Cabin Crew Member Tests Positive for B117 on a Dubai Flight
Who’s the Crew?
Meet Jenna Lee—a 41‑year‑old Singapore Airlines cabin attendant whose flight took her from Singapore to the UAE. She’s one of five people aboard that plane now testing positive for COVID‑19.
The Timeline
Jenna departed Singapore on Jan 30 and landed in Dubai on Feb 1, staying on the plane the whole way—no layover, no diaper changes. A month after her last turnaround flight, she got a negative swab and a clean serology, so she was under the radar.
Come Feb 4, she started feeling off—lost her sense of smell (anosmia). She shrugged it off, because “no doctor for a sudden loss of smell” was on her list of priorities. But the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore had to check her on Sunday, giving her a pooled test that turned positive the next day.
Vaccination Shuffle
She had her first Pfizer‑BioNTech jab on Feb 2. The Ministry of Health (MOH) reminded everyone that the vaccine contains no live virus, so it’s impossible to catch COVID from a shot. However, you can still pick up the virus just before or just after vaccination because immunity takes a while to build.
Other Cases on the Flight
- Three favourites: a three‑year‑old girl, a one‑year‑old boy, and a passport‑holder who was on the flight.
- All turned out as imported cases, confirming the B117 strain.
- That brings Singapore’s total to 59,732 confirmed cases—51,696 imported, 8,036 local.
Isolation & Quarantine
Upon her positive test, Jenna was taken to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) for an individual swab, then isolated. Her close contacts? All put under strict quarantine to keep the virus at bay.
Places That Got a Little Drama
In the wake of the new infections, the MOH added Oasis Terraces and Ci Yuan Hawker Centre to the list of suspect spots visited by patients while still contagious.
Statistics & Side Notes
- Singapore has seen 29 deaths from COVID‑19 complications.
- Of course, 15 people who tested positive sadly passed away from other causes.
Looking Ahead
With every new case, the MOH continues to test imported travelers, monitor contact tracing, and keep the community safe. For the latest updates, keep your eyes peeled—no link needed, just stay tuned to trusted sources.
