Whats the safest way to travel duringthe new coronaviruspandemicif any?
So, to some extent, it feels wrong to be writing about traveling for the rest of us.
This virus is real, and its doing realand in many cases deadly or lastingdamage.
Hanohiki/Adobe Stock
My social media feeds are full of folks on road trips.
I know of a few friends plans to get on a plane.
The question is: How risky is it to travel during thenew coronaviruspandemic?
And what can we do to mitigate that risk?
Travelingor partaking in any otherpotentially unsafe activitydoesnt have to be all-or-nothing.
Road trips are the safest travel option if you do them right.
SELF: People seem to think that road trips are the safest travel option during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you were to design the safest possible road trip, what would it involve?
Celine Gounder, M.D.
:The safest travel option is not to travel.
One option is to rent an R.V.
Sara Hurtado Bares, M.D.
Your most immediate risk during travel is the people within six feet of you.
Were actually planning a road trip for Labor Day Weekend.
We chose a place that is a short distance.
We got an Airbnb cabin thats more isolated.
Maria Sundaram, MSPH, Ph.D.:Its hard to imagine another travel option that would be safer.
What precautions should people take when using restrooms?
:We dont know.
More and more data suggests thattransmissionis much higher in indoor spaces.
But I think the biggest risk is still person-to-person transmission.
I give a shot to be quick and efficient.
SELF: There seem to be mixed opinions on the safety of Airbnbs and hotels.
What should people look for when it comes to a place to rest?
:The key is that the lodging is cleaned between people and that enough time lapses between guests.
Many places (including hotels) don’t launder all the bed linens between guests.
They wash the sheets and pillowcases, but not the bedspread or throw pillows.
:You want to be sure that it’s possible for you to allow fordistancing.
Similarly, opening the windows of your hotel room when you arrive might help minimize the risks of exposure.
Dont congregate in the more crowded areas of the hotel.
Dont go down to the hotel bar.
Thats really great because it can reduce your exposure to that person.
you could typically message the host to ask more questions.
And if there have been a couple of days between the last person and you, thats really great.
Elevators represent a small enclosed area that you might be sharing with someone else.
SELF: Is camping any safer than a hotel?
:Yes, if you stick to the general safety guidance.
You’re better able to socially distance.
You’re not coming into contact with other guests or staff like bellhops, valets, or housekeeping.
S.B.:Yes.
Its outdoors, youre bringing all of your own supplies, especially if youre taking your own tent.
:Camping is safe for a lot of reasons.
The fact that its outsidelends more safetyto it than some of these other options.
SELF: Is it safe to travel in the same car with people who aren’t in your household?
What if everyone wears masks, or you roll down the windows, or keep the AC on?
:The safest is to travel only with people in your household bubble.
And you might also transmit via skin-to-skin contact or through contaminated surfaces in the car.
:We dont know.
But theres going to be a small risk.
:The more people there are, the more different air youre sharing.
Rolling down the windows can help but doesnt solve all of the problems.
And its a little different if its a minivan and two people versus a sedan with five people.
SELF: Road trips used to involve going out for food or shopping.
Is there a way to make those things safe while road tripping now?
:Don’t go shopping.
Pack meals or get to-go meals.Eat outdoors.
:Its safest to avoid those activities.
If youre looking for souvenirs, outdoor market-pop in areas are going to be safer than indoors.
That would certainly decrease the risk of exposure in the store.
And try not to linger.
:I think eating outside is likely acceptable.
]If you need gas, you might pay at the pump, you dont need to go inside.
For other supplies, some stores do curbside pickup.
For example, if you want a T-shirt, maybe one person goes in and buys T-shirts for everyone.
If there are a ton of people inside the store, maybe dont go in.
SELF: What should you be looking for when it comes to a road-tripping destination?
For example, should you be monitoring COVID-19 cases for that area?
:Be aware of your state’s and other states' quarantine regulations.
Also be aware of local coronavirus rates.This dashboardmakes it pretty easy to assess levels of risk by county.
Don’t travel to or from counties in red.
Think about what youre going to do when you go to that destination.
Something with more outdoor activities in a physically distanced way is better.
That includes campgrounds where there arent that many people.
But I wouldnt say the risk is reduced if you go to a rural area.
You still want to be really careful about taking as many precautions as you could.
:The amount of time that youre in indoor public spaces where youre not able to physically distance.
:Sharing a car with someone who has COVID-19 is probably your biggest risk factor.
Trains may offer more travel flexibility, but there are some safety drawbacks.
SELF: Physical distancing seems to be rule number one for avoiding the coronavirus.
Do trains provide enough space between passengers to accomplish that?
:Not unless seats/rows are left empty to allow for adequate spacing of passengers.
Indoors, we know that if somebody coughs, it can linger where air is not circulating well.
