How To Travel Safe & Stay Healthy During Virus Outbreaks |Travel Tech Gadgets

How To Travel Safe &
Stay Healthy During Virus Outbreaks

Just 6 months ago, we were dealing with the measles outbreak (How To Travel Safe During Measles Outbreak) and now in the new year, we have a new virus, Coronavirus, that is threatening the health of thousands of people. And the effects of these breakouts are definitely felt in the travel industry.

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The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. However, coronavirus as the term is not new in itself. This term refers to a handful of different diseases. The use of "coronavirus" to discribe the current strand would not be correct, as it is a general term and would equate to saying "dog" instead of retriever for the type of dog. COVID-19 is a new type of coronavirus that was not previously known or understood by health experts.

This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. These types of outbreaks significantly impact not just travel within the country, but with globalization, travel around the world as well. China is one of the top destinations and also its citizens make up a large percentage of tourists that visit other countries around the globe. So a significant change in this market would impact travel companies and travel destinations throughout.

How it spreads:
Human coronaviruses most commonly spread from an infected person to others through

the air by coughing and sneezing
close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands
rarely, fecal contamination

What are the symptoms of 2019-nCoV?
Patients with 2019-nCoV have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:

fever
cough
shortness of breath

Latest (good) News:
It has been determined that it is a relatively fragile virus. Just washing your hands with soap is enough to effectively kill it. Also, a lot of the standard cleaning products found at home such as the Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes, Clorox Multi Surface Cleaner + Bleach, and Lysol Disinfectant Spray, can help keep the virus at bay and from spreading.

TSA Is Changing the Rules: If you have to fly, TSA has loosened liquid restrictions for hand sanitizer

The effects on travel
» Due to the quarantine of some of the areas in China, there are now limited flights in and out of China
» All flights in and out of Wuhan have been suspended, as it is considered the epicenter
» The screening of the passengers coming from China has been stepped up at the airports
» Extra screening could result in additional times during security screening
» State Dept. raises travel advisory level for China due to coronavirus outbreak. Travel Alerts
» Some airlines are allowing passengers with tickets purchased for flights to China to change their flights fee-free or cancel and apply the value toward a future flight. (Delta Airlines info; American Airlines)

Is there a vaccine?
There is currently no vaccine to protect against 2019-nCoV. The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus.

Is there a treatment?
There is no specific antiviral treatment for 2019-nCoV. People with 2019-nCov can seek medical care to help relieve symptoms.

To stay healthy and to avoid spreading germs, there are several safety precautions you can take when traveling:

Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces
Wash your hands often with soap and water
If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stop putting your phone, wallet, and keys into the bins at airports

2019-nCoV info via cdc.gov

Related articles:
Coronavirus info from World Health Organization
The Coronavirus: What Scientists Have Learned So Far
Los Angeles County confirms the first case of coronavirus
How To Travel Safe During Measles Outbreak
How to Best Disinfect Your Airplane Seat
How to Sanitize Your Cruise Cabin in 12 Steps

China's giant tech companies join fight against deadly coronavirus

Baidu is tracking suspected patients and travel flows. The search giant also developed an AI tool that's sped up virus analysis from almost an hour to around 30 seconds.
Alibaba developed an open-source coronavirus data platform.
Tencent launched an outpatient clinic map for WeChat's 1+ billion users.
Ride-hailing company Didi is ferrying medical workers across certain cities

Travel safe and always take care

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