COVID-19 and Traveling – What You Need to Know
Submission Note: The COVID-19 situation remains fluid. This article reflects information known at the time it was submitted to The Boca Beacon.
The U.S. Centers for Disease & Prevention (CDC) recently released new guidance on domestic travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. While the air quality on a commercial airliner is quite high, with the air volume in the cabin being completely refreshed every two to four minutes, travel to and from the airport and time spent within the airport increases the chance of spreading and getting COVID-19.
Here are the current basics for travels of any kind.
Before You Travel
- Do not travel if you are ill or with someone who is sick.
- Do not travel if you were exposed to COVID-19 within 14 days of travel.
- Consider getting tested with a viral test 1-3 days before your trip.
- Find out the activity level of COVID-19 at your destination as well as all planned travels stops along the way. You can access the latest COVID-19 statistics on Florida Department of Health’s website.
- Plan to wear a mask and carry with you – and use – hand sanitizer.
When You Travel
- Keep in mind that travel of any type increases the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19.
- Wear a mask over your nose and mouth when in public facilities.
- Where possible, avoid close contact, adhering to the six-foot distancing recommendation.
- Avoid unnecessary touches and avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer containing at least 60 percent alcohol.
After You Travel
- Talk to your Clinic physician about your options.
- Consider getting tested with a viral test 3–5 days after your trip and reduce non-essential activities for a full 7 days after travel, even if your test is negative.
- If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
- If you don’t get tested, consider reducing non-essential activities for 10 days.
- Also, to protect others from getting COVID-19, take these actions for 14 days after you return from travel:
- Stay at least 6 feet from anyone who did not travel with you, particularly in crowded areas. It’s important to do this everywhere — both indoors and outdoors.
- Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are in shared spaces outside of your home.
- If there are people in your household who did not travel with you, wear a mask and ask everyone in the household to wear masks in shared spaces inside your home.
- Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness.
- Watch yourself for symptoms of COVID-19 and take your temperature if you feel sick.
More Recent Healthcare News
Every year we celebrate Doctor’s Day and Nurses Week, but there’s one more recognition event that’s just as important. Administrative Professionals Day is April 24th this year and I want to be sure to bring special attention to three incredibly special members of the Boca Grande Health Clinic family. Jonna Foos, Director of Operations Jonna […]
April, the birth month of James Parkinson, is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month. Parkinson’s is a degenerative syndrome that results in the gradual loss of brain circuitry involved in movement, thinking and behavior. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the first clear medical description of Parkinson’s Disease as a neurological condition was written in […]
March 30th marks a special day on our calendar – Doctor’s Day! It’s a time to honor those who dedicate their lives to caring for us. At the Boca Grande Health Clinic, it’s the extraordinary team of board-certified physicians – Dr. Raymond A. James, our Medical Director; Dr. Bret Kueber, the Assistant Medical Director; and […]
Ask a Doc: Kicking Colon Cancer in the Butt
March 22, 2024According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 1 in 23 for men and 1 in 25 for women. The death rate from colorectal cancer has been dropping in older adults for several decades. Unfortunately, colorectal cancers now rank as the leading cause of cancer death in men […]