A few weeks ago, I did a video on traveling during the coronavirus outbreak.
At the time, the outbreak was mostly limited to parts of Asia, so my advice tended to lean
toward canceling trips to Asia, but still traveling everywhere else.
Two weeks later, things seem to have gotten worse.
Hey, how’s it going everyone.
It’s Ernest from Trip Astute.
In this video, I’m going to be revisiting the coronavirus situation and discussing how
you might alter your travels and prepare yourself for what may be ahead.
Again, I want to start this video by expressing my solidarity with those infected and directly
affected by the COVID-19 virus.
I can only imagine how scary and frustrating it must be, and I empathize with those living
in areas experiencing an outbreak.
The coronavirus situation seems to be constantly evolving.
At the time I am recording this video, there are large outbreaks of the virus in Italy,
Iran, South Korea, and Japan.
The cases in China have slowed down, but we’re now seeing the virus spreading to other parts
of the world.
Even in the US, we’re seeing more cases of community transmission, which means that
it’s likely in more places than we would like to believe.
While there is a legitimate fear of the coronavirus, I also think it’s important to keep in mind
that most people are able to fight off the infection, and many are also minimally symptomatic.
Those that are most at risk are older folks and those with pre-existing conditions.
I don’t mean to say that you shouldn’t be worried about it.
But I do think that it’s easy to get sucked into the fear and grim projections.
If anything, we need to be getting ready to fight this outbreak and protecting ourselves,
our family, and our community from what may be ahead.
In my previous video, I emphasized that every person should understand their risk tolerance
in order to determine whether they should travel.
That’s still the case.
Whether you decide to travel during this time is a very personal and subjective decision.
Based on what we’ve seen in the past few weeks, I personally have more reservations
about traveling, particularly overseas.
While the risk of contracting the virus during air travel is still low, I’m primarily concerned
about being stranded somewhere far from home if outbreaks continue to grow.
There are obviously a lot of factors to consider when deciding to change or cancel your travel
plans.
For those of you with travel itineraries where canceling a hotel stay or flight may result
in a significant financial loss, I recommend postponing your trip rather than canceling
it.
For example, many hotels will charge a fee if you cancel your reservation after the official
cancel date.
However, you can often postpone your reservation for little or no fee, and sometimes even cancel
later since the reservation cancel date has moved.
The same goes for airfare.
You can often change your flights for a fee, but it’s better than just canceling your
flight outright.
And some airlines, like Southwest, won’t charge you a fee.
Other airlines, like American, Alaska, Delta, JetBlue, and United Airlines, are starting
to change their policies in reaction to passenger concerns over travel.
Also, if you do need to or want to travel, then you may want to consider driving instead.
I know that may not be possible for some, but I think it’s a better way to go to reduce
your exposure to large crowds, particularly at the airport.
It also allows you to still travel in the event that air travel is limited due to control
measures.
For example, we were supposed to be on vacation in Maui right now.
However, since we are expecting a baby this summer, we decided to postpone our trip.
I was less concerned about contracting the virus.
My primary worry was being stuck in Hawaii if there was a large outbreak or if air travel
were to stop.
In most places in the US, we could still rent a car and get home.
But being on an island means that we would have to wait.
Being stuck in Hawaii probably wouldn’t be the worst thing, but since Fiona is pregnant,
that changed our risk equation.
If it was just the two of us, then I think we would have taken the trip.
Honestly, we were also concerned about the financial impact that we would incur for canceling
our trip.
Luckily, postponing our trip didn’t cost us much money.
If we had canceled our hotel reservation, we would have owed about two nights worth
as a penalty.
Instead, we rescheduled our trip to October at no cost.
We did cancel our flights, but since we used points, we were refunded the point balances
and charged about $25 per person for the change.
That seemed more than reasonable since we were so close to the departure date.
I say all this not to freak people out.
I honestly thought things would be trending toward more control and containment, especially
since that was the outcome for previous outbreaks like SARS and MERS.
But this time seems to be different.
While we can all worry about things, I think it’s just more productive for us to figure
out ways to do our part to help stop the spread.
We will all get through this difficult and scary time.
The best thing that we can do is get prepared.
