COVID-19 and medicals

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Larry Korona

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Well I tested positive! I'm totally PO since I was doing my best to wear a mask, and stay home avoiding others.

My symptoms were mild, never had any fever, breathing issues, or anything else. What prompted me to get tested was the loss of my taste and smell. Now going on three weeks later, I have not yet recovered my taste and smell. Apparently loss of theses senses are very common, with some people not regaining them even months later, particularly older individuals seem to have delayed recovery.

My concern is a long term or permanent loss of smell, how will this affect getting/maintaining a medical?

Can I continue to fly with loss of these senses? Is my medical now voided?
 
Just called AOPA, they said so far FAA is treating this like any other illnesses, and next time I apply of a medical, under #18 "other" on the medexpress form, to report the positive test, but make sure to say that no hospitalization was required. As for the loss of smell, it's too early to say what the FAA will do. As it's not part of the current medical requirements, I'm good to fly.
 
To get the taste-and-smell SODA, all you have to do is ask Tower to fire some smell-gun signals at you, in front of an FAA designee.
You remember your smell-gun signals from training, don't you? Y'know...
Bacon: Cleared to land.
Garlic: Return for a landing -- later, much later, please.
Alternating asparagus and bubble-gum: Exercise extreme caution.
Alcohol: Taxi to fly-in.

<seriously, though...>
Wow, that sucks... glad the symptoms were otherwise mild!
I hope the sensory recovery is merely delayed, and not gone long-term. I can't think of a reason why it would affect flight.
 
ALPA discussion of flu & covid-19.
http://www.alpa.org/news-and-events/air-line-pilot-magazine/health-watch-flu-vs-covid-19

"However, therapies for the two viruses differ. Although clinical trials are under way for a COVID-19 vaccine, there are currently no known effective vaccines or therapeutics. And since no trial COVID-19 vaccine has full FDA approval, the FAA considers participation in COVID-19 vaccine trials medically disqualifying for pilots for an indefinite period. ALPA representatives are working with the FAA to better define a policy as the science evolves. In Canada, the director of Civil Aviation Medicine stated that participation in medical trials isn’t considered compatible with aviation medical certification."

Has Dr Bruce weighed in on the question yet?
 
Larry Korona said:
I was inquiring about what to do after a positive test, specifically the impact of not recovering sense of taste and smell, not about the vaccine.
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There is nothing in the FAA AME guide about needing to be able to taste or smell (https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/standards/). Check with your AME, in a consult (http://steinmetz.org/peter/flying/faaMedicalInfo#ameConsult) if necessary rather than a live exam, but I see nothing to suggest this should prevent issuance.
 
Larry Korona said:
I was inquiring about what to do after a positive test, specifically the impact of not recovering sense of taste and smell, not about the vaccine. Unfortunately the vaccine is not going to be of much help to me at this point. Not even sure if I'm going to get it when it does become available.
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Disclose and see what happens or swap to BasicMed. The virus and associated disease hasn’t been around long enough to understand the long term implications, so I’d be surprised if the FAA has any criteria for some sort of decision matrix specific to COVID.

I’m probably wrong in thinking that, but until something shows up in the AME guide, it’s my best guess.
 
PeterNSteinmetz said:
There is nothing in the FAA AME guide about needing to be able to taste or smell (https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/avs/offices/aam/ame/guide/standards/). Check with your AME, in a consult (http://steinmetz.org/peter/flying/faaMedicalInfo#ameConsult) if necessary rather than a live exam, but I see nothing to suggest this should prevent issuance.
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Thanks for your reply and the links. Good thing that I'm not due for my medical for another year, hope to have all of this behind me by then.
 
TCABM said:
Disclose and see what happens or swap to BasicMed. The virus and associated disease hasn’t been around long enough to understand the long term implications, so I’d be surprised if the FAA has any criteria for some sort of decision matrix specific to COVID.

I’m probably wrong in thinking that, but until something shows up in the AME guide, it’s my best guess.
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Yea this all uncharted waters we are floundering in these days. Medical is not due for another year so it will be interesting how all of this turns out. I'm sure I'm not the only pilot that can't taste tonight's dinner!
 
MacFly said:
I wouldn't even mention a covid-19 infection to my doctor or especially to the FAA unless I had been hospitalized.
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I know there are pilots who are certain they had it (classic symptoms, close relative tested positive) who refuse to even be tested in order to avoid the diagnosis.
 
Lindberg said:
I know there are pilots who are certain they had it (classic symptoms, close relative tested positive) who refuse to even be tested in order to avoid the diagnosis.
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That's disappointing to hear, defeats the purpose and intention of both the COVID testing and FAA medical programs; to keep you safe.
 
