Travel Safety Precautions During COVID-19 Outbreak

Given the ongoing pandemic, it’s natural to want to escape for a bit. Still, the threats of the coronavirus and the delta variant are very real. The CDC advises all travelers who can be vaccinated to do so before traveling. The CDC also recommends taking precautions for domestic and international travel, and advises avoiding locations with a high rate of cases. Of course, staying home is safest, but if you are determined to travel, these tips and the latest CDC travel guidelines for domestic and international travel can help make the journey as safe as possible.

Before you pack your bags, do your research. Are cases rising where you’re going? What about where you live? If the answer is yes to one or both questions, you’re at a higher risk for getting or spreading the virus. Also, keep in mind that states and countries have varying travel restrictions. Some may not allow travel or may require proof that you've recently tested negative and/or been vaccinated before visiting. For more information, check your destination’s official tourism site.

Avoiding close contact can be difficult at the airport. But a little prep can go a long way. Use apps to check into your flight online and scan for touchless boarding. Bring a mask, hand sanitizer and wipes to clean your phone, ID and any other items you may need to exchange at security checkpoints. Eat before to avoid dining in at the airport and use the restroom before boarding the plane.

To make security checks and traveling safer, TSA requires workers and passengers to wear masks and allows passengers to bring hand sanitizer up to 12 ounces. Travelers are encouraged to wash their hands immediately before and after screening, separate food from carry-on items to reduce handling and scan boarding passes directly or show passport pages rather than handing them to agents. Personal items such as keys, wallets and phones should be placed in carry-on bags instead of bins to minimize handling.

TSA requires all airline passengers and crew to wear masks. Airlines also have strict cleaning protocols and may keep middle seats empty. Learn what they are before purchasing a ticket. Most planes use HEPA filters to extract microbes and viruses from the air, but they aren’t a fail-safe and haven’t been proven to reduce virus transmission. A single sneeze or cough can reach passengers several rows away – another reason why mask-wearing is so important.  Also, avoid food or beverage service if it’s offered.

According to a 2018 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , the aisle seat is the worst choice for transmission of respiratory viruses. That’s because people who sit in aisle seats tend to move about the cabin more and come into contact with more people. Those sitting in the window seat, on average, have the least amount of contacts per flight (12 vs 64 in the aisle seat). So, selecting a window seat may be the best choice.

Whether on a bus, train or plane, check your surroundings before boarding or take off. Is everyone wearing masks? Does the bus or train have good ventilation? Do the people closest to you, in your same row, or one row in front of you or behind you, seem sick or rundown? If so, it’s not worth the risk. Exit the plane, bus or train and catch the next one.

No form of travel is without risk, but a road trip may be a better than flying, which requires you to be in an enclosed space with many people. Plan to minimize in-person interactions as much as possible during the ride: Stock your car with food and pay at the pump. While pumping gas, wear gloves and dispose of them after, and sanitize your hands before touching your face. To maximize protection from the coronoavirus and the delta variant , and to prevent possibly spreading it to others, wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of high transmission.

The No. 1 rule? Keep it quick and covered. Your chances of infection increase the longer you’re in an enclosed share spaced, and most public bathrooms are poorly ventilated so wear a disposable mask. Wash your hands thoroughly and bring your own paper towels. Hand dryers can blast dead skin cells and germs into the air. Use a towel to open the door and toss disposable masks after exiting.

Person-to-person contact accounts for 94% of coronavirus transmission and the delta variant is more contagious and may cause more than two times the infections, so minimizing interactions with strangers is key. If you must call a cab or a rideshare, be sure that you and the driver wear masks, roll down the windows and sanitize before and after the ride. If possible, rental cars are a better way to go. Make sure the car has been thoroughly cleaned between rentals, and if you feel inclined, disinfect high-touch areas like the steering wheel, dashboard and window buttons.

Before booking a room, check the hotel’s website to learn about additional safety precautions. Even if the hotel has a strict sanitizing protocol, it doesn’t hurt to do a quick clean-up when you arrive. Disinfect high-traffic surfaces like doorknobs, remotes, light-switches and faucet handles. If possible, opt out of maid services and handle your own luggage to reduce in-person contact. And clean your hands after touching any shared surfaces (elevator buttons, door handles, etc.)

Eating out is one of the luxuries of travel, but indoor dining is still considered to be a higher risk activity - especially with the advent of the delta variant. The safest option is ordering takeout and bringing it back to the room or finding a fun, outdoor space to eat. Otherwise, check the restaurant’s safety guidelines before dining out. Are employees required to wear masks? Are tables set up to allow ample physical distance between patrons? Additionally, choose a restaurant that has outdoor seating and wear a mask when indoors or not eating.

Take a shower, toss your clothes in the laundry and disinfect anything you brought with you (suitcase, purse, cooler, diaper bag, etc.). The CDC recommends that vaccinated travelers monitor how they’re feeling and look out for any symptoms, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath or diarrhea. Unvaccinated travelers should get tested with a viral test three to five days after travel and self-quarantine for a full seven days after travel, according to the CDC travel guidelines .

The coronavirus and delta variant have changed all of our lives, but we can get through it together. For up-to-date information on the best ways to stay healthy during the outbreak, visit arthritis.org/cares. If you need a little moral support during this time, connect with others who understand what you’re going through with the Live Yes! Arthritis Community.