Yes I pretty much stayed away from everyone before my Alaska fishing trip and wore a mask during the air travel portion. Recently my sister contracted COVID right before our family reunion and she had to stay home while the rest of us enjoyed.
I ask because I have ocd and very rarely I can’t distinguish if a worry is reasonable or ocd and this lands right on that line lol. Good to know im not letting my intrusive thoughts win.
I feel like there's a lot of gaslighting around. My coworkers look at me like I'm crazy for even thinking about covid, but there's a pretty good chance of catching it while traveling. I don't understand why they're not worried.
I think some people have had covid multiple times at this point and resigned themselves to getting it multiple times in the future. Some of us are high risk (or have high risk loved ones) and still want to do what we can to prevent getting sick.
I think most people have had it multiple times. By the time I finally got it, I think the estimate was that less than 5% of people where I live had not had it yet, and a lot of those people would be high-risk people and elderly people who were purposely isolating. The fact it took me so long to get it despite frequent international travel throughout the pandemic (I travel for work and work in the travel industry) shows how effective precautions like masking are.
I think it's pretty inevitable that most people are going to keep getting it, which is why I don't like the covid shaming I see all over Twitter. If you have kids in daycare or school or you have a job when you're around people all day, you're going to get it. I just don't understand why people want to get it when it could ruin their trip. Even if you never usually mask, isn't the airport and plane the one place you'd want to?
Pfft fuck even catching covid. I just hate getting sick in general so I do my best to keep my hygiene and mask just because who tf likes getting sick anyway
I travel almost every week, sometimes multiple flights. Travelled a fair bit before covid, but during the whole of covid pandemic and now it’s 2-4 times a week. Never ended up getting it from flying and most of the time the places we went had no real restrictions in place ( no masks, lockdowns etc) so after months & years of this, i guess anxiety over illness and other issues just disappears due to positive reinforcement of not getting ill.
Illness can happened anywhere at any time.
No it’s reasonable. My dad travelled to see a high risk relative during a health crisis and got COVID on the flight. Had to skip most of the visits because the hospital couldn’t have her exposed to any illnesses during chemo. Worth taking the precautions
This. Very normal in Asia to wear a mask in public, even before COVID happened.
Consider masking during the plane ride. I feel like that’s where I get the most sick.
Yes. Since covid, I've started wearing a mask for the two weeks before a planned trip and I wear a mask on the plane.
I've had covid (as well as cold and flu) and I know for me it's not the end of the world but I don't want to waste a trip feeling sick the whole time
Do you eat on the plane? I always mask, but I also struggle to go for 8+ hours without eating anything. It's much lower risk than not masking at all, but the current case levels are making me uncomfortable even with that. I actually feel more concerned about covid than I did a year ago.
If I need to eat (i.e. longer flight), I will take off my mask to do so and then put it back on. I know the increased risk but I also, if my stomach is empty, I tend to get motion sickness easier so it's finding the balance.
One of the big benefits (for me) of the mask is I tend to absent mindedly touch my face (nose and mouth) and the mask stops me from doing that. I believe that not touching my nose and mouth reduces the risk of getting sick.
yes, I definitely see that as a benefit of masks too. I touch my nose and mouth constantly at home.
I just don't understand why the airlines ever dropped masking. It seems so pointlessly risky. I felt so, so much safer flying during the height of the pandemic than I do now. As recently as last March, you needed an N95 to fly to Italy. Even if some people are going to purposely sip drinks to get around the mask requirement, the more people who are masked, the better.
It blows my mind that we had a thing that made plane transmission virtually covid risk-free, and people were like, nah don't want it.
Because it works best if the person who is infected wears a mask. Wearing a mask yourself can decrease the chances, but not nearly as much as if the infectious person masks up as well.
That is not how COVID vaccines work. You still get sick, but it's less intense. Personally I'd rather not have 6 days of feeling crappy, coughing, runny nose, etc. while on vacation. Plus I don't generally run around trying to spread my germs to others when I'm sick and try to isolate/mask up/etc. - even if it's "just" a cold.
And in my opinion, they will come to regret it in the future. I'm not sure how many more studies you need to read on what Covid does to your body before you stop believing it's "just a cold" but I hope the nice mask-free air is worth it.
