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Flying or not covid-19

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WI chica
Regular Member
Joined : Oct 2006
Posts : 280
Posted 3/12/2020 7:34 PM (GMT -7)
I am wondering if it is safe for me to fly. I am on Entocort EC but am stopping as of today. It isn't working well. No diarrhea. Blood, mucous amd some constipation due to some meds. This is our first family Spring Break vacation. We will be headed to the Gulf Shores Alabama.what are your thoughts?
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ks1905
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2005
Posts : 5857
Posted 3/12/2020 8:03 PM (GMT -7)
I’d probably ask your GI for advice.

Who knows what it will be like two weeks from now. I’ve seen some medical professionals say that we’re two weeks behind Italy’s outbreak and we’ve been following much of their pattern so far.

It will probably get worse before it gets better.
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quincy
Elite Member
Joined : May 2003
Posts : 32548
Posted 3/13/2020 12:28 AM (GMT -7)
Why would you want to fly? Trapped in an enclosed area with other people. If you do decide to fly...bring along a huge supply of toilet paper (no specific brand)..seems it's an extreme, but highly-valued, way to keep one protected from ONLY C-19 😩

q
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 914
Posted 3/13/2020 2:59 AM (GMT -7)
Perhaps if you're the only people on the plane it might be relatively safe....

Quincy- ha ha ha!!
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16180
Posted 3/13/2020 5:29 AM (GMT -7)
Based on your post history you are on lialda and that isn't an immunosuppressant. So, you are at no greater risk than the average person for contracting CORVID19.

I have a flight in a couple weeks from VT to TX. If the flight still goes as planned (isn't cancelled), then I'll go. I wouldn't go on a cruiseship though!
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WI chica
Regular Member
Joined : Oct 2006
Posts : 280
Posted 3/13/2020 5:34 AM (GMT -7)
I am currently on Entocort EC. stopped taking it yesterday. It is not workng well.
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16180
Posted 3/13/2020 5:38 AM (GMT -7)
Steroids are immunosuppressants and do strengthen viruses. Although Entocort is a 80-90% topical med and a lot lower systematic suppression than prednisone is. Being mostly topical, discontinuation should clear it fast from your body.
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ks1905
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2005
Posts : 5857
Posted 3/13/2020 5:53 AM (GMT -7)
If you’re flaring then your body is already struggling, I’d imagine that it would be tougher to recover from an infection.

If you’re in remission and getting sick causes you to flare then you’re in the same predicament.
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Uniform Charlie
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2015
Posts : 1095
Posted 3/13/2020 8:00 AM (GMT -7)
If a member of your family becomes ill, will you be willing to self quarantine in AL for several weeks? If not, you should not travel.

My family is laying low out of respect for the elderly folks in our family and in our community. Perhaps this is an overreaction but it feels like the right thing to do for us. We have cancelled plans.
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CCinPA
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1572
Posted 3/13/2020 12:04 PM (GMT -7)
I would avoid flying at all costs right now even if I wasn't on remicade. Too close to people. Is it too far for you to drive?

Uniform Charlie has an excellent point. Definitely something to consider.
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ks1905
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2005
Posts : 5857
Posted 3/13/2020 12:23 PM (GMT -7)
Dr Fauci said that he would NOT fly right now if it was for pleasure.

I wouldn’t fly or drive. How many people would you cross paths with (and their germs) as you drive to Alabama?
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 3/13/2020 12:41 PM (GMT -7)
Almost nothing could get me on a plane right now. I didn't even like standing near people in CVS when I was there buying toilet paper just now. Lol.
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C_G_K
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2006
Posts : 1414
Posted 3/13/2020 2:18 PM (GMT -7)

WI chica said...
We will be headed to the Gulf Shores Alabama.what are your thoughts?

If you are young and otherwise healthy, the risk to you would be extremely low based on what we know, assuming you are not taking an immune system suppressor like Prednisone or imuran, and you don't have diabetes or respiratory problems.

I wouldn't personally travel because I have valley fever in my lungs, and no one knows what the ramifications of getting covid would be when you already have valley fever (probably not good). If I was young and didn't have valley fever I wouldn't cancel a domestic vacation however.
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ks1905
Veteran Member
Joined : Sep 2005
Posts : 5857
Posted 3/13/2020 4:09 PM (GMT -7)

C_G_K said...

WI chica said...
We will be headed to the Gulf Shores Alabama.what are your thoughts?

If you are young and otherwise healthy, the risk to you would be extremely low based on what we know

I’m going to state the obvious - this is a support forum for people with an autoimmune disease. We should assume that everyone on here has an autoimmune disease. If people on this forum get sick then it could cause an autoimmune response and a flare.

