, Aldapa said: “I spent the remainder of the flight covered in my own sweat and in that man’s urine.
“I have since become symptomatic myself and am awaiting the results of my second test. I have not been contacted by the airline or by CDC as of this time.
“Looking back I would not change my actions, but I may have stepped up earlier. Knowing I had the knowledge, training and experience to help out, I could not have sat idly by and watched someone die.”
The man who died was seen “shaking and sweating as he boarded the plane,” a Twitter user reportedly said.
Aldapa a started his life-saving attempts by standing up out of his seat and saying: “Hey I know CPR. Do you need some extra help?”
He recalled it was approximately 45 minutes from when he started helping to when the fire department arrived.
Aldapa added: “There was no mouth-to-mouth at all. We were doing chest compressions and they had him on the oxygen mask from the plane, then once we had a medical bag that is kept on board.
“We used an ambu-bag which is a bag that you squeeze to give breaths, that’s what we used for breathing.”
Once the plane landed in Louisiana, the sick man was transported by paramedics to a nearby hospital.
A few days later, the airline revealed the now-deceased passenger had claimed he had not tested positive for coronavirus and had no symptoms.
As per the CDC, the following symptoms could be related to Covid: “Fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
The Centers of Disease Control has not yet revealed the man’s cause of death, however, his wife revealed her husband had a few symptoms possibly relating to the virus, according to United.
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United issued a public statement following the tragic incident.
It read: “We implore passengers not to travel if they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have COVID-related symptoms. If in doubt, the best option is to get tested.
“The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority, which is why we have various policies and procedures in place such as mask mandates and requiring customers to complete a ‘Ready-to-Fly’ checklist before the flight.”