All you should know before traveling during Covornavirus Pandemic

HB Kham 

Are you an avid lover of traveling around the world? Are you still planning to travel to any tourist destinations across the globe, despite the Global Coronavirus pandemic?

Yes, if you are the same daring person who hasn’t canceled plane tickets and hotel bookings so far, we suggest you to follow your dreams of travel to your chosen destination, no matter what others comment about your travel at this juncture when the entire world is getting locked down and whole global tourism industry has swooned.

However, you should take care of travel advisory issued by the country to which you are traveling in these critical hours where COVID-19 has threatened everyone with its hideous lethal mask.

You should also check if the planes for those chosen destinations are available and not suspended by the host countries in the wake of curbing the deadly Coronavirus.

So, maybe you will have to check the necessary travel information about the country you are going to visit this time as this time is invariably different and more critical than the previous normal times when there used to be no worries about your travel.

The travel situation has become somewhat uncanny and unpredictable this time due to COVID-19, after this lethal virus spread from mainland China last December 2019 and killed over 10,000 people across the world and infected more than 207,000 people globally till today.

World Health Organization (WHO) has already declared a global health emergency in a move to curb this pathogen. China, Italy, Spain, South Korea, Iran, Unites States are badly affected by this pathogen. The world tourism sector is also badly affected by this pathogen.

Very few adventurous travelers would only like to travel during this time. So, you could be one of those fortunate travelers who would dare to go around traveling and having fun when the other half of the world is either self-quarantined or locked down.

What precautionary measures to take while traveling?

To keep yourself safe from Coronavirus, you should maintain certain hygiene practices such as washing your hands after touching the surfaces during travel. Avoiding to mix up in crowds. Keeping a distance from the people you meet during your journey or the people who are suspected of the Coronavirus infection. Eating hygienic foods, well-cooked meats during travel would be some preventive and precautionary measures you could take to safeguard yourself from Coronavirus infection in the country where you are a visitor.

What are the symptoms of Coronavirus?

Coronavirus symptoms include running nose, fever, nausea, muscle pain, difficulty to breathe, cough, pneumonia, and throat sore, etc. It may be mild fever and flu-like symptoms at first. Pneumonia and abdominal disorders including diarrhea and even voting could be the chronic stage of Coronavirus infection to a patient.

However, symptoms of Coronavirus may resemble that of a normal flue as well. So, only a medical test can detect whether you are suffering from a Coronavirus infection for the flue. So, do not hesitate to go to a good doctor and get yourself checked and tested for Coronavirus to ensure that you are safe.

If you are suspected of the Coronavirus you may also have to remain in quarantine or isolation bed for at least 14 days in any hospital of the country that you have visited. So, before you could visit this country you should know all about the medical facilities this country can provide in case you are found sick there.

Once you return to your home country and you come to know that the person you met during your visit is infected with Coronavirus then, you need to self-quarantine yourself for at least 14 days and see if you have those symptoms of Coronavirus. You should immediately consult a family doctor and visit your hospital for further treatment.

How does Coronavirus get transmitted?

Coronavirus is usually transmitted through droplets that are released through coughs and sneeze of the infected person. It does not spread through the air as it is not an airborne disease. Doctors say that this virus remains alive on surfaces for at least 30 minutes. So you should wash your hands after touching any surfaces during your travel. You should also maintain a distance of at least one meter from the person you think is suspected of the coronavirus during which you should wear a mask.

If you are infected with Coronavirus also you should use a mask on your face to prevent it from spreading to others. You should cough and sneeze inside the mask to avoid contact with others. Since this virus attacks the respiratory system of a person, you should know about your age, health conditions before traveling to any destinations. This includes your insurance which can cover your medical expenses during your travel.

Doctors also say that the persons with blood group O are not so highly at risk than the persons with blood group A. This COVID-19 has been seen affecting more of the people of old age who are above 50 years and those suffering from blood sugar, hypertension, heart disease or any other chronic lung disease, etc. So, persons suffering from any chronic disease or aged above 50 are suggested not to travel during this period.