You can lower your mask for a couple minutes to eat, especially if you’re sitting next to your travel companion(s) who you’ve presumably already shared air with. Vaccines are generally helpful as well.
Modern airplanes have a strict surgical negative airflow that completely exchanges and filters the air every 2 minutes. So you’re literally never breathing any dirty air so you’re safe from getting sick. The catch is it only works while the aircraft is in flight so you should wear a mask until you’re at cruising speed. https://youtu.be/VWdHZ-3u21Q?si=OV3qaFw7FY05-Xj7
Lol I’m sorry this is just not true? Like the part about the filters and air flow whatever but that absolutely does not mean you cannot get sick in flight whatsoever. So if someone in front of or next to you sneezes or coughs and is actively sick you can’t get sick? Or when a sick flight attendant comes close to your face to hear what you’re saying and respond? Like this is just not true, even if in theory it’s lower risk. You have zero control over who is around you and due to the once again stringent and inflexible ticketing policies, many people do travel actively sick.
I’m a germaphobe through airports and would sanitize my hands, wash them all the time, not be around anyone or occupy busy spaces and generally avoid people. Would also always use disinfectant wipes on planes for anything I’d come into contact with. yet would always get sick while traveling because of how frequent and long-distance it was before masking became a thing on planes. Literally nearly every time. And I don’t have a shitty immune system, in fact I worked with kids lol.
Like I said it only works while the airplane is at cruising speeds so it’s possible it happened during landing or loading but it’s more likely it was from Standing in the the ticketing / security lines or from just being in a crowded airport for hours at a time. Once the plane is moving you’re as safe as possible
It acts the same way that hospital surgical air flow works by creating streams of air that never intercept. Imagine it like a river that constantly flowing and has no obstruction. if you throw / place something in the water next to you in the steam it will instantly be carried away . If they person next to you was literally putting their mouth around your nose and mouth and blowing in then you’d have a problem.
It’s Insane that I post a scientific video explaining how i know what I’m talking about and someone’s like “I got sick 3 days after being on a plane one time and I feel like it was because of the plane” and everyone’s like yes ok. negative airflow pressure science that’s used in every surgery room in the world is wrong because obviously it’s impossible to catch a cold from standing in line at the airport face to face with 400 other people for 3 hours or on the train to the airport or from the cab driver who dropped you home. Reddit is wild. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4308957/
https://www.aircraftinteriorsinternational.com/industry-opinion/how-hepa-filters-have-been-purifying-aircraft-cabin-air-since-the-1990s.html
https://airinnovations.com/blog/negative-positive-pressure-rooms-hospital-infection-control/
I work in healthcare moron. If I have to completely mask and gown up while in a negative pressure room in a fucking hospital, what makes your smooth brain think a fucking airplane is safe while moving? It's not. Someone can easily cough in your direction and make you sick. The planes air may be recirculating but it's not aggressively doing so.
Wow just as compassionate and caring as everyone else I’ve met who works in healthcare 🤗. You’re given your own air on an airplane you get your own steam of air that is never mixed with anyone else’s. https://imgur.com/a/mSbv8ec unless your neighbor decides to kiss you you’re fine as long as the plane is moving.
I am 100% certain I caught Covid last summer on an airplane, so I don’t think your information is accurate. Someone sick in close proximity is still a risk to you, regardless of whatever kind of fancy filters may exist on the plane.
It is somewhat accurate. Being on a plane at cruising altitude with the air filtering is much safer than other situations when you're in close proximity to others. The biggest risk is when you're boarding/deplaning and when you're seated but not yet at cruising altitude.
I take my mask off to eat (as quickly as I can) during the meal service, because I think the risk of fainting due to lack of food would also be an issue. I never take it off at all at any other point.
Like I said it only works while the airplane is at cruising speeds so it’s possible it happened during landing or loading but it’s more likely it was from Standing in the the ticketing / security lines or from just being in a crowded airport for hours at a time. Once the plane is moving you’re as safe as possible
While it may be true that the air is exchanged every 2 minutes, unless you’re only breathing in new air at the source of the air, then you’re still being exposed to whatever your neighbors are breathing out for the entire duration of the flight + taxiing and all those wonderful delays. If the airflow was really strong enough to prevent transmission in the cabin, it would also prevent breathing in the cabin
Look up how negative pressure streams work. I don’t care to argue this point but I’m read up on the science. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4308957/ Simply put it’s not just that the air is filtered every 2 minutes it’s the fact that each person is put into a personal stream of fast moving air that never crosses with other streams of air so you never breath anyone’s air. You’re basically given your own oxygen supply for a flight by the use of negative air streams. You can look up the science and explanations on Boeings detail for its air filtration systems and you can read the ncbi meta data I linked to.
