How to Protect Yourself From the Coronavirus While Traveling

After so much time in the shack, you may be eager to get out and explore the world. You should consider how COVID-19 spread could impact your plans, especially as the delta variant of the disease is gaining popularity across the country.

It is important to be cautious when traveling during a pandemic. However, it is possible to minimize the risks. Joseph Khabbaza MD, a pulmonary and critical care physician, spoke to us about the best way to travel now. Continue reading to hear his thoughts and discover safety tips to help you travel safely, whether you are in the car or a plane.

Consider these things when planning your trip
It’s important to consider every possibility when planning your trip. You can keep your family and friends safe by taking a proactive approach.

How to avoid COVID-19 when driving in the car
It makes sense to take the road warrior approach to vacation, as our cars are familiar and familiar to us. Dr. Khabbaza says that we tend to travel on roads with people in our immediate circle, so driving is the best way to travel during a pandemic.

There are some things you can do to make sure you don’t get sick while riding.

Begin by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the vehicle. All surfaces and parts that are high-touch (windows. seat belts. steering wheel. door handles. controls) should be cleaned thoroughly. Keep antibacterial wipes and hand soap in your car. This will allow you to wipe everything down and allow passengers to clean their hands after every stop.

Don’t bring too many people.
The CDC recommends that passengers be limited to a maximum of six people per vehicle. It’s not possible to have six people in your car at the same time, so it’s a good idea to wear masks if you are traveling with someone who may be at high risk of COVID-19. Dr. Khabbaza recommends that you wear a mask when traveling with someone outside your immediate circle.

Designate a runner to help you with travel-related tasks before you stop for fuel or food. If you don’t mind paying at the pump, let one or two people who aren’t at risk come in to buy gas or snacks. Make sure that your designated runners are properly cleaned and covered up before they get back in the car. To reduce the chance of contamination, don’t scroll through your phone while filling up gas.

How to keep safe when riding in ride-share vehicles
It’s much easier to travel around the city with ride-share services, whether you live in the same area as us or further away. Make sure to bring hand sanitizer before you get into a ride-share car. It is not recommended that riders accept free drinks, magazines, candy, or any other items.

Dr. Khabbaza explains that it is important to wear masks when riding in a ride-share vehicle. To reduce the chance of transmission of infection, you can wear eye protection.

You can brake on the carpool option
Although the carpool option via ride-share apps may be a great way to save money at certain times of day, it is not worth the risk associated with being close to strangers.

Keep your ride to yourself and those you are traveling with as small as possible. To keep some distance between yourself and the driver, you can ride in the back seat if possible.

Dr. Khabbaza explains that ride-share drivers often add a partition between their front and back vehicles. This reduces the transmission risk significantly. To get a better understanding of safety features available in your area, he suggests researching each ride-share company before you go.

Is it safe for me to fly right now?
These cheap flights look very tempting right now. You should remember that safety on the plane is more than wearing a mask if you are considering taking to the skies. Before you can even board the plane, you must go through security checks and check-in. You will be in close contact with surfaces that are frequently touched and you will likely come into contact with a lot of people. Although safety is your primary concern, it’s important to remember that you must protect yourself before you board the plane.

Dr. Khabbaza says that flying is a risky mode of travel because you don’t know who might be next to you. The risk to your health is lower if you don’t wear masks during flight.

According to the CDC guidelines, masks are now illegal on public transport. All passengers on commercial airlines should wear a mask. Children 2 years and over are eligible.

The CDC states that most viruses can’t be spread on planes due to the way air is filtered and circulated. Many airlines have taken the necessary precautions to prevent COVID-19 from spreading to their planes.

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