Man who suffered medical emergency on United flight had COVID, coroner says

The 69-year- old man whose fatal medical emergency forced a United Airlines jet to divert to New Orleans last week had the novel coronavirus, a Louisiana coroner said.

The report by Jefferson Parish coroner Gerry Cvitanovich was the confirmation passengers on Flight 591 have been waiting to hear for a week, after the Los Angeles man’s wife was heard telling medical workers on the plane that he had been experiencing symptoms, including trouble breathing and loss of taste and smell. The flight was en route from Orlando to Los Angeles on Dec. 14 when an announcement came over the public address system asking for medical professionals. A nurse, an emergency medical worker and another man jumped into action and did chest compressions for about 45 minutes, witnesses said.