Traveling Amid Health Concerns
By now it’s likely you’ve been apprised of, and are monitoring the continuous concerns over COVID-19, aka Coronavirus. While Coronavirus itself is not a new illness, the rapid spread has certainly fanned the flames of concern, and maybe even fear. While you can avoid traveling to hotspot zones like China, and others for vacation, cutting travel all together either may not be an option for you, or maybe you just don’t feel like it’s necessary. Either way, I’m writing this blog as a reminder and also a peace of mind for those who will continue to travel. I am also writing this about other illnesses like the Flu, Pneumonia, or Strep Throat, to name a few that have also been fatal.
First and foremost, I do not condone elderly, or people with weak immune systems traveling right now. I want to clarify I won’t endorse any travel at this time but realistically it is just how some people have to live. I also don’t necessarily believe in discontinuing living due to fear. I am not a doctor, scientist, nor pharmacist, and I certainly am not a professional when it comes to COVID-19. What I am, however, is a person who travels with a questionable-at-best immune system with access to information about COVID-19.
My very first recommendation is to not panic at any time. I hope none of my readers contract coronavirus in any of its strains, but, if you do, REMAIN CALM! I cannot emphasize this enough. Fear, panic, anger, and all of those negative emotions keep your mind distracted while any illness take hold. Contracting diseases don’t have to be a death sentence but you will have to rely and trust your medical providers, who are working very hard right now by the way, to get you through this. Panicking also leads to not listening to professionals who are trying to help people and give them important information. I have anxiety and this is something I struggle with but it is good to be informed and aware, as well as exercise caution. It is not good to panic or even live in fear. The best way to battle fear and panic is to research on your own. I highly recommend educating yourself on all of the information around this as much as you possibly can. Keep in mind that it is major news right now, so you will see it everywhere, but the best thing you can do for yourself is research it on your own. Talk to professionals, read stuff online or books, any literature really. Read that stuff you might even be afraid to know like all of the symptoms, and know what to expect should you contract this disease.
Practice good hygiene. Maybe even better than normal hygiene while traveling. Keep clothes clean, as well as wash your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm soap and water anytime you come in contact with another person you do not know, or touch something in public. Hand sanitizer is a good backup but washing your hands is most important.
Hydrate! Also, eat balanced meals, and take vitamins. Exercise is good to keep your lungs and heart strong but make sure more than anything, you are focusing on making your body as healthy as it can be. Even if it doesn’t prevent you from catching the disease, catching it while you are stimulating your immune system will only help you fight illness.
Respect those around you. Symptoms of COVID-19 can take up to 5 days after infection to show up. You may not know you are sick. Cough and sneeze into your shirt sleeves. Don’t hoard supplies. It is a major pet peeve of mine when something like this happens, and next thing you know, the shelves at stores are clear and there isn’t enough for everyone. As of right now, we have not halted production of items like hand soap, or toilet paper. Stocking up is good, hoarding is disrespectful. In Colorado, and California, we always try to have a good stock of canned foods, water, pet food, and other essentials in case of emergency. It is wise to do that in this case too. While traveling, bring sanitizer, and your own hand soap because hotels usually only provide bars of soap, which, are fine too, but bringing your own supplies at this time is a good idea.
Make arrangements before going on your trip in case you have to be gone weeks longer than you expect due to being quarantined. If you are leaving a pet at home during your travels, make sure they have enough food, water, medication, and someone can access them in your absence for a few weeks to a month and a half. If you live in a state where natural disasters happen, temperatures still may freeze - which can cause pipes in your home to freeze, etc., make arrangements for someone to check in on your home. Have a rent/mortgage check ready to go in case you miss that deadline, as well as any other important bills.
Buy travel insurance, and make sure you speak with your provider about what happens if you are traveling internationally and get sick. Make sure you are covered! Not all travel insurance covers this, and your health insurance is not typically accepted internationally. You could get stuck with an outrageous bill should you get sick internationally. I recommend buying travel insurance anyway because it covers things like being transferred back to your home country usually, as well as missing or changing flights, etc. At this time is is very important to have extra insurance.
Make sure people know you love or care about them at all times, but sometimes an episode like this reminds us how fragile we are as beings. Our bodies are amazing instruments, but also extremely delicate too. Don’t forget that we are not invincible and give yourself permission to let people know what they mean to you. Unfortunately, I am no stranger to loss. I have lost many people so suddenly that I will always wish I had another day with them, or more memories with them, or that I had just said things to let them know what they meant to me.
I have traveled while I was sick in the past. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. You aren’t really supposed to fly when you are sick for health reasons but I had to get home. I had strep throat and pneumonia together and a fever hovering around 103 for the most part. I loaded up on Ibuprofen, throat syrup, and orange juice, and I boarded the plane. I kept my distance from people as much as possible. I didn’t touch anything the public would touch as much as I could help it. I sanitized my hands as much as possible, and kept my mouth covered. All I can do is hope I didn’t spread anything. I needed to get to my doctor, and I needed to have access to my stuff at home, sleep in my bed, and hole myself up for a week and a half while it passed. Thankfully, I was only flying from San Francisco back to Denver, but that was the longest 6 hours of maybe my life from the time I left my hotel room, to the time I walked in my front door in Colorado and immediately went to bed. I had my husband with me too, so he helped shield me from the public when I didn’t know if I was contagious or what was going on, as well as lugged stuff around when I could barely be upright. All of this to tell you, I never, ever advise traveling when you’re sick if you can help it. Not just for public safety, but your safety, and also because it is a terrible experience. Should you contract a disease or illness while you are traveling, you will just want to get home. Sometimes that is doable, sometimes it is not. If you are in a place where they speak a foreign language to you, the language barrier during treatment may be very difficult. Even if you have learned some of the language before you traveled there, medical tends to be its own language. Some places may be able to translate to your language, some may not. This can be very scary as a patient. Some travel insurance options, as well as healthcare providers offer a number to call. Call those numbers and explain what is happening. They may be able to assist you to get a translator, or they may be able to tell you what to expect in your language at least. Try to remain calm and let them treat you, even if you don’t fully understand them, at least until you can get home.
Please stay safe, everyone! I do believe we will get through this sooner rather than later but in the meantime we just have to focus on taking care of ourselves, and those around us too. We have to come together against this awful disease and beat it and not let it turn us against each other. Please practice love and patience during this time. Empathy, Sympathy, and any form of understanding for one another is strongly advised (by me). I have seen what panic does to people in these times and I have seen animals being killed out of fear they were the cause already, I have seen people treat each other awfully because they are only looking out for themselves already, and we are still in early stages of this. Please just remember most importantly that there was a time before this, and there will be a time after this. We can make it through this as we have done with so many things in the past. I am adding the website to World Health Organization, as well as the CDC to my page where I have all the other useful travel websites so that you can monitor here.
!! If you do believe you have Coronavirus and cannot breathe, and feel like you are drowning due to congestion without a runny nose, CONTACT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, OR THE NEAREST DOCTOR!! Do not hesitate with this disease.