In addition to reevaluating your travel plans, here are some steps that I recommend you take
based on what we’ve learned from others in the center of the outbreak.
1.
Wash your hands often and properly: I have to admit that I didn’t know until recently
that there is a “proper” way to wash your hands.
I was one of those people who would wipe my hands with soap for a few seconds then rinse.
However, according to the CDC, you’re supposed to use the following process:
Wet your hands with clean, running water.
It doesn’t have to be hot water either.
Lather and scrub your hands with soap for 20 seconds.
This was completely new to me.
20 seconds is a long time, especially if you’re used to just wetting your hands for a few
seconds.
If you need a reference, humming the happy birthday song twice should get you to about
20 seconds.
You’ll want to scrub your hands and get between your fingers and under your nails.
Also, you don’t have to use anti-bacterial soap.
In fact, using regular soap might be safer and more healthy, since it doesn’t kill
the good bacteria on your body can help fight off infections.
Rinse your hands under clean running water.
Avoid reusing standing water.
Also, you don’t have to use a paper towel or your elbow to turn off the faucet.
Dry your hands with a clean towel or air dryer.
And it probably goes without saying, but don’t just wipe your hands on your clothes to get
them dry.
2.
Carry hand sanitizer: While using hand sanitizer isn’t as effective as washing your hands,
it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
I recommend carrying some with you, especially if you’re traveling.
I carry some in my car since I work in healthcare and often find myself at hospitals for meetings.
Also, I find it useful for situations where I might be handling something that gets a
lot of exposure, like when I pump fuel at a gas station.
Using hand sanitizer can help reduce the potential spread of the virus.
3.
Avoid touching your face: I do this all the time, and I’ve only recently caught myself
in order to start changing the habit.
This is particularly the case for those of you traveling.
You’ll want to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth since this is the primary
way to become infected.
4.
Wipe down surfaces: I mentioned this in my other video.
If you’re on a plane, I suggest wiping down your seat, armrest, and tray table with sanitizing
wipes.
This also applies to staying at a hotel.
You’ll want to do a quick wipe down of some of the surfaces.
I’ve also heard the recommendation to avoid the top comforter since it’s usually not
washed between every stay.
In addition, people tend to put objects on top of the bed like their suitcase, so it
might be wise to pack some warmer pajamas and removing the comforter.
A few people also commented in the last video with additional tips like wiping down things
that we touch every day like our phones, computer keyboards, and doorknobs.
You also want to make sure that you’re using wipes that are anti-bacterial rather than
just moist.
5.
Use contactless payments when possible: Payment transactions are places where there are high
amounts of touch and traffic.
If you’re not already using mobile payments or contactless cards, then I suggest setting
it up.
It’s an easy way to reduce touching and spreading pathogens in your daily life.
6.
Stock up on essential supplies: This doesn’t just include non-perishable foods, water,
and medicine.
I also recommend thinking about other items that you use every day, like soap, toothpaste,
toilet paper, and pet supplies.
This is a good practice regardless of the virus, especially if you already live in a
place that is prone to natural disasters.
Based on what we’ve seen in places that have already experienced major outbreaks,
these types of supplies can quickly become scarce, so it helps to get stocked now.
Also, I recommend buying things that you will consume to minimize waste.
For example, we’ve stocked up on oats and rice since we know that we consume these items
regularly, and they tend to have a long shelf life.
7.
Consider taking local road trips: While I don’t recommend traveling to crowded places,
you might consider taking a road trip somewhere secluded and enjoying nature.
It might not replace your previously planned trip to see the Great Wall, but it might help
alleviate the frustrations of postponing your big international trip.
Again, we’re going to get through this period.
Rather than worrying or being consumed by fear, we need to all get prepared and do our
part to minimize the spread while our scientists determine the best way to deal with the virus.
The faster we can contain this virus, the sooner we can get back to traveling and experiencing
new sights and cultures without worries.
I truly believe that this is one of those events that we will always remember, so let’s
not dwell on how this virus is ruining our lives and travels.
Let’s focus on getting through this situation as strongly as possible.
I feel like I should queue the scene from Braveheart, but you know what I mean.
We’re all in this together.
What are you doing to prepare?
Do you have any other tips to share?
Please let me know in the comment section below.
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