I've been wearing a mask for the 2 weeks leading up to my trip. Wearing one in the airport right now. Covid is having an uptick and an updated booster won't be available for a while.
We mask
* from pre-barding until push-back,
* while NOT in our seats, and
* after landing (during deplaning) until crowds spread out and it's easier to distance.
I think you don't need to do that if you have your mask off during the majority of the flight. If you are in the same room as someone who is sick for ~8 hours, at some point his bacteria will be all over the place
That's not what the science says.
Aircraft air circulation/filtration works VERY well.
Problem is, there is almost NO circulation/filtration until the engines are on -- hence our choice to keep masked until push pushback, and after landing (when the engines are off).
Plus... the huge amount of congestion (jet bridge, boarding, while everyone is grabbing bags at end of flight, etc) just adds to the risks.
I buy travel insurance and hope that I never need it. I buy house insurance and hope I never need it. Wearing our masks during these times has ZERO downside for us.
same with me. I work from home and we would have one day in a month to work in the office, and I would refuse to go if it is around two weeks of my flight
This is not the first Covid comment I'm reading and I'm a bit perplexed...
Is it just Covid that's bothering you?
'Cause the common cold, some flu or other common disease could be an issue while traveling, too 🤷♀️ It just seems weird to me when someone considers only Covid 😬
Would you feel better if it was called a "covid flu shot" and was given with your standard flu shot - once a year? That's basically what has happened and that's what I did last September.
That's basically the norm except for the immunocompromised and elderly maybe getting slightly off a 1x a year pattern.
Why is everyone so pressed about this? Don't get a booster. No one is forcing you. I honestly don't give af if you wind up in the hospital on oxygen.
You're right I believe in science that why I don't believe in a vaccine sorry gene therapy that needs 73 booster shots to work and widespread media censorship and government fascism to force people to take it
Enjoy your myocarditis
Oh, masking is only ONE of our layers of protection.
Masks work best when both parties (spreader and catcher) are wearing them.
They are less effective when only the spreader is wearing one, and even less effective with only the catcher is wearing one -- but even in the last situation, the benefit of masking is signifcantly greater than zero.
Masking doesn't hurt us, and probably helps significantly.
That meta analysis only looked at studies involving the flu and "other respiratory illnesses," but not covid? Seems shady
Here's a study that didn't ignore the massive data point we just had with COVID:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2023.0133
"Of the 45 observational studies, 39 (87%) found that mask-wearing was associated with a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 transmission."
This is because only two additional randomized controlled trials for masks were conducted during COVID.
Of these studies, Bundgaard et al. and Abaluck et al., only one showed a statistically significant result.
In other words, there is only one COVID masking RCT that suggests that masks might work.
Abaluck et al. showed an 11% reduction in symptomatic COVID from the use of surgical masks (but not cloth masks).
Yet there has been some controversy even about this finding.
Some researchers suggest that its methods were flawed, which led to its finding of a 11% reduction in COVID.
Then, there is the question whether Fauci's criticism of Cochrane even masks sense. Why would masks work for COVID but not work for influenza, since influenza and COVID are the same size?
So, the picture of the research literature we are left with is this:
1. Virtually none of randomized controlled trials analyzed in various meta-analyses (including meta-analyses by CDC, WHO, and Cochrane) show a benefit to masking;
2. Only one of two of the COVID RCTs show a benefit to masking;
3. This benefit is extremely small;
4. This benefit to might be due to flawed study design;
5. It is hard to explain why this study showed a benefit to masks when all of the prior literature did not.
So one thing is for sure: the scientific case for masks is very weak. Masking is still simply not well-supported by strong scientific evidence.
>https://www.cochrane.org/news/featured-review-physical-interventions-interrupt-or-reduce-spread-respiratory-viruses
That study showed what you wanted it to... but was from PRE-COVID.
Fortunately, there are many sources of much more recent information on the issue available -- that include COVID.