So, before you could embark upon your travel journey checking the situation of infection of the Coronavirus in the country you are visiting would be more beneficial rather than being stranded in the country by not having enough information about that country and crisis of Coronavirus.

The countries which are badly infected with Coronavirus are of course not advisable for your travel. But you can take your chances in the countries where the case of Coronavirus is scanty and there is every likelihood of your returning home unscathed and destination country has all possible medical facilities to provide in times of emergency.

However, in this uncertain situation, it is not predictable that when and how the countries with the scanty number of cases will have a sudden surge in the infected cases of Coronavirus. So, it is all your precautionary measures that you can take while traveling. The crisis and fear created by Coronavirus can be seen in cruise, airways, trekkings, hotels and everywhere.

The following fifteen cities which are considered to be the tourist destinations have been reported to have coronavirus cases. These cities include Bangkok, Singapore, Seoul, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Phnom Penh, Taipei, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila, Bali, Tehran, Rome, Lagos, and Manado.

According to Worldometers the following is the global picture of Coronavirus cases and deaths so far in countries where tourists have been visiting with much enthusiasm and vigor in the past. Now a gloomy picture can be been seen from this data of Coronavirus cases.

So, we are suggesting that as long as your country of destination permits the arrival of foreigners with planes available during this critical period and you can maintain your hygienic measures to keep yourself safe from the contact of Coronavirus, there is the possibility of your enjoying travel at this time too.

Similarly, Namibia – 2 cases,  Nepal – 1 case, Netherlands – 2,466 cases, 76 deaths,New Zealand – 20 cases, Nigeria – 2 cases, North Macedonia – 43 cases, Norway – 1,470 cases, 3 deaths, Oman – 33 cases, Pakistan – 301 cases, 2 deaths,Palestine – 44 cases, Panama – 69 cases, 1 death, Paraguay – 7 cases, Peru – 117 cases, Philippines – 187 cases, 14 deaths, Poland – 238 cases, 5 deaths, Portugal – 448 cases 2 death, Qatar – 460 cases, Romania – 217 cases,  Russia – 147 cases, 1 death, Rwanda – 11 cases, Saint Lucia – 2 cases, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – 1 case,San Marino – 119 cases, 11 deaths, Saudi Arabia – 171 cases,Senegal – 37 cases, Serbia – 97 cases, Seychelles – 2 cases, Singapore – 345 cases, Slovakia – 97 cases,Slovenia – 286 cases, 1 death, Somalia – 1 case,South Africa – 116 cases, South Korea – 8,565 cases, 91 deaths,Spain – 17,147 cases, 767 deaths,Sri Lanka – 44 cases,Sudan – 2 death,Suriname – 1 death, Sweden – 1,196 cases, 8 deaths,Switzerland – 3,438 cases, 33 deaths, Taiwan – 77 cases, 1 death,Tanzania – 1 case, Thailand – 272 cases, 1 death, Togo-1 case, Trinidad and Tobago- 2 cases,Tunisia – 25 cases, Turkey – 191 cases, 2 deaths, Ukraine – 14 cases, 2 deaths,  United Arab Emirates – 113 cases, United Kingdom – 3,269 cases, 144 deaths, United States 10,442 cases, 150 deaths, Uruguay – 50 cases, Uzbekistan – 11, case, Vatican city- 1 case, Venezuela -42 cases, Vietnam -66 cases, Zambia -2 cases.

The following data also gives a glimpse of how the most visited destinations of the world are reeling under the worse infection of the global Coronavirur pandemic and how the number of tourists to these destinations have suddenly plummeted due to rapid spread of the lethal pathogen across the globe. The sudden surge of Coronavirus in these countries has marred the tourism prospectives these days as most of these tourist-oriented countries have decided to lock down to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus epidemic.