Coronavirus Test To Be Done On Man Who Died On International Flight To Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The body of a man who had a heart attack and died on a flight to Boston Friday is being tested for coronavirus, according to Massachusetts State Police. They said the test is out of an abundance of caution and is simply due to his international travel.
Police said that around 2:30 p.m., they were notified that a passenger was having a heart attack aboard Emirates Flight EK237 enroute from Dubai to Boston. The passenger was a 59-year-old man from Worcester.
Emergency services waited at the gate, police said, and waited for passengers to exit once the plane landed. They said that they boarded the flight around 3 p.m. and determined the man had died.
Police said the man had traveled from Boston to Chennai, India, on March 4 and had been sick with gastrointestinal problems for several days prior to and on the day of his death. According to the man's family, the man did not have any pre-existing medical conditions.
"In light of the man's international travel, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in an abundance of caution will test for COVID-19 as part of its post-mortem examination," Massachusetts State Police said in a news release. "The State Police investigation remains open while we await those autopsy results."
The flight had 322 passengers and 18 crew members.