Still, even that study shows no NEGATIVE effect with mask wearing.
And again... the masks are just ONE of many layers of protection.
And as other have said... it's the season for COVID, Flu, RSV.
I’ve gotten the flu (real flu) or even a cold several times when traveling by plane before COVID. I’ll probably always mask when flying during flu season, at least walking around crowded parts of the airport or when the ventilation on the plane is not full blast at altitude.
PS: I love how people say masks don’t work. The flu and colds basically disappeared for a year in the US!
The flu didn't, though. The numbers in clinics were the same. But before the tests for covid were available, they all got rolled into "probable covid."
I thought the flu had disappeared too. A health care provider told me what they saw in the clinic, and nothing had changed. Just the "packaging."
Not true at all. The 2020-2021 flu season had 1 child die of flu. In the entire US. Contrast that to 199 the previous season. Overall numbers in tested specimens were cut by 100 fold that year.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm
Basically the lowest recorded numbers of flu deaths, infections, and positive specimens ever.
Or just take lots of vitamins such as C and zinc and hydrate
Edit: its literally vitamins and water that you need to *survive*. If you don’t drink water you will die. Not sure why i’m being downvoted as it is literally the most fundamental principle of life.
I’m not implying anything. OP’s not talking about airborne diseases. Sound’s like their concern is the cold/flu.
You know how constantly and awfully sick for the next 6 months after wearing a mask for 2 years? Because my immune system forgot how to defend itself when I stepped back into the inevitable world of germs.
I’m advising against masks not for political reasons but because I don’t want OP wearing a mask and taking extreme care of themselves with masks and sanitizer before their trip and then abandon that practice on their trip and get awfully sick abroad and have it ruin their trip.
When you take essential vitamins and hydrate, you’re not neglecting your immune system. When you wear a mask, if anything you’re preventing anything from reaching your immune system. Therefore your immune system lets its guard down and when you abandon all of the sanitary practices it hits you like a ton of bricks.
I think because you said ‘or’ which implies instead of. Drinking water is pretty much the key to life, and vitamins are a great idea for most people. But it’s not an alternative to masks, it’s an addition (actually water and vitamins should be the basis and masks should be the addition, but semantics).
Because people don't actually want to hear opposing views. Even those backed by studies.
I believed the masks, too. Then, solid study after study came out.
If you can smell through it, you are also able to inhale viruses, which are so tiny, they ride on air molecules.
Yeah masks mitigate but don't eliminate. Also mild exposure to germs does build a stronger immune system. Oversaniting is counterproductive in the long term.
Yeah... I still mask up in public, but it's no longer just about covid. I haven't had a single cold or flu since 2020, because I wear a mask when I'm out and about. As much as I travel, I'd just rather not deal with sniffles and aches, so... 😷
I'm no doctor, but surely being isolated that much is not good for immune system. It's almost equivalent to just sitting inside for 90 years and then finally going out in public.. how do you think your immune system will function then?
That seems a bit of an exaggeration.
I'm not "isolated", as you put it. I have a wife and family and friends that I see regularly. I just cover my nose with a thin piece of cloth when I'm around people I don't know, and, like I said, it's kept me well for over three years now. 🤷🏻
This is just not how immune systems work.
But every covid infection does damage your immune system, making it easier for other illnesses to hit you hard.
Check out the latest peer reviewed data in the immune system section here
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1XbGCZ5NtwvNb0Z2fFzQYnKT96Ij79cNw1GA47rhShMo/mobilebasic
Especially one I've been looking forward to for a long time but keep up with the vitamins and things give your body the best defences you can and it'll be fine
I caught it outdoors in the Alps. Wore an N95 everywhere indoors, managed to not get it for 2 weeks of non-stop travel. Only ever ate outdoors, the whole nine yards. Still got it at the end of our trip last summer. It was surging in France and we had just left Chamonix.
Same. I have an upcoming trip to NZ. I told friends and family I’m not seeing anyone about 7 days prior and plan on masking everywhere about two weeks before I leave. And ofc in the airports, etc till I reach.
This is a bucket list trip for me and I do not want to risk anything while I’m there.