Meh, our daughter's boyfriend tested positive. It's now been eight days and the three of us (me, wife, daughter) have no symptoms. Unless symptoms present, I have no intentions of getting tested.
 
and if symptoms WERE present, I don't believe I would test ... why? I would just self-quarantine and continue with life such as it is. No desire to become another data point.
 
Larry Korona said:
That's disappointing to hear, defeats the purpose and intention of both the COVID testing and FAA medical programs; to keep you safe.
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If they know they have it, and they quarantine themselves with minor symptoms, what problem would a positive test solve? I guess it'd be different if there was a definitive treatment for people with minor symptoms.
 
Lindberg said:
If they know they have it, and they quarantine themselves with minor symptoms, what problem would a positive test solve? I guess it'd be different if there was a definitive treatment for people with minor symptoms.
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Really? Knowing how many have actually been infected would be absolute gold. It would allow for better calculation of spread and death rates.
I had symptoms, and will get an antibody test in a few days.
 
I am picturing the FAA's rationale -- without the ability to smell, how would you detect an in-flight fire? Could they make the argument that your response will be delayed without a sense of smell, and thus, you'll need a literal SODA determination to figure out an alternate means of detection?

(not saying I agree with this line of thought, just it seems that CAMI is a big old NOPE factory, so pondering how they'll assemble this fresh hell for pilots)
 
Kenny Phillips said:
Really? Knowing how many have actually been infected would be absolute gold. It would allow for better calculation of spread and death rates.
I had symptoms, and will get an antibody test in a few days.
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I guess the question becomes, if you have the antibodies (which means you had it), will you consider your medical invalid as some experts here have opined.

I think it's a valid fear that the FAA medical bureaucracy will act contrary to medical best practices. i.e. disincentiving testing.

Personally I get tested often enough for work that I'm over it, and don't feel like it is a disqualifying condition even if I did. Health first or something. But I also don't do medicals anymore.
 
So, today is it more favorable to have had it or not have had it?

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You should be fine to fly with covid. Just make sure you stay at least 6 feet away from other airplanes and you’ll be fine.


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I'm wondering about the various COVID vaccines....
  • I work in a hospital in direct patient care and will get priority access to vaccination. I wonder if that hospital will require me to get a COVID vaccination
  • I wonder if an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA will be accepted by the FAA as FDA "approval" and they won't pull my Class III medical if I get the vaccination. Assuming I decide to get the vaccination...(I haven't decided yet)
 
Jeff Oslick said:
I'd get the vaccine and let the FAA deal with their internal absurdities on their own time.
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I don't want to suspend my flying while the FAA deals with its internal absurdities. And...I'm not sure of the safety of these various vaccines.
 
Are pilots supposed to be reporting influenza vaccinations on the MedXpress form?
 
Palmpilot said:
Are pilots supposed to be reporting influenza vaccinations on the MedXpress form?
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No. But influenza vaccinations are FDA-approved. As of now...there are no COVID vaccines that are FDA approved, and if any are approved, they'll fall under an Emergency Use Aauthorization for the foreseeable future. Thus far....no one has confirmed for me that the Federal Air Surgeon sees an EUA as being the same thing as "FDA Approval".
 
MacFly said:
No. But influenza vaccinations are FDA-approved. As of now...there are no COVID vaccines that are FDA approved, and if any are approved, they'll fall under an Emergency Use Aauthorization for the foreseeable future. Thus far....no one has confirmed for me that the Federal Air Surgeon sees an EUA as being the same thing as "FDA Approval".
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How does the FAA expect pilots to know about these rules? I haven't found any mention of them in the MedXpress instructions.

https://medxpress.faa.gov/medxpress/Content/Docs/MedXPressUsersGuide.pdf
 
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MacFly said:
No. But influenza vaccinations are FDA-approved. As of now...there are no COVID vaccines that are FDA approved, and if any are approved, they'll fall under an Emergency Use Aauthorization for the foreseeable future. Thus far....no one has confirmed for me that the Federal Air Surgeon sees an EUA as being the same thing as "FDA Approval".
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What FAR makes "FDA Approval" necessary?
 
Lindberg said:
What FAR makes "FDA Approval" necessary?
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67.313(c), and the corresponding sections for first and second class medicals, appear to be a virtual blank check for the federal air surgeon to decide that a medication or treatment makes a person "unable to safely perform the duties or exercise the privileges of the airman certificate applied for or held."

The thing that bugs me about this is that the promulgation of this policy is haphazard, creating yet another nasty surprise for unsuspecting pilots, most of whom will probably first learn of it when they apply for a medical certificate or renewal. :(
 
Lindberg said:
The "official" sources in that thread say the FAA has no problem with vaccines.
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APPROVED vaccines. And yes.....only rumor and speculation AFAIK. If you don’t buy it then you shouldn’t let it deter you. The FAA’s supposed stance on your pilot’s license and experimental vaccines shouldn’t be a factor in your health care decisions and whether or not to get vaccinated.
 
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