How to Travel Safely without Fears of Covid-19 Dampening the Mood

Travel

With the times we are in, the rising number of coronavirus, or Covid-19 cases have filled the festive season with gloom. As an experienced medical transcription company, MOS deals with an increasing number of case reports detailing similar symptoms.

The Progress of Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic keeps manifesting itself through successive waves, making any semblance of normalcy only temporary. The initial total lockdown restrictions in the United States were modified to accommodate more relaxations, particularly in dining outside. That only helped usher in the next wave of Covid-19, making going out quite risky. But how long can you restrict yourself to your home and keep the task of heading outdoors reserved just for essential chores?

Surely You Can Travel Safely

With the festive season right here, your family would need a vacation or an outdoors relaxation of some sort to unwind from the stress of the whole year. Is it possible to have fun outdoors with the pandemic around? Let’s look at some realistic options of traveling in this festive season despite the pandemic. Don’t take our word for it, these opinions come from doctors.

General Travel Precautions

Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo of UC San Francisco’s Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics believes the best option is to avoid traveling, keeping in mind the surge in infections. But if you should travel, research the destination to find out if it’s a coronavirus hotspot. There could be local restrictions you need to consider and those communities would be required to follow certain isolation directives. You would perhaps need to quarantine yourself if you visit a new state or community. So, make sure you don’t visit such destinations where Covid-19 cases are high and the resultant precautions and restrictions are severe.

There are precautions you need to take while you travel. Bibbins-Domingo reveals that surfaces don’t play as much a role in transmitting the virus as once thought, according to studies. But make sure the hotel you stay in follows sanitation protocols and uses the kind of cleaners that specifically kill SARS-Cov-2, the virus causing Covid-19. These precautions also apply to rental car companies you hire.

Air Travel Precautions

You also need to take precautions while traveling by air. Firstly, don’t be too keen on booking an airline selling middle seats. It’s easier for the infection to spread if you’re sitting between two individuals. Secondly, make sure the airline has the practice of enforcing mask wearing.

Dr. George Rutherford, UCSF’s Prevention and Public Health Group director, recommends avoiding bus travel. While traveling in your car, make sure all the occupants have face masks on and the windows are all open. In air travel, Rutherford recommends choosing a window seat somewhere in the middle between the restrooms at the front and the rear of the plane. This reduces the chances of people getting past you to get to the restrooms.

With some care, you can minimize the chances of the virus infecting you. Make sure you, and the people traveling with you, are fully aware of the risks involved and the danger you could unwittingly welcome if restrictions aren’t followed.

As one of the reputable medical transcription companies in the US, MOS provides advanced HIPAA medical transcription. We certainly would like to see reduced cases and the eventual end of this pandemic. Small steps can go a long way in containing the virus, till the vaccine sees wide circulation.

Julie Clements

About Julie Clements

Joined the MOS team in March of 2008. Julie Clements has background in the healthcare staffing arena; as well as 6 years as Director of Sales and Marketing at a 4 star resort. Julie was instrumental in the creation of the medical record review division (and new web site); and has especially grown this division along with data conversion of all kinds.
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