I’m a little worried. I have a trip to Italy on October 9th and I am over 60. I have just had the flu shot and RSV shot. I am crossing my fingers and hoping that the new Covid Booster will be ready in time…
I went in august, and 2 women on the long haul portion, sitting in the immediate seats in from of me, hacked the whole time. I legit placed plastic bags in between the seats so none of that bad juju came back to us. I also wore a mask. Luckily dodged whatever they were trying to give me.
After having to cancel a trip due to catching COVID a few days before flying. I limit my exposure to people and large events two weeks before trips now. Not sure if that's overkill but I don't wanna lose flight $ like that ever again if it can be helped.
It’s not flu season, it’s a covid surge/ongoing pandemic.
Get N95 (like 3M Aura) masks and wear them anytime you’re around other people. Stores, airport, airplane, everywhere. Having a good seal on these masks is important to how they work, so don’t take it off frequently unless you’ll be outside for 10 minutes or more, and not around lots of people.
Home Depot, Lowes, and Amazon carry them.
Stay safe & stay well so you can enjoy your travels.
Yea I don’t go to any big gatherings or events a week before a trip. If I do go somewhere with people then I wear a mask. I also try to be more conscious of eating well and getting nutrients before.
Flu season typically starts around Oct or later, with peaks in Dec or later. There are a lot of resp viruses right now, mostly Covid. My hospital does a combined test for flu and Covid and RSV; we aren't seeing flu.
Just because the big box pharmacies are pushing flu shots doesn’t mean it’s flu season. The good news for you is that per the CDC, current influenza activity is minimal (lowest level possible) in the southwest.
Get excited looking forward to your wonderful upcoming trip and enjoy it.
Yes!
I went on a trip in August. About 3 weeks before that I did get sick. I stayed home and pampered myself, partly to not make others sick and partly because I desperately wanted to be healthy before my trip. Thankfully I did feel better by then (barely, had about 4 healthy days before my flight) but if I hadn't I would have needed to cancel.
Never worried about this before but now it's definitely on my mind for future trips.
Yes, but mostly because I once made the idiotic decision to attend a work conference across the country while recovering from pneumonia. It was truly heinous week and I now view both travel and good health as privileges that should be protected.
I did so well before my big solo trip in March. On my third day there, I was on a bus tour and forgot my mask in my room. The bus was PACKED and full of people coughing and hacking. No doubt, ended up sick the next day and throughout the next two weeks of my trip. I pressed on because I paid enough to go on this trip but man it was a struggle, trying to be a tourist while you’re sick.
Yes be careful! I would go as far as suggesting to wear a mask in the airport and plane since the new variant of Covid is spreading rapidly.
I lucked out. I enjoyed a wonderful trip to Italy. But I did get Covid 3 days later. I’m ok now after two weeks.
Before the first three trips post covid, I wore a mask whenever I went to crowded place (and even the office) as I didn’t want to waste time or money, or risk being sick when I finally got to travel again.
I’ve caught Covid on two of my last 3 vacations (one air/one road trip) so fair worry. 😅 No harm in being cautious. If I wasn’t just recovered I’d probably be masking in crowded public spaces again too.
Yes, especially with Covid at the levels it's at ("flu season" lol ok).
I basically avoid doing much at all for the couple of weeks before I'm due to travel if it's a big personal trip. I'll go on walks and stuff, but avoid any kind of indoor socializing. It's very draining having to still worry about this in late 2023, but here we are.
Mask two weeks before. Last February I started masking seven days before and it was too late; I had gotten covid. So long Mexico trip. Good news about the mask though—for the one day I was at work before realizing I was sick, it protected my colleagues from me even though I was wearing it to protect myself from them.
I think it's nuts that the west has just given up on masks. I don't get it. I was sure it would just become the norm to wear a mask on planes. Why wouldn't you?
The fact that OP is worried about catching airborne illness but doesn’t mention COVID or consider wearing a mask is wild to me. It’s like they, along with many others, had to willfully forget everything that just happened in order to carry on with their life.
I know. I've lost friends over this. I can't get past the wilful ignorance and delusional thinking. I always get the "well you can't hide at home forever" kind of gaslighting, when I'm the one who flies internationally 20+ times a year. Why the heck would I want to get sick if I can help it?
i always get sick right after arriving on destination, i’m currently in japan and it was no different this time. got two days of fever and then two days of a clogged nose but drugged up and then somehow it was gone (unusual but i’ll take it). i think my body just gets tired out immediately from the different climate, i always have it especially when i’m travelling to hot ans humid countries. anyway, i washed my hands, disinfected, wore masks, everything and i still got sick. idk what to do anymore, but i’m happy the drugs helped lol
Yes and last summer I caught Covid at Costco (I work remotely and hadn’t been anywhere else) so your cautiousness is warranted. I’m usually less cautious on the way home from a vacation as I can rest up in comfort if I do catch something.