People who have been exposed to the corona virus can be carriers of it and not know that they have it because symptoms do not present until many days afterwards. If we had adequate testing in the US then it would be safer. Right now we’ve been fed lies and spin from the US government; a few weeks ago they said that we’d have millions of test kits by now. Last stat that I saw from this morning was less than 30k tests from the CDC.
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Rosiedays
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2017
Posts : 313
Posted 3/13/2020 4:47 PM (GMT -7)
“ If you are young and healthy the risk to you would be extremely low” but the risk of carrying and spreading the disease to people who will need hospitalization is high while travelling around and spending time in close proximity with hundreds of people. 1 in 20 need hospital beds is one number I heard. So the risk to you might be low but the risk to you country’s, state’s, province’s medical resources would be very high at this time, and could risk the lives of people who can’t get adequate treatment (as we were recently clearly taught by Italy).
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 3/13/2020 6:16 PM (GMT -7)
I agree, Rosie. Good points.
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HardEvidence
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2018
Posts : 69
Posted 3/13/2020 7:02 PM (GMT -7)
We had a panel of epidemiologist speak to our team today via ZOOM. The idea was to gain insights beyond what we're hearing in the press, in order to make decisions on office closures, etc. We touched on the topic of travel and the key takeaway was not earthshattering -- avoidance is the key, and social distancing is the most effective way to do so. For modes of transportation -- if one must travel in crowds -- they surprisingly suggested airplanes are preferable to buses or trains, due to the HEPA (hospital grade) filters in the cabin and airlines' increased efforts on decontaminating their planes. According to them, facemasks should be worn if anyone coughing nearby, otherwise not very useful. Rule of thumb for 'nearby' is within three rows in front and three rows behind. WI chica, hope this helps give you perspective if you choose to fly. For what it's worth, I agree with the others - don't put yourself through this if you can avoid it.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 3/14/2020 8:21 AM (GMT -7)
The agency I work for is having everyone who can telework one day next week to test out our systems. It's possible they may mandate telework in the near future. Luckily, I work from home full-time already. P
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HardEvidence
Regular Member
Joined : Apr 2018
Posts : 69
Posted 3/14/2020 12:57 PM (GMT -7)
Hi Sara, we did the same testing last week, and as of Friday we decided to close our offices worldwide and ask employees to work from home for 2 weeks. We're trying to do our part to encourage social distancing and keep everyone safe BEFORE we have a case in our team. This is only effective if other companies do the same. Hope your remote access testing goes well next week.
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Sara14
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 6235
Posted 3/14/2020 5:38 PM (GMT -7)

HardEvidence said...
Hi Sara, we did the same testing last week, and as of Friday we decided to close our offices worldwide and ask employees to work from home for 2 weeks. We're trying to do our part to encourage social distancing and keep everyone safe BEFORE we have a case in our team. This is only effective if other companies do the same. Hope your remote access testing goes well next week.

That's good. Thank you. I actually work for the federal government. My agency has paused all work-related travel until April. I am glad they are taking some proactive measures.
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C_G_K
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2006
Posts : 1414
Posted 3/14/2020 8:06 PM (GMT -7)

ks1905 said...
If people on this forum get sick then it could cause an autoimmune response and a flare.

That's true for us all the time. The Covid-19 virus isn't the only infectious agent in existence and an airplane is not the only place you can be infected. They will always be out there. I picked up valley fever and it caused a flare, but I'm not going to become a recluse in the future because of it. It's just one of the bad things that comes with having U.C.

Keep in mind that in Korea where they have had extensive testing, not a single person under the age of 30 has died from the virus out of the many thousands that have been infected. I believe in Japan, not a single person under the age of 50 has died. Of course if you have contact with the elderly, you should be extra cautious to not infect them. Goes without saying.

I just got an email from a pharmacy I use warning to expect delays and shortages of medications because the panic is causing disruptions in the supply chain for common ingredients used in the manufacture of drugs. Some of the fallout from the panic may cause more problems than the virus itself.

I do agree though, the CDC has bungled the testing badly. They need to get their s**t together fast. We don't have a clear picture of what is really going on here in regards to Covid-19 and that is a problem.

I'm taking reasonable precautions but I'm not going to lock myself in a bunker somewhere in a big panic. On the other hand I think people do need to take this seriously, but the kind of panic buying I saw at Costco yesterday is nuts.
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Uniform Charlie
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2015
Posts : 1095
Posted 3/15/2020 9:49 AM (GMT -7)
I haven't seen panic buying although I heard my local Costco had lines down the street. I think they had employees distributing certain items. Grocery store was picked clean. I see it as a good thing that people are planning ahead. I have honestly thought about being exposed on purpose so I can get it over with and help people once I recover. There is a risk to catching it late if we follow the trajectory of Italy. No ventilators or hospital beds.

I hope to God we are laughing at ourselves in two months for this. The response from those in charge has been horrible. Nobody knows what to think or what to do. Simply awful.
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CCinPA
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2014
Posts : 1572
Posted 3/15/2020 11:06 AM (GMT -7)
I've had those exact same thoughts, Charlie. If I am gonna get it I'd rather it be now before it really gets bad. But then I don't want to risk it since I'm over 60 and on Remicade so I just keep washing my hands, using hand sanitizer, and avoiding people as much as possible.

If we could get coherent and clear info on a regular basis people would calm down. Well they would if there was real testing so we knew how bad it really is. The lack of adequate testing is appalling.
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poopydoop
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2018
Posts : 914
Posted 3/15/2020 11:13 AM (GMT -7)
Sometimes I've had the thought it's better to catch it then I don't have to worry any more....the problem is what if I get a case so mild that I'm asymptomatic and never find out that i caught it...then keep worrying unnecessarily
I'm in Europe and my country is more or less in lockdown. The just closed all the sports schools, cafes and restaurants for 3 weeks. Sigh. At least i have 120 toilet rolls to keep me company (already had a big supply from my flaring days..)
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C_G_K
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2006
Posts : 1414
Posted 3/15/2020 2:24 PM (GMT -7)
My wife says some of her patients are unable to get distilled water for their medical equipment because of people hoarding it. In some cases it could become a major threat to their health.

The weird thing for me is that before I got U.C., i used to get colds all the time. After U.C. I almost never get them. I've never figured out why that is. Perhaps it's because my immune system is way over active. I don't know how I would react to Covid. Would be a crap shoot.
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