Should long Covid individuals avoid air travel?

Obviously your question is pointed at reinfection, but another thing to consider is fatigue. I am a LC sufferer who has been to Mayo and am running the Mayo program. One element of recovery is moderation of mental and physical activity - do too much and you harm recovery. For me I have found a long drive steps over my personal moderation level and crashes me. You might consider balancing your decision between reinfection with fatigue/crashing.

Thank you. In your experience with hearing from other LC individuals, if they wear N95 masks , has reinfection been common from airplane travel or has it been rare

I am not an expert and there is no scientific study answer to your question that I am aware of.

However, after a career in industry where I was consistently trained and certified in respirator wear I have more expertise than many on respirators (not the masks you see most wear, there is a big difference). Respirators do work by blocking droplets of a certain size. If you wear a N95 mask the right way (paying attention to a good seal, for men that means clean shaven no facial hair which interferes with good seal) and are in an airplane environment (far cleaner air than most places) you are exercising the maximum possible protection. Stay away from people who exhibit symptoms would be an extra precaution you could take.

Best wishes for your safe travel.

I find I can do flights up to approx 3 hrs otherwise it taxes me too much. Flying is relatively safe as they purify the air to a high percentage and add a good mask and you should be not be reinfected. But, wear your mask in the airport!

I would wear an N95 or P100 mask in the airport and on the plane (I also am experienced with fluid/gas flow through porous media [masks, filters...]). If you are sitting next to a contagious person for hours, proximity and viral load trumps ventilation in enclosed spaces.
I was on a superspreader biking event in March, and we were asymptomatic when we flew back, but covid hit us a day or two later. At least by wearing a mask I hope I didn't infect others. You can be contagious before the symptoms hit, and some folk are asymtomatic to covid. Almost no one on flights wears a mask. At least after 8 months my long covid is gone, but am a bit skittish about being exposed to covid again.

You are so right...hardly anyone wearing a mask on flights. ..but you won't catch me without a good mask on. ....anything to not get covid AGAIN.

I’ll throw in my 2 cents. If you are WAY out from having Covid, you may be ok to fly. If I could take back my last flight, I surely would.
I was six weeks recovered from my initial infection. Feeling a little tired but ok.
On a six hour flight to Hawaii my ears closed up, and have never re-opened. That’s now about two years ago.
I’ve seen a whole bunch of doctors who have no idea what happened. I will always believe some residual virus was still in my ears, or Eustachian tubes. It did damage, and I apparently cannot recover.
I still have hope I may get some improvement....but, not yet.
Personally I would drive.
Just my own experience. Take it for what you will.

Are you ineligible for additional covid vaccines and flu/RSV vaccines if you have long covid? I didn't know this. Without those vaccines, I'd stay away from airplanes. Thanks.

All the best to you.

There isn't any ineligibility for vaccine. It's a patient/Doctor decision for those of us concerned. Since my Long COVID was caused by my first booster in November '21, every one of my Doctors exception one, advised to not take the vaccine again. I didn't need much encouragement because I had already made that decision. Never again and my self care tactic will be to carry Paxlovid with me when I travel internationally and only if I become seriously ill.

So your long covid was caused by a covid booster?