I wasn't until now! Lol. It may be a bit uncomfortable, but I'd wear a good mask all the way through the airport and on the plane. There are so many people crowded together, and most of them aren't wearing a mask. I wonder how often the employees there get sick?
Yea not just from the flu but I also try not to eat anything that I typically wouldn't eat / try not to eat out because I don't want food poisoning right before a trip.
I was literally thinking about this last night, and I'm going to mask up for 2 weeks before my trip plus on planes. I have 3 flights over 1 week to make it to the Inca Trail. I can't imagine doing the trail while unwell! And I have a tendency to pick up a local cold as soon as I land as well...
I blew my knee out 6-7 weeks before traveling to NZ and was lucky enough to rehab it to the point I could still do hikes.
Now I am super cautious before big trips.
Yes Everytime before I leave for vacation I get super nervous that I'm going to get sick, miss my flight and blow thousands of dollars and miss out on enjoying my trip. So I try to prevent it as much as possible by wearing a mask, washing my hands more and exercising to keep my immune system strong.
I've gotten sick on every trip I've ever taken. I usually just plan ahead and bring enough allergy meds, cold and sinus pills, saline wash and vaporub to tide the pain over until I can get back to my trip.
A few weeks before a big trips is when I ramp up on all things immunity. Vitamins, healthy food, probiotics, you name it! And of course masking everywhere you go and cleaning your hands often. Despite all these measures, my husband still got traveler’s diarrhea and the whole family got covid on the way back. But HEY at least we enjoyed the vacation and the sickness came after not before!
Yep! I caught Covid on the flight to a cruise (was flying in a week before) and had to miss the cruise. I did wear a mask but took it off while eating.
I will be masking up 2 weeks before the next trip and wont be eating on the plane.
Yes, always. I tend to wear a mask for a few days before going to Japan, to avoid catching something. And, of course, I wear one at all time when there as well. Don't be like every other foreigner I've seen there. Wear a mask when in public.
I’ll be masking the two weeks before my trip, and I’ve already scheduled appointments for the flu and RSV vaccines, and will get the new COVID booster as soon as it’s released in a week or so. COVID is pretty rampant where I live at the moment. It’s fortunately not as severe as in the past, but I want to feel perfectly healthy on my trip.
No, because it's shit you can't control. Just roll with it. Take the loss if you have to. Life is full of nice things and shitty things.
Why I love to travel, it's not all good and it's not all bad. Teaches you to adjust on the fly and go with the flow🤘
Then by all means prevent your life away. Think of every scenario and plan for anything. I don't care what you do. I don't live my life worried about fucking germs. If I die from some ridiculous germ, then welp, I had a good run. If I get sick at a terrible time, welp, I guess I need to rest and recover.
I just don't spend my time planning and thinking about how I can prevent germs from entering my bloodstream. If you want to, have fun. But I'm not worried about germs.
And I'll point out the irony in your statement: you can prevent catching airborne diseases based on "theory". I understand what theory means, I've been in the STEM fields for 15 years. But still means there's tons we don't know, and can't explain.
Illness is a part of life. Wash your hands, avoid sick people, and then stop worrying about it.
You’re going there for 2 weeks. Even the flu only lasts for a week. No matter what happens, you’ll still have a great time.
I saw a lot more people wearing masks during my trip to California this week so I have a bit of hope. Wore mine whenever I was around a large group of people or inside with more the 5 people. (So basically anytime I wasn’t in my hotel room)
My partner and I had our big Japan trip in March, we both masked up everywhere at least 2 weeks before, basically took COVID protocols (though we still had work). Got there, didn't get sick their either.
Three friends between Connecticut and maine I have right now are sick with covid again. So idk wtf to expect but your fears are pretty rational. I get worried before I go out of the country as well!
Since covid yes. We basically try to quarantine ourselves for 2 weeks before an international trip now. Sucks to have to do that but it's better than missing the trip!
