Coronavirus FAQ: Do Airplane Passengers Not Know There's A Pandemic Going On?

Each week, we answer "frequently asked questions" about life during the coronavirus crisis. If you have a question you'd like us to consider for a future post, email us at goatsandsoda@npr.org with the subject line: "Weekly Coronavirus Questions."

When I booked a flight from Boston to Washington, D.C., in mid-January, I knew that sharing confined indoor spaces with strangers was a risk in the middle of a pandemic. But a year into living with the coronavirus, I figured it wasn't a huge risk.

My reasoning:

1) It's a short flight.

2) Everyone knows how to wear a mask and social distance by now.

3) Surely airlines have adopted measures to help reduce chances of transmission if a traveler is infected but doesn't yet know it.

I was so naive.

My 11:15 a.m. flight was delayed to 12:39 p.m. Then to 1:32 p.m. Then