Passengers taken to hospital after feeling ill on an Emirates flight from Dubai to New York
THE apparent outbreak of an illness on board an Emirates flight carrying 521 passengers from Dubai to New York has been traced back to Mecca.
TEN passengers and crew members who were taken to hospital in New York after arriving sick on a flight from Dubai appear to have the flu.
Eric Phillips, spokesman for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, said it appeared that some of the ill passengers had come from Mecca, which is experiencing a flu outbreak.
“Health officials are processing tests now to determine the cause. Symptoms still pointing to the flu,” he tweeted.
Oxiris Barbot, the city’s acting health commissioner, added the results of the tests were expected later at night.
As many as 100 people reported feeling ill during Emirates Flight 203, with health workers evaluating them as the plane sat on the tarmac of JFK International Airport.
The flight, with 521 passengers on board, touched down shortly after 9am local time (11pm AEST) on Wednesday and was immediately surrounded by dozens of ambulances and other emergency vehicles as anxious passengers waited to be evaluated by health officials.
As many as 100 passengers and crew complained of feeling sick during the 14-hour overnight flight, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement.
Nineties pop star Vanilla Ice, who was on the plane, tweeted: “This is crazy. Apparently there is over 100 people sick on the bottom floor, so happy I’m up top, it’s a double-decker plane 380.”
Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, used Facebook to post a video of the emergency response to an initial report that dozens of people could be sick.
On Twitter, he also described looking out the window to see several ambulances, fire trucks and police vehicles converge on the plane.
So I just landed from Dubai and now there is like tons of ambulances and fire trucks and police all over the place pic.twitter.com/i9QLh6WyJW
— Vanilla Ice (@vanillaice) September 5, 2018
Eventually, the airline and the New York mayor’s office said a total of 19 people were confirmed ill.
Three passengers and seven crew members went to the hospital, Dubai-based Emirates said.
“Nine passengers underwent additional medical screening at the site near the aircraft and were released afterwards,” said an Emirates spokeswoman.
“The rest of the passengers were allowed to leave and clear customs.”
New York City health officials said they obtained respiratory samples from the patients and their symptoms look like influenza.
They said they won’t know for sure until they get final results.
All of the patients were listed in stable condition.
Dubai-based Emirates said in a statement that 10 people “were taken ill” on the flight from the Middle Eastern country and were transported to nearby Jamaica Hospital in Queens “as a precaution”.
Statement: Emirates can confirm that about 10 passengers on #EK203 from Dubai to New York were taken ill. On arrival, as a precaution, they were attended to by local health authorities. All others will disembark shortly. The safety & care of our customers is our first priority.
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) September 5, 2018
It did not specify the symptoms or nature of the complaints.
“After being initially evaluated at the airport, the patients, which included three passengers and seven crew members, were transported to Jamaica Hospital where they were immediately isolated and evaluated for their symptoms,” the hospital said in a statement.
“Jamaica Hospital is working closely with all City, State and Federal agencies.”
Earlier, the pilot reported that two male passengers had very high fevers and that dozens were “coughing non-stop”, according to ABC News.
However, the CDC, which met the plane on arrival, said about 100 of the 521 people aboard the plane were being evaluated after complaining of illness, including cough and fever.
The plane — a double-deck Airbus 380 — was taken to a location away from the terminal so emergency officials could evaluatethe situation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials said in a statement.
The A380 is the world’s largest passenger aircraft.
The White House was monitoring the situation, spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said, and President Donald Trump was being updated as new information became available.
Passenger Larry Coben tweeted images of ambulances and fire trucks on the tarmac surrounding the giant aircraft.
“They have told us people are sick but have seen no evidence,” Mr Coben, an archaeologist and founder of the Sustainable Preservation Initiative, posted on Twitter.
Video has emerged of a health official in gloves giving instructions to passengers on board the flight after it had landed.
BREAKING: Emirates flight from Dubai quarantined at JFK after 100 people are coughing with high fever. @SykesStyle is a passenger on board and says some passengers were sick before they even took off @ABC7News pic.twitter.com/WP7Eim4ldh
— Caroline Patrickis (@Cpatrickis) September 5, 2018
Passenger Erin Sykes posted video of officials wearing masks and gloves taking the temperature of passengers on the tarmac.
Getting off plane & getting temperatures checked. The girl in front of me is pregnant, poor thing! #emirates #emirates203 pic.twitter.com/qRZaCBijZ1
— Erin Sykes (@SykesStyle) September 5, 2018
In an interview, Ms Sykes said she saw a few passengers being taken off the plane first for medical attention, but she added that “many, many” others were showing signs of illness.
“Very intense coughing. Violently sick. Going into the bathroom a lot,” she said when asked to describe the scene.
Diala Makki was travelling first-class on Flight 203 en route to New York Fashion Week when she learned from flight crew that a number of people had become sick on board and passengers were to be detained until officials made checks.
“The Emirates cabin crew were super helpful, they were not in panic mode, which was amazing,” Makki, a 36-year-old television host from Dubai, said outside the airport.
Ambulances approaching the plane. pic.twitter.com/klV7Xhy0bZ
— Larry Coben (@LarryCoben) September 5, 2018
All we have been told is that some passengers have fallen ill and we should remain in our seats
— Larry Coben (@LarryCoben) September 5, 2018
Cabin crew deplaning. pic.twitter.com/rZWYSk448Y
— Larry Coben (@LarryCoben) September 5, 2018
All passengers being asked to fill out the Center for disease control and prevention form pic.twitter.com/6SidlKx090
— Larry Coben (@LarryCoben) September 5, 2018
CDC public health officers worked with other agencies to evaluate passengers, including taking temperatures and making arrangements for transport to hospitals, spokesman Benjamin Haynes said in the statement.
Passengers who were not ill were allowed to continue with their travel plans, he said.
Emirates announced that the return flight to Dubai, EK204, would be delayed by about three hours.
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