We will be flying from Texas to Scotland in June.
My wife has a genetic immune disorder and is concerned about being on a plane without some form of protection.
A few years ago, I wouldn't have thought twice about her wearing a mask on the flight but with so many stories of people being taken off flights for silly reasons I have to ask - will this be an issue?
If it helps, we will likely be on JetBlue from here to Boston then IcelandAir for the remainder of the trip.
Yep, I see them on planes and in airports all the time these days.
Unless she's wearing a properly fitted N95 mask (which would be astoundingly uncomfortable to wear for the duration of a trans-Atlantic flight), a store-bought mask will do nothing to prevent her catching an illness. Surgical masks are designed to prevent the wearer from spreading respiratory droplets to other people, not to protect themselves from airborne pathogens, and the cheap masks available in stores don't even do that very well. Adequate vaccination and diligent hand hygeine are the best defenses.
Tom is absolutely right. The ones who should be wearing them are the folks who travel with a cold, coughing and sneezing for the duration of the flight!
Tom,
She cannot be vaccinated. Her body does not respond to a vaccine the way one with a healthy immune system does. She has a condition called CVID which is a deficiency in two of the four immune globulins (in her case, IgG and IgD). This condition makes her especially susceptible to respiratory illnesses. The only reason she is able to have a functional immune system is due to infusions of IgG (one of the missing immune globulins) every three weeks. The only real benefit of this is that the source of IgG is plasma donations and these immune globulins she gets have already been "taught" about certain illnesses by their donor's immune systems. However, these immune globulins are only temporary, hence the 3-week interval. We are leaving the day after an infusion so her immune system will be at its strongest at the beginning of the trip. I will be shocked if she isn't at least a little ill soon after we return.
I am a biologist so I recognize that you are correct, a standard surgical mask will do nothing for her however, one with a higher level of filtration, such as those used by people using volitile chemicals or fine particulates, should provide at least some protection for her.
I would agree; a over-the-counter mask is no protection. If she is really concerned, her best resource for advice is her physician. Has she asked him/her?
Edit; sorry, losthiker. I was typing as you were submitting your last post. I'd still recommend a chat with her physician? Maybe he/she can provide a higher-level mask which might be helpful?
Kathy,
Her immunologist suggested the mask. It will be uncomfortable but she is willing to put up with discomfort on the flight in order to decrease her chance of being ill while we are abroad. My wife is a champ - she can deal with discomfort better than a hardened Marine. This illness nearly killed her before it was diagnose and they put her through hell trying to figure it out.
LOL, we're both typing at the same time...
OK, good to know that she already HAS the mask she needs. No, I don't think there will be any problem with her wearing it on the plane at all.
And I sincerely hope you both have a wonderful trip. After all you've been through, sounds like you definitely deserve one!
I bought an N95 mask with a charcoal filter insert off Amazon and that would probably offer more protection than what you're describing. I bought a cute yellow flowery one - it somehow seemed more appealing that way. Amazon has a ton of them and they're pretty inexpensive. I didn't end up using it - we had nice clear days in China.
If she can tolerate the N95 mask for an entire flight, she certainly is a trooper! I want to take these things off almost as soon as I put them on.
Id suggest you also take along a letter from her physician (just like the doc would write a letter re a comfort animal or a metal hip) and its probably worth a contact w the airline before you go, so an electronic note can be put w yr booking.