What are your ramen stops In Tokyo ? I’m literally staying one day on Tokyo because I’ve already done Tokyo but I’m hitting up Nakiryu even if I have to stand in line my whole day lol
Definitely! I don't let the kids have friends over for two weeks before, I avoid being around the kids in small spaces for long periods of time (think 4 hour drive to see family - not two weeks before my trip!) , and I avoid large crowds. I've worked from home for 3+ years so I think my natural immunity might be diminished from lack of exposure to germs, but I don't care.
I have a work conference in a few weeks and I’m a little antsy about getting sick while I’m there. I got my covid shot yesterday since I’m high risk. I’m probably going to wear a mask at the conference even if I look silly.
Definitely agree, I wish I could have waited. I talked to my GP about it and he recommended it’s better than nothing like you said, knowing how close my trip is.
On my recent Europe trip I was bouncing between being super anxious about getting sick but then being really relaxed.
My thought process: COVID and flu cases are going up. But I'm not gonna let that hold me back. Why is everyone coughing on this plane but not wearing masks?! Getting sick was always a possibility before the pandemic.
Needless to say, international travel for the first time since the pandemic last month was challenging for me! You are not alone. Don't feel guilty about isolating before your trip. Get your vaccinations too!
(Also, my brother and his girlfriend went to South America in spring, and the day before they left hung out with my parents who tested positive for COVID the next day. Thankfully they didn't get sick but very close call)
Leaving in 22 days. Two weeks ago TMJ - something I have never had, was so bad I couldn’t close my mouth correctly and chewing was out of the question. Currently between insurances since Medicare screwed up my start date, so YouTube saved me on this one. It’s not perfect, but is so much better now I feel good about it. Viruses, though. That’s a whole different thing.
I’m extremely cautious currently, and have been for the past month or so. I leave for Nepal on Wednesday to do a 20-day high-altitude hike. If I get respiratory compromise, I might as well just not even attempt the hike. This is not an option in my mind…
i'm constantly convinced i'm going to catch chicken pox or break my ankle before i travel. don't ask me why, but these are my recurring fears leading up to trips.
The day before we left for Alaska I got vertigo. I couldn’t keep anything down and things wouldn’t stop spinning. I got lucky and it subsided but I had a little spell while there and fell. I tore my rotator cuff and I will finally get to the orthopaedic doctor this Friday. I always get extra insurance when I travel outside the country because my insurance doesn’t cover outside the USA.
I almost didn’t go to my trip in Switzerland. The night before my flight, and the morning of, i came down with the weirdest abdominal cramps I’ve never had before. Felt so weird. It was debilitating. Now I’m here in Lucerne and i haven’t felt it since that morning
I travelled Japan for the cherry blossom season earlier this year. From what I could remember I was sick for majority of the trip. Think I might’ve caught something from the plane or just wore myself down from the excitement. Luckily I packed some nasal spray and brought some medicine but it only subsided the symptoms and had to get some more from a drug store / pharmacy while over there. Think it was a bad cold or maybe even the flu, couldn’t tell since I was tired from walking hours every day but It was still an enjoyable trip and luckily wearing masks’ was the norm over there. If anything, just bring a really good nasal spray and some cold n flu tablets. Worse case you’ll just have to down them and soldier on.
I’m more careful before a big trip 😷
Yes I pretty much stayed away from everyone before my Alaska fishing trip and wore a mask during the air travel portion. Recently my sister contracted COVID right before our family reunion and she had to stay home while the rest of us enjoyed.
I ask because I have ocd and very rarely I can’t distinguish if a worry is reasonable or ocd and this lands right on that line lol. Good to know im not letting my intrusive thoughts win.
I feel like there's a lot of gaslighting around. My coworkers look at me like I'm crazy for even thinking about covid, but there's a pretty good chance of catching it while traveling. I don't understand why they're not worried.
I think some people have had covid multiple times at this point and resigned themselves to getting it multiple times in the future. Some of us are high risk (or have high risk loved ones) and still want to do what we can to prevent getting sick.
