Now we live in a Covid world as Covid isn’t going anywhere, you might want to travel but be put off by Covid. This blog post is here to give you some tips to staying safe and trying to avoid Covid.
For some of us who are high or higher risk, catching Covid can mean weeks of severe symptoms or even worse. If you are not high risk you might not understand how severe the symptoms can be for those of us with other health conditions or chronic illnesses.
Just because you might get over it like a cold doesn’t mean it is like that for all of us!
When I once caught it, I had severe symptoms and was bedbound for weeks. My day to day chronic illness symptoms were a thousand times worse and I was physically sick every day with unbearable pain all over and my migraines were so much worse and aggravated by Covid.
I have travelled on multiple 12 hour flights plus shorter ones as well as used the subway and been in crowded places, and I avoided Covid, so here are my tips.
A reminder that Covid is here for the long term even after the pandemic as it is an epidemic currently. Some people are high risk as well as some being extremely high risk. Just because it doesn’t affect you badly, doesn’t mean that it doesn’t affect others badly. Some get much worse symptoms and others could die.
If you care about your family and others, then take precautions.
Here are some tips for avoiding COVID-19 while travelling:
- Wear a N95 mask in public places
Wear a mask in all public areas, especially in enclosed spaces such as airplanes, buses, and trains.
I used a mask purely on the plane, train and subway, and I avoided Covid.
Do make sure that it is N95 otherwise it won’t work anywhere near as well. It is worth getting N95.
Don’t worry what others think about you wearing a mask, just care about yourself. - Wash your hands frequently
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after being in public spaces. This is very important. - Use hand sanitiser
Carry a bottle of hand sanitiser with you and use it frequently, especially when soap and water are not available.
Remember that soap and water are better than sanitiser, but sanitiser is needed for where there is no access to water. - Practice social distancing
Try to keep a distance of at least 6 feet (2 meters) from others when possible. Yes, this is getting harder as more and more people act like Covid isn’t here anymore, but you can try to protect yourself. - Avoid crowded areas
Try to avoid crowded areas, especially during peak hours. - Get vaccinated
You could get vaccinated which helps reduce the symptoms if you catch it as well as reduce the symptoms if you do catch it. It is still mandatory in many countries that you are vaccinated before you travel there, although some are removing this requirement over time.
For example, for UK visitors to the USA have to be vaccinated or you can’t travel, but this ends on May 11th, showing that rules are changing all the time so you need to be aware of this and keep checking to see if anything changes. - Stay informed
Stay up to date on local COVID-19 guidelines and restrictions at your destination, and follow them. They are different all over the world. Some countries are much more strict than others, so don’t assume it is the same as where you live. - Don’t go out with Covid.
This is the most obvious, but sadly many people just don’t care about Covid anymore and see it just like a cold, even though those of us who are higher risk and high risk, know all too well how bad the symptoms can be and some of us get hospitalised from it and could die!
Don’t act like it has gone, just take care and don’t spread it.
Remember that the risk of contracting COVID-19 can never be completely eliminated, but taking these steps can help reduce your risk while travelling.
