Woman quarantines in plane toilet over positive Covid test
A teacher from Chicago had to self-isolate in an airplane’s lavatory for four hours over concerns for the health of fellow passengers, after a rapid coronavirus test she did mid-flight to Iceland turned out positive.
Marisa Fotieo was flying to Europe for a vacation last week when she suddenly developed a sore throat somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean.
The teacher took traveling during the pandemic seriously, bringing several rapid testing kits with her on the Icelandair liner. She went to the bathroom and used one of them, finding out in a matter of seconds that she had Covid-19.
Fotieo swiftly informed the flight attendant, who ruled that there weren’t enough empty seats on the plane to properly isolate her.
The woman told 13 On Your Side that she feared she might infect other passengers and asked if she could “just stay in the bathroom for the rest of the flight.”
“I can’t believe I spent four hours in that bathroom, but you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do,” the teacher pointed out.
She posted a video from the lavatory, which she described as her “VIP quarantine quarters,” on TikTok, garnering several million views and praise from commenters.
In the clip, Fotieo didn’t seem too upset that her vacation had been ruined. She was sporting at least three facemasks and displaying a victory sign to the camera.
@marisaefotieo Shout out to @Icelandair for my VIP quarantine quarters.. #luxuryliving#imsolucky#covid#vaccinated#fyp#viralvideotiktok#quarantine
♬ I'm So Lucky Lucky - Grandzz
After the plane landed in Icelandic capital Reykjavik, the woman was placed in the Red Cross Humanitarian Hotel, with her ten-day quarantine currently in progress. However, she said she had been feeling well and planned to leave in a few days.
Fotieo’s father and brother, who were on the same flight, have both tested negative for the virus and could continue their journey to Switzerland.
