All You Need To Know About CORONAVIRUS & TRAVEL
Should you cancel or postpone your travel plans?
It depends, say public health experts.
The WHO is recommending that elderly travellers and those with underlying health conditions delay or avoid travel to areas that are experiencing ongoing transmission of COVID-19. That is because the disease, while mild in some 80 percent of cases, can be fatal for people who are above 65 years or who have chronic illnesses.
That list of countries experiencing local transmissions is updated daily by the WHO. In Asia, it currently includes China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.
Is it safe to travel during the outgoing Coronavirus Outbreak ?
Yes. According to the WHO, there is no evidence to suggest that restricting travel & tourism is effective in controlling the spread of Coronavirus. The risk of infection is low in most countries. To add to that, India is one of the least-affected countries, with less than 100 confirmed Coronavirus cases (as of 14th March 2020) & only two deaths in a population of over 135 crores, a measly infection rate of 0.00000003%.
Is it less infectious than the Flu ?
Yes. Annually, there are an estimated 1 billion cases of the flu worldwide, resulting in about 6,50,000 deaths, while there are only approx.1,12,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide till date. You are way more likely to contract the flu than coronavirus.
Corona Virus Myths vs Facts
| MYTHS | FACTS |
|---|---|
| Getting corona virus leads to certian death. | The current fatality rate is 3% and is expected to decline. |
| Travelling within the country is dangerous. | Risk of infection is low in most parts of India & travel restrictions are not advisable. |
| One can get infected through mail from affected countries. | The virus does not survive on a surface long enough to be contracted this way. |
| The virus will not slow down in warm weather. | Sunlight will cut the virus’s ability to grow in half, so the half-life will be 2.5 minutes, and in the dark it’s about 13 to 20 minutes. |
| Wearing face mask while travelling can prevent infection. | Healthy people should only use mask while taking care of the infected person, or if they are coughing/sneezing. Sunlight is really good at killing viruses. |
| The new coronavirus was deliberately created or released by people | Viruses can change over time. Occasionally, a disease outbreak happens when a virus that is common in an animal such as a pig, bat or bird undergoes changes and passes to humans. This is likely how the new coronavirus came to be. |
How to stay safe ?
- Wash your hands well with soap & water
- Carry Alcohol based sanitizer
- Avoid touching your face
- Use a mask if you are coughing or sneezing
- Relax and avoid crowded places
- Maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately.
WISH YOU ALL HAPPY AND SAFE JOURNEY
Our Sources
https://www.aljazeera.com/
https://www.who.int/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/
https://http://health.harvard.edu/
