The Coronavirus pandemic has put a halt on travelling and on our travel plans over the last few months. The worldwide spread of COVID-19, have forced people to cancel their flight bookings, trips & vacations. Governments and airlines are issuing travel advisories to limit non-essential travels. In this chaos there are thousands of doubts in our minds w.r.t to travel during Coronavirus pandemic like
1. How to reduce the risk of infection during travel?
2. How to fly safe and arrive well during COVID-19?
3. How to travel in the times of Coronavirus?
4. If you must travel now how to stay safe from coronavirus?
5.Is it safe to travel during COVID-19 Pandemic?
6. Where to travel during COVID-19?
7. What are Coronavirus travel restriction?
8. When will it be safe to travel again?
9. Is it safe to fly?
10. Safest way to travel during Coronavirus pandemic?
In this blog, we have tried to answer a few of them. You may have a need to travel due to some urgency. What will you do in that case? You have an urgent international or domestic flight to catch and it is unavoidable. Of course it is risky but If you want to travel during this pandemic, What precautions can you take to protect yourself from the coronavirus?
The first question you may be asking to yourself and others is
Can I travel without any risks during the Coronavirus pandemic?
Well you can, but it’s not safe and don't think that it will be risk-free to travel during the Coronavirus outbreak. You may think that you are young, healthy and visiting to a country which has less number of Coronavirus cases, but you can still be exposed to the risk of catching the Coronavirus. You might also think that the mortality rate of people affected with the COVID-19 is not that high and is quite low compared to other virus in Corona family, but still there are people dying because of this Coronavirus. A wise decision would be to lay low and avoid travelling as much as possible to steer clear of the Coronavirus infection. As it is observed that there are majority of cases where infected people are Asymptomatic, which means they do not have symptoms but they still are infected and can spread the virus to others.
Let's take a look at some of the tips or things to consider before you travel.
Age: People over the age of seventy to eighty are more like to be affected by the complications of Coronavirus. However, individuals who fall in the age group of 10-39 have been found to show relatively low mortality rates, i.e. 0.2 per cent approximately. That still doesn’t ensure that younger children and adults have a lower chance of infection, only that the disease won’t turn fatal for them. If they show any symptoms of the disease, they must isolate themselves from others as they may be spreading the virus around otherwise.
Medical history: The Coronavirus seems to have severe impact on people with medical conditions like Hypertension, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and other respiratory problems. They are more vulnerable and more prone to catch the Coronavirus compared to the healthy individuals. If you suffer from any health problems mentioned above, avoid travelling at all costs. Nothing is more valuable than your life, but if you have to travel, be more cautious.
The country you are planning to visit: Globally, Coronavirus cases have reached 17,476,105 (as per Worldometer on 31st july)and its keeps on increasing. Majority of Coronavirus cases are being reported in USA, Brazil and India. Government bodies have issued advisories against travelling to these countries among others , unless it is extremely urgent to travel. The countries with less number of cases are not entirely safe to travel as well. Before travelling, read the travel advisory of that country to avoid any inconvenience. If you are going or returning from a high-risk country, a 1-3 weeks of self-quarantine is mandatory even if you don't have any symptoms or you are not infected.
Should I cancel my travel plans during Coronavirus outbreak?
The countries all over the world are fighting to contain the Coronavirus spread and racing against time to come up with a cure or vaccine to protect its citizens. To contain the inflow of Coronavirus from external boundries, countries have put restrictions and not allowing flights or citizens of countries with high rate of Coronavirus infections like USA, Brazil, India, China etc. Many countries have closed their schools, malls, lockdowns are in effect to indefinite period. There is high chances that your travel plan may get affected.
The medical companies and governments are working together to find vaccines for Coronavirus and have made successful clinical trials. Some of the candidates are in last stage of vaccine development. But, till the time vaccine is underway, Governments are issuing guidelines and creating awareness among people to follow physical distances, avoid public gatherings and only essential travel is allowed. However, if you have to visit a low-risk country, you can make the trip by taking necessary precaution and wear protective gear during whole trip. You can also refer to WHO guidelines for traveling.
How to stay safe from Coronavirus during flight and travel?
There are lot of guidelines available on the internet on how to travel safe during COVID-19 outbreak. Be careful while following those guidelines. Refer to only those guidelines which are issued by authentic bodies like WHO, Governments, Airlines etc.
Wash your hands frequently: It goes without saying that washing your hands frequently for atleast twenty seconds is the best way to protect yourself from catching the Coronavirus. Make sure you do it the right way. Don't just pour water and rinse. Make sure you have thoroughly applied soap and rinsed your hands properly before cleaning it with water. Wash your hands every time you touch places in common areas surfaces like counter, door knobs, vending machines etc. Avoid using surfaces in public places and wash your hands once you leave the public places, like airports, bus terminals, railway station etc.
It is recommended to keep hand sanitizer handy all time, in case you don't have access to soap and water every time. Make sure that hand sanitizer has atleast 60% alcohol in it. Put a 2-4 drops of hand sanitizer and rub it gently on your palms, wrist and fingers for atleast 10 seconds. Sanitize your hands frequently and properly.
Avoid touching your face: Do not touch your face and hair frequently. You can touch your face only after immediate hand wash. Avoid touching your face in public place at all costs as we know that Coronavirus is airborne now and it is very important to keep your face covered all time when you are in public places. Coronavirus is not only airborne but can also survive on surfaces for longer duration, upto 48-72 hours on some surfaces.If an infected person touches a surfaces, novel coronavirus can stay on that surface for hours and if you also accidentally touch that surface and then touch your mouth, eyes or nose, you have increased your chances of catching the virus.
Maintain distance: Social distancing is the key. If you want to steer clear of the novel coronavirus, steer clear of the people. People infected with Coronavirus have symptoms similar to a common flu or cold. Coughing, sneezing and other symptoms of flu, are your cues to stay away from infected person for atleast 6 feet. When a person coughs or sneezes, micro droplets carrying virus are released in the air and you might come in contact and contract the disease. With increase in asymptomatic cases of coronavirus, it is very difficult to make out who is infected and who is not. In such case, it is very important to keep your distance from everyone in public places and other areas with 5 or more number of people.
Ask for a hygiene tour: If you are planning to stay in hotel and any other accommodation, make sure they are following best practices of hygiene and cleanliness. Do a through research, read reviews and feedback with respect to hygiene and cleanliness of the hotel or accommodation before booking your room. During check-in ask for a hygiene tour, and make sure to check that your room is cleaned properly . Ask them to disinfect frequently touch objects in your room with disinfectant before you check-in to the room.
Read health and other advisory about the Coronavirus outbreak in the country you are planning to visit in advance: Read the guidelines and advisories issued by government and health officials of the destination country from their respective websites before making travel plans.
Wear a mask : Wear a good mask that covers your nose and mouth completely. Keep the mask on all times at public places and while talking to people with close proximity. Mask is equally important as washing your hands frequently to avoid contracting Coronavirus.
Do not ignore the symptoms: If If you have symptoms like Cough, itchiness in throat, loss of taste and smell, increase in body temperature and fever, immediately seek medical assistance and get yourself tested for Coronavirus. These are symptoms of Covid-19 and you must wear a mask to stop it from spreading to others. Self-isolate and call for medical assistance
Keeping the basic precautions as your guard against Coronavirus, you can travel. It may not eliminate the risk of COVID-19 completely but it is the best you can do to make the travel safe and healthy.