You went on a trip. And you got COVID. Now what?
This was the topic of our Coronavirus FAQ last week. We asked people how they handled the situation. Did they follow instructions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quarantine and wait 10 days before flying? Or have they traveled anyway, even though they can infect others?
I myself have been in this dilemma. And it seems like a lot of other NPR readers have been, too. We were inundated with nearly 5,000 responses via Instagram, Facebook, email and Twitter.
Many readers shared that they couldn’t afford the added expense of quarantine or couldn’t take a week off work, so they traveled while sick. They warned that getting the antiviral pill Paxlovid or even a pulse oximeter could be a challenge in some countries. And for those who were able to self-quarantine, many said they were disappointed to have to restart or cancel their travel plans. and face unexpected expenses.
Here is a sample of reader responses, edited for length and clarity.
“I felt terrible flying, but I did the best I could”
“I tested positive for COVID on the last day of my trip about a month ago, and I honestly couldn’t afford to stay at my destination in a hotel. I felt terrible flying, but I did my best not to share COVID mine. Triple disguised [with a] regular mask, N95 and cloth mask and isolated myself as much as I could at the airport and then chose a seat at the back of the plane from the others who were masked. I didn’t drink anything during the flight and faced the window the whole time. I know it’s not ideal, but it was the best solution I had because of my personal circumstances!” – Noelle
‘It was a crazy adventure’
“On the day of a flight home, I woke up at 5 a.m. with worsening shortness of breath and congestion and [I was] just feeling shy. Luckily, I had taken a quick test for COVID, so I took one thinking I was being extra careful. It was positive! Within the next hour or so, I called the rental car company to change my return time and location, checked out of the hotel, and started the more than 14 hour drive from Denver to Indianapolis. I made 4 gas stops and entered gas stations twice wearing an N95 mask. I used to skip the eating ban and eat crackers and candy for the goldfish. I finally arrived at Indianapolis International Airport at midnight and dropped off the rental car and drove my car home. Fortunately my symptoms were not bad, but it was a crazy adventure.” – Emma Tillman
“It’s your conscience you have to live with”
“My in-laws from Florida flew in to visit me and the family for a trip to the Tetons. We all had a great time.” Then her father-in-law tested positive for COVID.
“So then the awkward tension of what to do next began. I brought up the CDC guidance saying they should not travel and reassess their symptoms before rescheduling their flight. I offered my opinion that it is irresponsible to fly when you know you have COVID. This was met with stares and heavy sighs. It also came out the truth that they did not wear masks on their previous flights or at airports even though we asked them to.”
Her in-laws called the airline to ask if they could fly with COVID. The answer: “It’s not recommended, but yes, you can fly and wear a mask.”
“The in-laws asked, ‘Will you be mad at us if we fly?’ We said yes, disappointed, but it’s your conscience to live with, not ours.” – Hidden name
‘We broke up’
“My boyfriend was at a conference. Then he was feeling sick and tested positive. He consulted everyone for advice about flying home (everyone except me because he knew I would absolutely not say no) .
After making his decision to fly home, he texted me: “I’m going home.” To which I told him I was disappointed in him.
My frustration led him to rent a car and drive home instead of flying. Well!
But he ghosted me and then dumped me. Boo! We’ve been talking ever since. But yes, we are separated.” –Patty (last name withheld by request)
“This experience made us hide our COVID status”
“Accommodation managers WILL turn you away if you tell them you have COVID. This happened to us on our first day on vacation abroad. Several of us tested positive. I wanted to be honest about our situation, so when we arrived, I immediately told the owner of the B&B that two of our party had tested positive that morning and that we would be isolated in our rooms. She scolded us for not canceling the reservation earlier and told us to leave immediately. This experience made us hide our COVID status and simply to continue on our route, sequestering ourselves in the two remaining lodgings we had reserved. We were afraid that to do nothing else would put us on the road.” – Mary K. Holland
‘Exposure to COVID… is basically disgusting’
“Our family of 4 embarked on a trip to the Pacific Northwest. Throughout our trip we wore KN95 masks everywhere (my boys even wore them outside), but hardly anyone else wore any.”
The little boy tested positive – and the family had planned a trip to celebrate her mother’s 75th birthdayth birthday. “Our plans included seeing a musical in San Francisco and a nice dinner party—cancelled, of course. After an almost 4-hour drive, we met my masked folks in the restaurant parking lot (the sick kid stayed in the car). I gave my mom her gifts while she gave me two boxes of COVID tests and we left heartbroken and sad.”
“Stranded without a place to stay, we found a local hotel and booked 2 hotel rooms.
“Bottom line: Exposure to COVID still keeps you away from your loved ones, cancels celebrations, can be expensive and inherently bad.” – Stacie Bresler
‘The lesson was learned. Put on your masks’
“My wife and I recently took our family on a driving tour of Zion, Bryce, Monument Valley and Grand Canyon National Parks ending in Las Vegas. The parks were very crowded and we let our guard down by not wearing mask. My grown nephew wore hers when in confined situations. In Las Vegas, my wife and I were positive and my niece was negative. We isolated her and immediately packed up and headed home. We we underestimated this infection by not wearing our masks when needed. Lesson learned. Wear your masks in or around large crowds, like parks. Be especially aware of the shuttle buses in these parks. They are packed, with most people not wearing masks. I wish we would all wear our masks when necessary and not make it political.” — Thomas McFadden
‘It’s worth considering worst-case scenarios’
“It’s very tempting to assume that things will work out – because they often do. But when they don’t, it’s much better if you’ve made some contingency plans. Especially when traveling to less developed destinations, it’s worth considering the scenarios of worst-case scenarios and plan accordingly.” –Steve McCall
“I felt like I was a little kid again”
“I finally went to Australia to see my mom. I hadn’t seen her since 2019 because of COVID. I got to her house – and 4 days later we all got COVID. We had to cancel a bunch of plans, but we spent the days napping, watching movies, and coloring. I felt like I was a little kid again, staying home sick with my mom.” — Stephanie Rhone
Thank you to everyone who shared your personal stories with us. For more calls like these, stay in touch with NPR Goats and Soda by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.
