Teacher isolates in airplane bathroom for 5 hours after testing positive for COVID mid-flight.

Teacher isolates in airplane bathroom for 5 hours after testing positive for COVID midflight.

A Michigan school teacher self-isolated in an airplane bathroom for five hours after she tested positive for COVID-19 mid-flight.

Marisa Fotieo told NBC’s “Today” show that she took a rapid test about an hour into the flight out of Chicago to Reykjavik, Iceland after her throat began to hurt on December 20.


“I just took my rapid test and I brought it into the bathroom, and within what felt like two seconds there were two lines,” indicating that she was positive for COVID, Fotieo said.

She decided to remain in the bathroom and document the experience on TikTok for the remainder of the flight, which she says was about five hours.

“There’s 150 people on the flight, and my biggest fear was giving it to them,” she said.


https://www.tiktok.com/@marisaefotieo/video/7043999713166642438?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.embedly.com%2F&referer_video_id=7043999713166642438&refer=embed

Fotieo said Icelandair flight attendant Ragnhildur “Rocky” Eiríksdótti made it possible for her to isolate in the cramped space for hours.

“She made sure I had everything I needed for the next five hours from food to drinks and constantly checked on me assuring me I would be all right,” Fotieo told NBC News.


According to Insider, Iceland requires a negative test taken within 72 hours of departure, which can be either a PCR or rapid test. A video Fotieo posted Friday suggests she took a PCR test that came back negative.

Before departing the plane, Fotieo exchanged Instagram handles with Eiríksdóttir who went the extra mile to ensure Fotieo had some Christmas joy despite her circumstances.

Eiríksdóttir sent her flowers and a little Christmas tree with lights while she isolates in a Red Cross hotel in Reykjavik.