One of my pet peeves is the way nobody in the Government is caring about safety on air travel.
I had to fly recently and someone near me was using a CPAP.
Study after study shows that CPAP aerosolizes and spreads virus particles much more rapidly than normal respiration. Various Government agencies warn about this.
I've written (FedEx) to the CEOs of United and American. American didn't answer. United says they're required by law to allow people to use CPAP in-flight.
There's no excuse for this. A person who needs a CPAP is already a high-risk for dying if they contract COVID. Do they want to take down everyone else with them?
Americans with Disabilities Act may require the airlines to permit CPAP users to travel with the machine. It’s a tough call, but I don’t think “CPAP users are grounded indefinitely” is a fair and equitable position.
Where did "indefinitely" come from? That's a rather big jump, isn't it?
It's the middle of a pandemic! Surely this is not the time to have a big germ-spraying machine in the middle of an airplane?
CPAP users can wait until after the epidemic has stabilized to travel. I mean, everyone should avoid travelling.
Given that the last two days in a row had record new cases and that three states today already had record numbers by midday, I'm... disconcerted at the lack of urgency that seems to be so common.
Given that it's the literal definition and common usage of “indefinitely” (without fixed or specified limit, not precise or exact), I don't think it's a big jump at all.
I think ppl are starting to realize that running a country is hard work and not something that should be left to someone in their armchair behind a computer screen...
I'm not going to be at risk. There's a difference between "someone in their armchair behind a computer screen" and looking at reports issued by the Government saying "CPAP is dangerous for people in the area" and raising a question about why it's allowed in areas that are regulated by the Government, like commercial airline cabins.
People don't use CPAP on trains and buses. Just when they're sleeping on airplanes.
And the answer is "yes".
I have been told on United flights that I can't eat the nut snack I've brought on board because there's some kid 20 seats behind me in the coach cabin with a nut allergy. If 1 person with a nut allergy is allowed to dictate what particles the rest of the plane can emit, then surely the "rest of the plane" should be able to dictate what one person who wants to use an in-flight CPAP will emit.
Plus there are other treatments for sleep apnea, such as weight loss. See these _medical school_ web sites.
> For those who can't tolerate the CPAP machine, there are other options for treating sleep apnea. Losing weight is one: a majority of sleep apnea patients are overweight or obese. That extra weight causes their airway to collapse and their breathing to be interrupted.
We have some government agencies (presumably the DOT and whoever enforces the ADA) saying one thing, and other agencies giving other advice about exposing other people to CPAP machines in close quarters.
I had to fly recently and someone near me was using a CPAP.
Study after study shows that CPAP aerosolizes and spreads virus particles much more rapidly than normal respiration. Various Government agencies warn about this.
- https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/covid19/wp-content/uploads/sites/197...
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6832307/
- https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/hcp/aero...
- https://em.umaryland.edu/educational_pearls/3741/
I've written (FedEx) to the CEOs of United and American. American didn't answer. United says they're required by law to allow people to use CPAP in-flight.
There's no excuse for this. A person who needs a CPAP is already a high-risk for dying if they contract COVID. Do they want to take down everyone else with them?