Stay Safe When Traveling This Holiday Season With These Tips

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The holiday season is upon us, and for many folks, that means traveling near and far to visit and spend time with loved ones. While seeing your friends and family is great, it’s important to remember to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s travel guidelines and take extra precautions when on the road, in public transit or on airplanes to keep your loved ones and the people around you safe.

It’s also important to note that staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19 since, according to the CDC, traveling increases your chance of getting and spreading the virus. People who are sick, have recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus or have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 should absolutely delay travel.

If you have a medical emergency, please call 911.

How To Travel Safely This Holiday Season

Traveling, even in normal circumstances, can increase our risk of getting sick. “Following CDC travel recommendations for this holiday season is the best way to protect yourself and those you care about the most from COVID-19 infection,” says Helen Arnold, RN, an infection prevention specialist at Banner Desert Medical Center and Banner Children’s at Desert.

Everyone should consider other travelers' well-being. If you're feeling sick, experiencing flu-like symptoms or believe you have been exposed to COVID-19, reschedule your trip. Stay home, rest and reschedule your trip for when you're feeling better and not likely to infect others.

Helpful Safety Tips For Holiday Traveling

If you’re confident that you haven’t been exposed to the virus and do decide to travel, there are a number of steps you can take to help keep your loved ones safe during the holiday season. In addition to adhering to the CDC’s general guidelines for protection against the spread of COVID-19, you should:

• Understand the different levels of risk associated with various modes of transportation. The mode of transportation with the lowest risk of transmission is packing up the car and heading on a short road trip, followed by taking public transit, which has a medium transmission risk, and air travel, which has the highest risk of transmission.
• If traveling by train, consider booking a private train car. If that’s not possible, review the individual policies on the transit you’ll be taking regarding their safety measures before booking.
• Opt for online or contactless reservations and payment, so you minimize contact with others. If you must touch surfaces, wash your hands as soon as you can for 20 seconds with soap and water or use hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
• Get a flu shot before you travel. This year’s flu season isn’t canceled just because there’s a pandemic. With rare exception, the CDC recommends annual influenza vaccination for everyone 6 months and older. (For more information about the flu and the importance of getting the flu shot, visit bannerhealth.com.)
• Wear a mask. The CDC strongly recommends that everyone wear a mask when using public transportation. That includes passengers and workers on airplanes, trains, ships, ferries, subways, taxis and ride shares, as well as at transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
• Before you travel, consider your risk factors. These include, but are not limited to, whether COVID-19 is spreading at your destination, whether you or someone you live with might be at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 and whether your destination has requirements or restrictions for travelers.
• Take care of your body before, during and after your trip. Before you travel, make sure you're up to date on all vaccinations. You should also get plenty of rest, stay hydrated and eat balanced meals both before traveling and while on your trip to help prevent your body from getting run down.
• Avoid close contact while traveling by staying at least 6 feet apart from anyone who is not from your household.
• Avoid contact with anyone who is sick. If you do come into contact with a sick person, you should delay your travel.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Touching these areas after coming in contact with high-traffic surfaces such as doorknobs, subway poles and gas pumps can increase your chances of catching and transmitting the virus.
• Be wary of rest stops. Rest stops can be breeding grounds for germs, which is why it's important that you wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after using the bathroom or getting gas. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol, cover the entire surface of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
• Pack your own food. The safest option for snacking on the road is to bring your own food. If you don’t bring your own food, use drive-thru, delivery, takeout and curbside pickup options instead.
• Keep infection prevention supplies handy. Leaving a few extra masks in your car or carry-on is a great way to ensure you can help slow the spread in case your mask breaks or is damaged during travel. Keeping hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes around is also an easy way to ensure you stay protected during transit. Use wipes to clean commonly touched surfaces such as armrests and seat trays on planes, and remote controls in hotel rooms.
• Connect with loved ones with the help of technology. If in-person meetings aren’t an option, you can schedule virtual holiday dinners with family and friends.

The Bottom Line

Even if you’re extra careful when traveling, you can still be exposed to and contract COVID-19. You might feel well and be symptom-free, but you can still be contagious without symptoms and unknowingly spread the virus to others for up to 14 days after you were exposed. Again, that’s why staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

If you do travel, it’s vital that you continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands often, wear masks when in public, keep an eye on your health and look for symptoms of COVID-19 before and after traveling. If you experience any symptoms of COVID-19, cancel any travel plans and contact your health care provider right away.

Learn more about how to stay safe during the holidays and how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from the team at Banner - University Medicine.

Sources:
Banner Health: Is Holiday Travel Safe This Year?
Banner Health: “COVID-19 and the Flu: Know the Symptoms”
Banner Health: “Fight the Flu”
Banner Health: “Social Gatherings & Staying Safe From COVID-19: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself”
Banner Health: “How To Avoid Getting Sick When You Travel”
CDC: Travel During The COVID-19 Pandemic
CDC: How To Protect Yourself & Others
CDC: Frequently Asked Influenza (Flu) Questions: 2020-2021 Season