THE SILENT REVIEW_SPRING EDITION 2021_WEB

COVID-19 AND WORKERS
COMPENSATION
ENTITLEMENTS
by Michael Hyland
To date forty-eight members of the Flight Attendant’s Association of Australia
have submitted workers compensation claims for Covid-19 infection. The majority
of the members who were employed by Qantas were Sydney based. Qantas
accepted liability for the claims. Thereafter the members were paid weekly
compensation for certified periods of total or partial incapacity for work and injury
treatment expenses were paid on their behalf.
Most of the relevant members were infected with
Covid-19 during the first wave of the virus. Early
symptoms of the disease differed on a case to case basis.
Commonly reported symptoms included but were not
limited to a loss of taste and smell, rapidly increasing
levels of fatigue and myalgia, shortness of breath, chest
pain, persistent headaches and flu-like symptoms.
The inherent Covid-19 high risk contagion environment
of the cabin of a commercial aircraft crystallised for the
cabin crew of QF28 operating from Santiago to Sydney
on 27 March 2020. Of the fourteen crew, eight were
infected with Covid-19.
The vagaries of Covid-19 were chillingly illustrated by
its impact on two of the infected QF28 crew, referred to
hereafter as FA1 and FA2.
FA1 began suffering from respiratory symptoms, including
a cough and fever, during the flight from Santiago to
Sydney. Following arrival into Sydney, FA1 undertook
a Covid test which was reported as positive. On NSW
Health Department directions FA1 self-isolated at home.
His respiratory symptoms gradually improved over a
10-12 day period.
However, in mid-April 2020 FA1’S condition rapidly
deteriorated and he developed acute urinary retention
requiring home attendance by paramedics for insertion
of a catheter. Within 24 hours FA1 developed disturbing
neurological symptoms including increasingly poor
balance and difficulty walking. An ambulance was again
called and FA1 was conveyed to a public hospital.
Emergency Department investigations, including an
MRI scan, established that FA1 was suffering from
post-infectious transverse myelitis, an inflammation of
the spinal cord. As a result of the diagnosis, FA1 was
hospitalised for 11 days. Following his discharge,
FA1 was required to use a walking stick for 5-6 weeks.
Although it is now 18 months since FA1 was Covid 19
infected, he continues to suffer balance problems and his
long term prognosis remains uncertain.
FA2 began to suffer symptoms of fatigue and body aches
on 2 April 2020. The severity and range of symptoms
suffered dramatically escalated within a 24-hour period.
On 5 April 2020, test results established that FA1 was
Covid- 19 infected. On NSW Department of Health
directions, FA2 was required to isolate at her residence
with her husband and two children.
In the early stages of her isolation FA2 began suffering
from high levels of stress and anxiety due to the Covid-19
infection risk she posed to her children and husband. The
basis for FA2’s stress and anxiety was the life-threatening
risk to her children and husband if they contracted
Covid-19. Both children were asthmatics and FA2’s
husband also suffered from an underlying health condition.
6 SPRING EDITION 2021