Bolt on Points

coronavirus

How I’m approaching travel during the coronavirus outbreak

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By now, we all know that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread throughout the world, resulting in the deaths of more than 3,000 people. Hundreds of flights to Asia and Europe have been canceled, leaving airline stocks in the dirt. Further, most airlines are now offering some sort of change fee waiver, which I’ll outline below.

Between the news cycle and the lack of testing kit roll-out in the US, it’s no wonder that hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes are nowhere to be found. With spring break approaching and other pre-planned trips coming everyday, what’s a person supposed to do?

1) Don’t panic

It’s easy to get freaked out with the wall to wall media coverage, but let’s be clear: this is not the bubonic plague that is coming to kill us all. Yes this is a serious health emergency (an impending economic one too), but panicking is something that’s not going to help anyone. Buying up an entire store’s worth of supplies or food – like I saw at my local grocery store – is also detrimental to the greater good.

Please, buy only what you need and stay calm.

2) How I’m approaching travel during this time of uncertainty

Uncertainty is one of those things that us as human beings don’t deal with very well (take a look at the stock market over the last week and half). As Leigh and I get ready to leave tonight to South Africa and Mauritius, we’ve had droves of people ask us whether we’re concerned about the coronavirus, to which we’ve emphatically replied no.

With that said, here are several questions that people should ask themselves when traveling for the foreseeable future:

  • Where you’re traveling
  • Is my travel necessary?
  • Are you willing to get stranded?
  • Are you a higher-risk population?

Where you’re traveling

It’s likely that if you were planning to travel to one of the outbreak hot zones (Italy, China, Iran), it’s likely that your flight has already been canceled. But what other places should people be concerned about?

Generally speaking, Asia is a tough place to try and travel right now just because of so many flight cancelations. At this point, US domestic travel appears to be running as normal, but of course that could change any day. In the most broad terms, three continents appear to be largely unaffected to date: South America, Australia/South Pacific, and Africa. Again, as more testing comes online, that could change.

Is travel necessary?

This is a loaded question, but it’s one we should all ask ourselves at this point. Do you really need to fly across the country to have that one meeting giving the state of flux things are in right now? Likely no, but everyone’s situation varies. Many companies – such as Amazon, Salesforce, and Twitter – are actually prohibiting employee travel all together (mine is suspending all international travel). Further, we’re seeing large gatherings of people start to either be prohibited (like France) or canceled (like numerous upcoming conferences). My view and personal situation is if – and for many that’s a big IF – can do your job remotely, now is probably a good time to enjoy some time at home.

Personal travel is one that each person will need to consider themselves. Back to Leigh and me, we’ve assessed the risk and feel like a once-in-a-lifetime kind of trip is one we’re willing to take some risk.

Are you willing to get stranded?

For most people, this is probably the biggest concern of travel right now. As we see more and more international flights get canceled, it’s becoming more likely (though not yet likely) that getting home could be a challenge.

Leigh and I experienced this exact concern a few years ago when we were visiting Bali, which at the time was dealing with the ongoing eruption of Mount Agung. Our concerns were never really whether we might be in danger, but rather would we get there and then get stuck (there are worse places 😉 ). Nevertheless, we ended up going and had a great time. Even though we were there in high-season, crowds were considerably less, while the locals, many of whom depend on tourism, were happy to have us.

Now with that said, every situation and place is different. If local or national governments have asked people to stay away or if there’s a state of emergency, don’t visit! One good place to start is the CDC’s website, which has the most up to date information, including areas where it recommends canceling all travel.

Now as for Leigh and me today, we’re actually bringing our work computers for a change in the event something unforeseen happens and we can’t get back on our planned date. We’ve also made arrangements with our dog sitter and friends in case we’re unable to get back to our pooch.

I always like to live my life by the same motto the Boy Scouts taught me: BE PREPARED!

Are you in a higher-risk population?

Luckily, the disease is not as fatal as initially feared, and there have been just 9 deaths in the US – meaning there isn’t a lot of data to date on who’s most susceptible. What we do know so far is worth consideration:

  • In China, most of the deaths have been in adults, with effects on children there appearing to be minimal based on reporting
  • Of the 9 deaths in the US, all have been in Washington state and 6 of those in people over 70.
  • The deaths of the other three are due to underlying chronic illnesses (which we still don’t know)

With that said, if you’re older, have a weakened immune system, pregnant, or have chronic conditions, it’s probably best to wait it out at this point.

3) Know which airlines are offering change fee waivers

All major US airlines are offering some type of change fee waivers, which can be found here:

Closing thoughts

This is just the way the my household is approaching travel, not the way everyone should. While this is an ongoing health emergency, it shouldn’t stop everyday life from occurring or make the entire world afraid of each other. Travel offers us an opportunity to view and understand the rest of the world, and in times like these, that understanding is more important than ever.

Everyone’s situation is unique, but hopefully posing yourself some questions is helpful. Further, listen to the health agencies in charge of managing the crisis and not the political spin!

Are you still planning on traveling over the next few months?