Cedric Okiorina is a travel blogger who has been traveling to different countries. Cedric shares what you need to know about protecting yourself from this pandemic and staying safe while traveling.
1) Make sure you get vaccinated
If you are planning on traveling internationally, make sure you are up to date on your vaccinations. Though they may not completely protect against the contraction of a virus, it is important to be vaccinated to avoid being at risk of serious illness or death due to contracting unfamiliar strains. Vaccinations also give added protection against potentially harmful effects when traveling, including diarrhea or vomiting caused by bacteria or parasites that can be contracted through contaminated food and water in another country without proper precautions being taken beforehand.
2) Be careful with public transportation
Due to the mass transit system’s potential for rapid transmission to large numbers of people, it becomes very important to use public transportation caution during a global pandemic. This includes being aware of the potential risks associated with the following:
- Touching surfaces that could be contaminated.
- Bringing potentially infectious material into contact with your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Extended proximity such as sitting next to someone who may unknowingly exhale what could be infected droplets due to coughing or sneezing without taking precautions beforehand.
3) Avoid direct contact with sick people
If you work in health care via nursing, emergency response, etc., make sure you wear gloves and wash hands thoroughly before and after each person you treat (do not touch anything like doorknobs or faucets without first wearing gloves). If you are not sure, ask someone to help you clean your hands or wear gloves if necessary. Even though there is not complete protection from the virus, it is important to take precautions to avoid becoming sick during this pandemic, which includes avoiding touching surfaces that may be contaminated and avoiding shaking hands with people who may have touched surfaces where the virus could live.
4) Do not touch anything that could be contaminated
Just because something looks like it’s clean doesn’t mean much if it’s still damp, which means any microbes left will stay alive longer than they would on dry surfaces (and can lead to cross-contamination). Any spilled fluids should be cleaned right away by using soap and water, a disinfectant, or even just paper towels to use during this pandemic. Do not eat or drink from shared sources such as glasses or utensils someone could have touched without washing his/her hands before handling it.
5) Make sure you seek medical attention if ill
This is especially important to be safe rather than sorry if you feel sick while traveling abroad during a pandemic. Any serious illness that progresses quickly should be treated in a hospital with isolation precautions to protect patients and health care workers from catching whatever infection they might have by avoiding contact with surfaces that may contain infectious material left when helping them or touching their skin without wearing gloves first. If possible, make sure you are up to date on your vaccinations when seeking medical attention during this pandemic.
6) Avoid crowded places/large gatherings
This is important during a pandemic to avoid getting into contact with large groups of people who may be sick or have recently been near infected ones to avoid being at risk of contracting the virus. During these times, it is recommended that you stay home if possible and refrain from going out unless necessary, such as work or other commitments that cannot be avoided. If traveling, try not to go on public transportation and choose alternative routes instead, such as driving yourself if able rather than using a bus, train, etc. Do not put yourself at risk of coming into contact with many people (do not visit stadiums, public events, crowded shopping malls, etc.).
Conclusion:
It is important to be aware of what you’re doing and who you are with. A large part of protecting yourself from pandemics (like Cedric Okiorina) is all about understanding your risks as well as those around you. Knowing about these dangers will help us all stay safe in our travels.
