A common question I’ve been asked recently is how I safely travel during the era of COVID-19. I think everyone has different opinions on the level of interaction they’d like to have with other people during this time. For some, they may be at-risk or have family members with preexisting conditions, so in no way is this meant to dissociate concerns. As for me, I will only fulfill my need to travel by taking the necessary precautions to protect myself and others.
As a prerequisite, Brian and I have been very diligent about keeping to ourselves and avoiding large parties through this quarantine. This has really helped me maintain peace of mind by being in control of my health risk. I’m detailing out some tips on how I safely travel during COVID-19 but also prefacing that I am not a healthcare professional. Assess your risk factor and if there’s any question that you may pose as a threat to other people’s health, please stay home.
Avoid Flying if Possible
I’ve always believed the second safest place you could be outside of your home is in your own car. You have more control over where you’ve been, what you’ve touched, and sanitizing practices. With flying, it’s not that I don’t trust airlines to sanitize — I don’t trust the general population. If you must fly, that’s your prerogative. All I’m saying is going on a road trip minimizes contamination, big or small. This will be the way of travel for most people for the foreseeable future.
The number of times I have caught a cold after a flight is scary. Between bottled-up cabin oxygen and germ-y particles floating all up in there, it’s just not a good space at this time. With your car, practice wiping down everything you touch often, from your steering wheel to the turn signal.
Travel, But Wear a Mask
Just wear a fucking mask. Periodt.
Brian and I are hyper-diligent about this. I even forget sometimes and Brian will remind me to bring my mask. For the most part, I’ve seen travelers in masks, but there are always a handful of groups that do not ever wear masks when they probably should. There are some instances such as outdoor activities where we are not required to wear masks, but we maintain social distancing. Whatever your thoughts are on masks, I feel that it is my personal responsibility to wear a mask when I travel to keep others safe. So follow the rules so that we can have and do nice things.
Maintain Social Distance to Safely Travel
Follow the 6-feet social distancing rule with people not in your immediate circle! I will note that everyone has been really great about following this. And we maintain an extra 2-feet away from those who are not wearing masks.
Be Diligent About Hygiene
Wearing a face covering is only one part of the solution. Please also be diligent about personal hygiene by washing and sanitizing your hands often. Anytime we leave our hotel room for something and come back in, we’ll wash our hands. We want to safely travel so it pays to wash your hands often. If you are wondering if you’re washing your hands enough, go wash it anyway.
Be Mindful of What You’re Touching
Listen, I am a face-toucher. You can only imagine how hard this pandemic has been for me because I am so used to touching my face. I also like to lean on things and pick up stuff while I’m browsing in a store. I’ve had to be super mindful of breaking these habits. What I’ve been doing is putting my hands in my pocket when I have the urge to touch things.
And that’s it! The last tip I’ll leave you with is to avoid being out-and-about when you come back from your travels for at least 1-2 weeks. As a community, the more we selflessly take the necessary steps to prevent others from being contaminated, the better chances we have in flattening the curve.
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