“Truly Reckless” People With Covid-19 Are Selfishly Endangering Others By Traveling

• Several people infected with Covid-19 have gotten into trouble for still traveling by plane.
• Some of them have been arrested while one died after having a medical emergency onboard.
• Experts are warning that such behavior is dangerous because they are putting others at great risk.

Last November 2019, Wesley Moribe, 41, and Courtney Peterson, 46, ended up getting arrested after boarding a flight to Hawaii with their 4-year-old son. The problem? They went ahead with their trip despite the fact that both of them tested positive for the coronavirus. They’ve been previously instructed to quarantine themselves but still decided to fly anyway.

Meanwhile, 69-year-old Isaias Hernandes took a United Airlines plane and traveled from Orlando, Florida to Los Angeles in December despite experiencing Covid-19 symptoms. Unfortunately, he had a medical emergency onboard, causing the flight to be diverted. He later died at the hospital due to acute respiratory failure and Covid-19, according to the coroner. A pre-flight checklist indicated the passenger did not reveal his real health condition.

Health experts have repeatedly reminded those who test positive for Covid-19 to isolate themselves to prevent spreading the virus to others.

Johns Hopkins Medicine clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences Neda Gould, PhD, said that those who continue to violate such orders are exhibiting “problematic” behavior because “the consequences can be so dire for others.”

Meanwhile, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center chief quality and patient safety officer Dr. Iahn Gonsenhauser described these travelers as “truly reckless.”

Gonsenhauser added:

“They know their diagnosis and they know the risk they pose and they’re choosing the behavior anyway. That’s very difficult to explain.”

Gosenhauser likewise acknowledged that there is “so much misinformation” about Covid-19 out there that’s why some people are still “making assumptions or rationalizations that are incorrect or misleading, which they ultimately think is OK.”

Moreover, others have the tendency to “push back against authority,” pointed out Dr. Asim Shah, professor and executive vice chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine.

“If you’re the only one who will be affected, maybe that’s OK. But people tend to forget by not wearing a mask and traveling while positive, you’re hurting others,” explained Shah. “The sad part is people are not realizing they are risking others.”

Watch this report to learn more about traveling in 2021: