Jennifer Jolly| Special to USA TODAY
I just tested positive for COVID-19. Should I travel anyway?
Variations of that question are spiking on Google Search ( as we experience a significant surge in both summer travel and new coronavirus cases.
If you travel for work or pleasure and haven’t yet dealt with the question of whether to fly with COVID-19, chances are at some point you will.
President Joe Biden just tested positive while campaigning in Las Vegas. Several Tour de France riders are also dealing with the latest bout of COVID-19. And I picked it up earlier this month during a recent cross-country trip, testing positive just two days before I was supposed to fly to Alaska to help my parents − ages 79 and 85 − move out of their recently sold family home.
Ethically, I didn’t feel right about getting on a plane knowing I had COVID-19 and certainly couldn’t show up to my parent's house with the virus. But the last-second scramble to rebook the trip, with our dog, my husband, and my parents still needing my help, was super-stressful.
Should I fly if I just tested positive for COVID?
Technically, you can fly sick − no one is going to stop you at the gate and swab your nose − but you shouldn’t.
Just because the airlines no longer require you to show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test ahead of your international flight, as they sometimes did during the earlier years of the pandemic, doesn’t mean travel should be a germ free-for-all.
“I suggest that you not fly,” Vicki Sowards, director of nursing resources at Passport Health, wrote via email. “You can expose the other travelers on your flight, and the process of traveling can contribute to fatigue and an increase in symptoms.”
If you know you have COVID-19, or think you might, you should not get on a plane, according to health experts, the CDC, and everyone who weighed in on my social media pages this past week.
“Should you travel if you have COVID? Absolutely not. Other people are immunocompromised, so essentially, you could kill innocent people,” says 56-year-old Nick Longo from Corpus Christi, Texas. Longo travels outside America “at least once a year” and flies within the U.S. frequently. “Do I think a lot of people are flying with it right now? Yes. People who don't care about others are (flying).That's why it spread.”
Mike Hensley, 54, of Northern California, agrees.
“It's a simple answer,'' he wrote. "No. You should not travel. That's how viruses spread quickly. But yes, I am sure people are traveling while positive because they think it's a seasonal allergy or cold, have convinced themselves they don't feel that bad, or are already on the upswing (and don't know/care about how viruses work) or are simply just selfish and don't care about the people they are exposing.”
I’ve been on a dozen planes over the past few months, and anecdotally, it’s true that a lot of people are sniffling, sneezing and coughing − with nary a mask in sight.
Another traveler told me she knew three people who flew to Europe from California even though they had COVID-19. She and her parents, on the other hand, changed their travel plans last month when they came down with the virus, delaying their flight until they had tested negative for three days.
Should I wear a mask on the plane?
The CDC, World Health Organization, Mayo Clinic and many other medical professionals agree masks help lower the risk of respiratory virus transmission, especially in tight quarters, like planes, trains, buses and automobiles. Officials say N95 masks are the most effective.
Anecdotally, there seems to be a lot of people choosing to fly unmasked − either knowing they have COVID-19 or not testing to find out when they have symptoms. There’s no doubt people are tired of masks and the pandemic, and many are likely treating COVID-19 like the seasonal flu or a cold − something they’ll just have to deal with when they get it.
Somepeople even wrote on my social media pages that when it comes to travel, they are not concernedabout passing the virus on to others because they feel it's a risk people knowingly take when they get on a plane these days.
That last sentiment struck a nerve with me because I suspect that's how I contracted COVID-19 two Julys in a row, right after cross-country work trips that coincided withpeak summer travel and virus spikes.
What should you do if you are COVID-positive right before a planned trip?
Even though I’m vaccinated and received my last booster in December 2023, I have some risk factors and got so sick from COVID-19 last summer that I couldn’t do much of anything for about two weeks.
I initially thought I was experiencing seasonal allergies and waited a few days before testing. By the time I did, I was already pretty sick.I had extreme headaches, head and chest congestion, muscle aches and fatigue, and I lost my sense of taste and smell for almost two months.
This summer was different. Even though I barely had a tickle in the back of my throat, I was tired and achy and knew something was off, so I took a test right away. When it came back positive, I started on Paxlovid immediately and pushed the trip to Alaska back.
I didn’t fly until my test was negative, and I still wore a mask the entire time I was on the plane. (I didn’t eat or drink the entire flight.) I will continue to wear one indoors until every last symptom (I still have slight sniffles) goes away, even though I’ve now met the latest guidelines of having two negative tests 48 hours apart. It’s not worth the risk of getting my parents − or anyone else − sick.
I admit, I’ve gotten much more lax about masking up on planes this past year. I often feel a little self-conscious being one of the only people wearing one, but getting sick isn’t worth it. I plan to wear one on all upcoming flights.
What are the latest CDC guidelines?
I have several friends who, as long as they are feeling well enough, are expected to put on a mask and go back into the office for work, even with COVID-19. What exactly are the rules now?
The latest CDC guidelines, updated in March, say you can go back to your normal activities if you meet two requirements:
- You have been fever-free for at least 24 hours (without the use of fever-reducing medications).
- Your symptoms are improving overall.
You might still be contagious, however, and the CDC recommends that for at least five days after resuming your routine, you:
- Use masks.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Practice physical distancing (especially from people with risk factors from respiratory illness).
- Take additional steps for cleaner air.
In addition to the CDC guidelines, the FDA recommends “2 negative antigen tests for individuals with symptoms or three antigen tests for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart” before you go back to being around people.
Travel insurance: What are the most affordable options?
What if I can’t afford to quarantine or be sick away from home?
The costs of flight changes, extended stays, and even additional time away from work add up. Does that mean you should stop traveling? No, but you should have a COVID-19 plan that protects others, Richard Martinello, medical director of infection prevention at Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut, told Outside Magazine recently.
Martinello urges people to consider the moral and ethical ramifications of putting other people in harm’s way, “like not drunk driving,” he said. “Putting yourself in prolonged close contact with fellow travelers when you are knowingly sick, whether with COVID or any other contagious virus, is irresponsible. You never know who you’re sitting next to on a plane. If they’re immune-compromised, even a cold could push them over the edge to serious illness.”
Be sure to check your airline’s COVID-19 policies before you buy your ticket. Many still waive change fees for travelers who need to reschedule because they have the virus. For even more protection, book a ticket that can be changed or credited if you have to cancel your flight, and look into travel insurance.
I almost always fly Alaska Airlines and usually pay a little extra to make my trip 100% refundable, no matter what. I didn’t do that for this latest flight (to save $280 for my husband and me) and ended up paying one $37 change fee for the difference in ticket prices between the day I was supposed to fly and the day I did. Many airlines will also give you full credit for a future flight if you have to cancel because of illness.
How can I stay safe while traveling?
Passport Health’s Vicki Sowards says being prepared is vital. She urges travelers to get vaccinations like COVID-19 boosters before travel and pack a first aid kit, including any medications they use when they’re ill.
“You want optimal health when going on the ‘trip of a lifetime,’” she said. Because COVID-19 spreads through airborne particles and droplets, “take a mask and sanitizer on the plane, just in case you have a seatmate or other traveler close by who is coughing and appears to be ill. Use hand sanitizer before eating or when you know you will be touching your face.”
Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist and on-air correspondent. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected].
