Corona virus pandemic has been one of the most devastating health-related events in the recent history of mankind. Ever since its beginning in the year 2019 in Wuhan, China, it has resulted in over 20 million infected cases and as many as 780,000 deaths worldwide.
Majority of the world countries have been in a state of partial or complete lockdown in the year 2020 so as to curb the infectivity rate of corona virus. 3 However, as more and more countries are becoming “corona-free”, the various travel restrictions are gradually being lifted in some parts of the world. This has sparked a significant rise in global tourism which had been previously shaken up due to the prevailing quarantine measures against COVID. Considering the possible lack of social distancing, many researchers are already speculating an imminent threat of facing yet another wave of COVID-19. 4
COVID-19, being a highly contagious disease, can spread from one individual to another via droplet infection. 1 Droplets can be derived from the oral and/or nasal secretions of an infected person. Moreover, a direct interpersonal contact can also lead to spread of this intensely virulent germ. In particular, crowded places are considered to be a hotspot for COVID-19 transmission. The same event occurred in China. However, estimates have shown that by imposing a complete travel ban in Wuhan, Chinese authorities decreased the total number of imported cases by as many as 80%. 2
No matter what results are depicted by the COVID-19 statistics, preventive measures are warranted at all costs. In case a group of people is planning for an adventurous tour to some exotic land, one should adopt all the possible preventive guidelines against corona. The World Health Organization (WHO) also emphasizes the world governments to implement the necessary plan of action while resuming the international travel.
Here are some standardized personal preventive measures that can be helpful in this regard:
Handwashing is the single most effective preventive measure against corona virus. Washing your hands for only 20 seconds can limit the contractibility of the infectious agent enormously. However, a tourist could face difficulty in sticking to this habit while on a vacation. An efficient solution is to keep an alcohol-based sanitizer in your backpack all the time. In addition, it is strictly advised to wash or sanitize your hands after an interpersonal contact. 5
A protective face mask must be worn properly before stepping into a crowded area, especially in those regions where COVID-19 is still rampant. 6 A simple cloth mask has a poor efficiency in reducing community transmission of corona virus. Therefore, a surgical mask or N-95 must be preferred.
Try to avoid shaking another person’s hand for the time being. Moreover, try maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from others. Social distancing is the key to evade this viral pandemic. 6
An individual travelling through a crowded area, is highly susceptible for catching an infection, particularly if there are any infected persons or even healthy disease carriers among the crowd. If such a scenario is inevitable, always utilize all of the precautions as recommended above.
In case you’re visiting some region where there are still plenty of COVID-19 cases, restrict your movement, and always adopt the advised preventive measures whenever you step outside. In addition, place yourself in isolation for a maximum of 2 weeks if you’re suspicious of having any disease symptoms. 7
Being more vulnerable to COVID, older individuals as well as young children should be discouraged to travel for holidays. 8
Keeping in view the growing pessimism due a long-lasting quarantine, a vacation is a well-earned break for the tourist community. However, the precautionary aspects of corona virus disease must be adhered to at all times.
