United Airlines passenger died of respiratory failure, coronavirus, coroner's office confirms: report

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A coroner’s office in Louisiana has reportedly determined the cause of death for the United Airlines passenger who was pronounced dead following an in-flight medical emergency last Monday.

The passenger, whom United Airlines first believed to be having a coronary event, died of respiratory failure and COVID-19, per a report from the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office cited by multiple outlets, including KABC and USA Today.

The coroner’s report appears to confirm the suspicions of fellow passengers who have since spoken out on social media as well as one passenger who spoke with Fox News.

A coroner’s office in Louisiana has reportedly determined the cause of death for the United Airlines passenger, confirming speculation among fellow travelers on the plane. (iStock)

The deceased passenger, who flew on flight UA591, was pronounced dead after the aircraft made an emergency landing in New Orleans last Monday. The plane was originally scheduled to fly from Orlando to Los Angeles. In a statement shared with Fox News later that week, United Airlines said the man suffered a "medical emergency" during the flight but said it had no confirmation that the man’s death was "COVID-related."

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The following day, however, the airline confirmed to CBS LA that it had, in fact, shared information with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after the CDC contacted the carrier.

"Now that the CDC has contacted us directly, we are sharing requested information with the agency so they can work with local health officials to conduct outreach to any customer the CDC believes may be at risk for possible exposure or infection," a representative for the airline confirmed to Fox News.

The airline also claimed to be unaware that the man may have been infected with the novel coronavirus at the time the plane was diverted, but rather that he had suffered a cardiac arrest.

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Earlier in the week, however, passengers on social media had said the passenger’s wife admitted that he felt short of breath and had also lost his sense of taste and smell prior to boarding. Tony Aldapa, another passenger who recounted the ordeal on Twitter, said the man’s wife said he was due for a COVID-19 test in LA, though she "never mentioned he was positive."

Aldapa, an EMT who says he performed CPR on the passenger, also told Fox News on Monday that United Airlines reached out to him only after he tweeted about the ordeal and thanked him for his help. The airline also said his information had been shared with the CDC and that he would need to follow up with the CDC for further information.

Aldapa also said on Twitter that he was "symptomatic" after attempting to perform CPR on the sick passenger.

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News of the passenger’s cause of death comes just after United Airlines announced a partnership with the CDC to implement a contact-tracing program, asking incoming international passengers to voluntarily provide several key pieces of information in the hopes of speeding up efforts to locate travelers who may have been exposed to COVID-19 during their trips. The program is expected to expand to all United Airlines passengers in the coming weeks.