If youre on a rush-hour train within a city, the situation could be really different for you.
Thats something to consider when you’re deciding how safe a train might be.
S.B.:Yeah.
But what will increase it even more is if all the passengers on the train are wearing masks.
They protect other people around the wearer.
Its a gesture ofsocial responsibilitythat youre taking everyone elses well-being into account when youre doing that.
It doesnt really benefit you very much or it may not benefit you at all.
Again, the idea of the mask is that its really protecting people around you.
And its helpful because it shows people that youre taking their safety seriously.
It can be so hard to do something if youre the only one doing it.
By wearing a mask, you may be empowering them to do what they originally wanted to do.
(For example, their nose or mouth is exposed.)
:Move to a different train car.
I use I statements and say, I would feel much more comfortable if you were wearing a mask.
:This is an individual judgment call.
Unfortunately, in many cases, you wont have a ton of control over the situation.
I would encourage people to assess the situation.
C.G.:Yes.
S.B.:Absolutely.
:That likely would decrease your risk somewhat.
You might want to think about your exposure risk in those other environments as well.
:Put on aface shield.
it’s possible for you to eat with a face shield on.
SELF: Are bathrooms a concern on a train trip?
S.B.:Potentially.
Theyre a shared space.
The surfaces and the air in the bathroom could be potentially contaminated.
Wear a mask and wash your hands.
venture to get as much fresh air as possible.
If theres a window, I would really encourage you to open it.
Otherwise, wash your hands carefully and I would advise not dillydallying.
Be as efficient as you’re free to.
SELF: How concerned should we be about high-touch areas?
Should we be wiping down our seats and other areas with a disinfectant?
:I’m not sure this is a good idea.
You could contaminate yourself in the process.
But I dont obsess over it.
The biggest risk is the person-to-person transmission.
:What sort of things are you touching and then touching your face?
This is a virus that can be transmitted through contact with your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Then you’ve got the option to reduce the risk of forgetting and accidentally touching your face.
SELF: If someone absolutely must travel by train, what precautions do you recommend they take?
:The shorter the trip, the better.
confirm you have hand sanitizer with you.
If you have access to sanitizing wipes, have them with you.
Right now taking a flight seems to be the riskiest mode of transportation.
Mask wearing isnt enforced or required in the same way across airlines and airports, either.
But airplanes also have air-filtration systems.
How risky does that make planes right now?
:We dont know.
All the calculus is based on so many unknowns.
:Of the three kinds of travel that weve discussedcars, trains, and planesplanes are likely the riskiest.
I would not feel good about my parents flying right now.
My parents are both over 60.
I myself would have serious misgivings about getting on a plane right now.
I recently drove from Atlanta to Toronto partly because I didnt want to take a flight.
I would say really try not to fly unless you absolutely have to.
:Removing your mask represents a potential exposure to the people around you.
If its a shorter flight, you might find that you dont miss the small packet of Cheez-It crackers.
In that case, give a shot to be as efficient as possible and also as careful as possible.
If you have to cough, cover your cough with a tissue or your elbow.
In all circumstances, take a stab at keep the safety of your fellow passengers in mind.
The virus has been detected in fecal matter.
Does that mean we should avoid bathrooms in planes and airports?
Should you wear a mask while you’re in the bathroom?
:Its so complicated, right?
The best message is to use the bathroom before you leave your house.
The bathroom in theairportis just as risky as the one on the plane.
Wear a mask when youre in the bathroom.
Many airlines have announced more regular cleaning protocols.
Should passengers plan to wipe down high-touch surfaces with disinfectant when they reach their seats too?
:Somebody once told me the person you could trust most is yourself.
:I think it will depend on what the individual airline says that they do.
And it also may be an individual risk-tolerance thing.
So I said, kindly ensure youre wiping everything down when you get to your seats.
They did that and they said that they werent the only ones.
Depending on the individual situation, you may feel more comfortable doing that.
Are there any changes to typical plane travel behavior you’d recommend?
For example, is it safer to check bags or carry them on?
:Get yourself a few pairs of washable, reusable cloth gloves.
They protect you from the virus that may be on public surfaces.
Cloth gloves also function as a reminder totouch your face less.
Bring plenty of hand sanitizer.
:The fewer people handling your bags, the safer it is.
Im much less worried about transmission from objects than I am person-to-person transmission.
Have hand sanitizer you might easily access in your carry-on.
One important thing to remember about gloves is that they are not antimicrobial.
What precautions should people take if they must be on a flight?
The next best step is to avoid traveling if you have any symptoms of COVID-19.
Remember that COVID-19 can cause a broad range of symptoms (seeCDC website for updated list).
We want to be protecting each other as much as were protecting ourselves.
Wear a mask, wash your hands frequently, and keep your distance at every step of the way.
Quotes have been edited and condensed for clarity.
