Airplane flight while still recovering from long haul COVID?

Posted by britelite @britelite, Apr 30, 2023

Has anyone taken airplane flight while still recovering from post covid? Did you have exacerbation of your symptoms such as shortness of breath or increased dizziness? I had COVID in February and am still in recovery. Still short of breath but can walk slowly a fair distance. I’d like to take a 5 hour flight to visit family in July and would like to hear other’s experiences. Thank you.

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@car0

I become exhausted after phys exertion, too; however, my main concern in flying is Neuro fatigue. I can become overwhelmed by too much input. I went to a grocery store during a flare and the sights, the variety, the sounds— all too much. ( which is just bizarre! And was upsetting). I echo the comment above: it IS SO weird! We can have same symptoms but they are triggered by different things and they manifest differently. It’s crazy-making. I have to fly in a few weeks and have my fingers crossed. Good luck.

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I get the same feeling you describe in the grocery store. I never thought about it as a neuro response. I call mine disorientation - can't deal with anything, feel overwhelmed, spacey, everything appears to be blurry!! Oh, dear. It's wonderful that we all understand each other - no one else seems to get it.

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I got covid when visiting out of state and I'm slowly recovering but I have to fly home in a few days. The one symptom that has been bad isnthe dizziness and balance problem. Has anyone traveled on a plane with that specific issue? I am concerned of it getting extreme on the plane and causing a problem

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Slightly different perspective here. I’ve had long covid for 3.5 years and had not stepped onto a plane until a few weeks ago, when I went to visit family. My issue was I physically could not imagine myself getting on an airplane packed full of maskless coughing passengers. I knew I would wear a mask, but that was not enough. I had to ask my Dr for an anti anxiety med I could take prior to getting on the plane. It was the only way I could fly - sedated - especially during the summer wave.

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I haven't been able to fly at all the last several months. Small changes in altitude of a few thousand feet made me very sick.
I felt like I might die after getting off an overseas flight of about 6 hours. Pulse ox was very low by the time we deplaned.
I live on an island in the Pacific and I am not the only one with this. Medical care specialists now come to us one day a week because LC patients often have this problem and can't fly safely.
This has improved for me. I always have a pulse oximeter with me and am requesting disability status for flying.
Please be careful. I wish you the best.

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Naomi,
Not meaning to scare you but my Covid odyssey began with a plane flight. I thought I was recovered from a moderate bout of Covid Feb. 2022. In April we flew to Hawaii. My ears became stuffy and clogged and have never cleared. I have seen all kinds of doctors over the last 16 months. No help from anybody. My symptoms have cascaded into dizziness, light and noise sensitivity, anxiety, lost thirty pounds, etc. I’m basically now an invalid rarely leaving my house. Maybe that would have all happened anyway, but I would take back that plane trip if I could!
If you can drive or take a train I would consider it.
Again I don’t want to be a scare monger, but this was my experience.

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@miraclestar

I haven't been able to fly at all the last several months. Small changes in altitude of a few thousand feet made me very sick.
I felt like I might die after getting off an overseas flight of about 6 hours. Pulse ox was very low by the time we deplaned.
I live on an island in the Pacific and I am not the only one with this. Medical care specialists now come to us one day a week because LC patients often have this problem and can't fly safely.
This has improved for me. I always have a pulse oximeter with me and am requesting disability status for flying.
Please be careful. I wish you the best.

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Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS

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