Is it Safe to Travel amid Coronavirus Epidemic ?
One of the major downsides of keeping up with the latest news
reports on Coronavirus is the dilemma that lurks in one’s mind- is it safe to
travel amid the epidemic? Especially when you have an important business
meeting to attend to overseas.
Since
late December 2019, Coronavirus has managed to spread over 79 countries and
claimed more than 3000 lives. Rate of infection has crossed over 1 lakh people
and still counting. These are unfortunate times to live in. We can not keep on
blaming the Wuhan government forever for not implementing timely actions to
contain the virus. The best we can do in the present circumstances is to
protect ourselves by adopting the best preventive measures.
Impact on international travel industry
Needless
to say, travelling is at the very most bottom of the to-do list these days.
News reports from all over the world have confirmed cases of Coronavirus from
various countries. It is evident now that the virus is not limited to the Asian
countries and has spread around the world. It is obvious that travelling is one
of its mode of transmission. This has affected the international travel
industry the most. It has become quite common for people to frantically cancel
on their business trips or overseas vacations. Major airlines have taken quite
a fall in terms of declining travelling frequency in the past few months.
Not
only the affected countries, but the neighbouring regions are also advising
people to stay at home and avoid any public gatherings. This has resulted in
the cancellation of many national and social events all across the globe
including India. Holi celebrations have also taken quite a hit. Noteworthily,
nation’s PM Narendra Modi has himself decided to refrain from participating in
the upcoming festival.
Is COVID-19 airborne?
The
novel Coronavirus that has been named SARS-CoV-2 is found to be Zoonotic. Which means their mode of
transmission is between animal to animal. More research is required to unfold
how exactly the virus was originated but most speculations are directed towards
bats to be the origin and pangolins as the intermediate hosts which ultimately
got transmitted to humans.
How does it
spread?
Although the virus which causes COVID-19 in
humans is Zoonotic, its further transmission between humans is the matter of
greater concern. It is transmitted via airborne respiratory droplets of an
infected individual. In simpler terms, through coughing, sneezing or by coming
in contact with a surface where the droplets may have accumulated. There is
very limited evidence for claims stating the virus can spread through
contaminated faecal matter. Until the reports go higher in its support, this
claim has no danger signals yet. Hence, we could say that SARS-CoV-2 is
airborne, although the supporting cases are not that common.
Speaking in terms of being completely
airborne, Coronavirus do not seem to have the virulence capacity of more potent
viruses such as Measles. Which means the chances of getting the infection from
an infected space or surface is less likely. Nevertheless, safe hygiene
practices should be implemented on a daily basis to minimize even the 0.00001%
chances of infection.
What precautionary measures can be taken?
The best way to handle a viral disease is to
protect yourself before it makes its strike. You can prevent catching COVID-19
by employing simple hygiene practice in your daily routine.
Washing your hands thoroughly with a strong
cleanser every time before eating, after you come from the bathroom and when
you blow your nose, sneeze or cough.
I have covered this whole topic in another
blog, named, “How to live with the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak?”
Follow the link to know more.
When to call your doctor?
If you have not been to the high-risk
countries such as China, Iran, Japan in the past few months and are down with
the symptoms of flu, it is most likely that you have not caught CoV-2. In this
case, you should follow the usual protocol of taking a healthy diet and taking
complete rest until you recover.
If you are sick and have visited
those countries or have come in contact with someone who’ve been there and is
now sick with symptoms of coughing, fever, difficulty in breathing, you should
contact your doctor or local emergency centre. They will then help you to get
the required tests and treatment alternatives to be taken.
Should you proceed with your travelling plans?
Avoiding disease-prone areas or travelling
only to safe zones are the requisites for remaining infection-free. But you
cannot deny the fact that the vessel that will be carrying over 100 people
needs to be infection-free too. Yes, chances are you might be travelling with a
person who has contracted the virus but is showing no visible symptoms yet. In
such cases, the situation becomes scarier in the absence of confirmation.
What to do then?
Health authorities all across the globe have
issued certain measures to be taken in public places where physical contact is
unavoidable. Moreover, travel industries are taking up serious sanitation
measures for decontamination of their modes of transportation. It is highly
unlikely for CoV-2 to sustain in a well-decontaminated environment, hence it
should be enough to put your worries to rest.
The general advice is to maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet
between you and the infected. But it is not the best resort in public
transports where everyone is bound to limited space. Sanitizing your area is
the best viable option.
Don’t touch your face with your bare hands, especially eyes, nose
and mouth. If possible keep your face covered, it will prevent any foreign
substance entry via your hands. Gloves are not a feasible option as the main
objective is to protect your face. An infected glove serves the same purpose as
that of a bare hand. However, if you are taking care of an infected person,
gloves and masks both should be part of your attire.
Avoid touching surfaces that are more exposed. If you must, say
support yourself on the hanging strap of a train, disinfect your hand
immediately with a 95% alcohol-based sanitizer and wash your hands properly
afterwards with an efficient cleanser.
Keep your mouth covered with a mask around those who seem to show
symptoms of infection.
If you plan to visit China out of all places, pay attention to all
the preventive measures and cooperate with the local airport’s security
protocol, which includes the mandatory screening tests for CoV-2. Since you
already know the origin theories of the virus, it will be wise to stay away
from live animal markets.
Wear your mask only if you are infected!
Public health experts do not recommend
wearing masks for healthy people. As there is a global panic that is haunting
people all across, it is natural that a shortage of protective gears will also
occur. People who have not contracted the virus need not wearing it all the
time or out in public. Medical practitioners, caregivers and infected people
are in the dire need of wearing them. Over precautionary actions might lead to
a shortage of supplies for the needful, as it is happening all over the world.
Hence, have a hold of your senses and spread the word.
In conclusion, your travelling choices will
affect your susceptibility to the virus only when you negate the precautionary
measures mentioned above. Until and unless you consider and adopt the necessary
course of action, travelling anywhere should be safe. Just not the
Eastern-Asian regions for a while, or maybe longer!
Contact now :-
SCO-9, First Floor, Sector-11, Panchkula, Haryana 134109
SCO -14 Kalgidhar Enclave, Zirakpur. 140604
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