US teacher self-isolates in plane toilet for 5 hours after testing positive for COVID-19 mid-flight

A passenger on a flight from the United States to Iceland chose to self-isolate in a plane toilet for five hours after she tested positive for COVID-19 during the journey.

Marisa Fotieo captured her experience in a TikTok video which has been viewed more than 4 million times as of Friday (Dec 31). She is seen in the cramped toilet space, wearing several face masks.

Fotieo, a teacher, told CNN she was on an Icelandair flight from Chicago to Reykjavik on Dec 19. She was en route to Switzerland with her brother and father.

Before the flight, she took two polymerase chain reaction tests and five antigen rapid tests, all of which came back negative. After an hour into the flight, she started to feel a sore throat, the report said.

Fotieo then took a rapid test, which came back positive.

"The first flight attendant I ran into was Rocky. I was hysterical, I was crying," Fotieo told CNN. "I was nervous for my family who I just had dinner with. I was nervous for the other people on the plane. I was nervous for myself."

According to NBC News, Fotieo opted to stay isolated in the bathroom for the rest of the flight. A note was put on the toilet door saying it was out of service, CNN reported.

"POV - you test positive for COVID while over the Atlantic Ocean," read a caption in her TikTok video.

"Shout out to @Icelandair for my VIP quarantine quarters." 

Fotieo said she was able to make it through her flight thanks to the flight attendant who sent her food and drinks.

When the flight landed in Reykjavik, Fotieo was taken to a Red Cross hotel where she had to quarantine for 10 days. 

She was vaccinated and had also received her booster shot, according to CNN. 

Fotieo's journey comes as the Omicron COVID-19 variant disrupts travel plans for many. Hundred of flights have been cancelled across the US each day since Christmas as airline staff test positive for COVID-19.

On Wednesday, the average number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US hit a record of 258,312 over the past seven days, a Reuters tally showed.