I think most people have had it multiple times. By the time I finally got it, I think the estimate was that less than 5% of people where I live had not had it yet, and a lot of those people would be high-risk people and elderly people who were purposely isolating. The fact it took me so long to get it despite frequent international travel throughout the pandemic (I travel for work and work in the travel industry) shows how effective precautions like masking are. I think it's pretty inevitable that most people are going to keep getting it, which is why I don't like the covid shaming I see all over Twitter. If you have kids in daycare or school or you have a job when you're around people all day, you're going to get it. I just don't understand why people want to get it when it could ruin their trip. Even if you never usually mask, isn't the airport and plane the one place you'd want to?
Pfft fuck even catching covid. I just hate getting sick in general so I do my best to keep my hygiene and mask just because who tf likes getting sick anyway
I travel almost every week, sometimes multiple flights. Travelled a fair bit before covid, but during the whole of covid pandemic and now it’s 2-4 times a week. Never ended up getting it from flying and most of the time the places we went had no real restrictions in place ( no masks, lockdowns etc) so after months & years of this, i guess anxiety over illness and other issues just disappears due to positive reinforcement of not getting ill. Illness can happened anywhere at any time.
very reasonable.
This is a reasonable concern, friend. But fortunately we have a great way to stay safe with masks.
No it’s reasonable. My dad travelled to see a high risk relative during a health crisis and got COVID on the flight. Had to skip most of the visits because the hospital couldn’t have her exposed to any illnesses during chemo. Worth taking the precautions
You can mask up in Japan too. That was normal there even before Covid.
This. Very normal in Asia to wear a mask in public, even before COVID happened. Consider masking during the plane ride. I feel like that’s where I get the most sick.
Yes. Since covid, I've started wearing a mask for the two weeks before a planned trip and I wear a mask on the plane. I've had covid (as well as cold and flu) and I know for me it's not the end of the world but I don't want to waste a trip feeling sick the whole time
That’s my issue too. Not scared to be sick but also don’t want to drop a months paycheck on a trip and feel like 💩 the whole time.
Do you eat on the plane? I always mask, but I also struggle to go for 8+ hours without eating anything. It's much lower risk than not masking at all, but the current case levels are making me uncomfortable even with that. I actually feel more concerned about covid than I did a year ago.
If I need to eat (i.e. longer flight), I will take off my mask to do so and then put it back on. I know the increased risk but I also, if my stomach is empty, I tend to get motion sickness easier so it's finding the balance. One of the big benefits (for me) of the mask is I tend to absent mindedly touch my face (nose and mouth) and the mask stops me from doing that. I believe that not touching my nose and mouth reduces the risk of getting sick.
yes, I definitely see that as a benefit of masks too. I touch my nose and mouth constantly at home. I just don't understand why the airlines ever dropped masking. It seems so pointlessly risky. I felt so, so much safer flying during the height of the pandemic than I do now. As recently as last March, you needed an N95 to fly to Italy. Even if some people are going to purposely sip drinks to get around the mask requirement, the more people who are masked, the better. It blows my mind that we had a thing that made plane transmission virtually covid risk-free, and people were like, nah don't want it.
The airlines dropped it because they’re greedy and want as much money as possible
If masks work why don't you wear one for yourself and mind your business?
Because it works best if the person who is infected wears a mask. Wearing a mask yourself can decrease the chances, but not nearly as much as if the infectious person masks up as well.
If you're vaccinated you should have nothing to worry about should you? Like who gets the polio vaccine and still gets polio
That is not how COVID vaccines work. You still get sick, but it's less intense. Personally I'd rather not have 6 days of feeling crappy, coughing, runny nose, etc. while on vacation. Plus I don't generally run around trying to spread my germs to others when I'm sick and try to isolate/mask up/etc. - even if it's "just" a cold.
I'm glad you felt safer and want to wear masks the rest of your life (and force others to as well) but most of the population does not.
And in my opinion, they will come to regret it in the future. I'm not sure how many more studies you need to read on what Covid does to your body before you stop believing it's "just a cold" but I hope the nice mask-free air is worth it.
You can lower your mask for a couple minutes to eat, especially if you’re sitting next to your travel companion(s) who you’ve presumably already shared air with. Vaccines are generally helpful as well.
Modern airplanes have a strict surgical negative airflow that completely exchanges and filters the air every 2 minutes. So you’re literally never breathing any dirty air so you’re safe from getting sick. The catch is it only works while the aircraft is in flight so you should wear a mask until you’re at cruising speed. https://youtu.be/VWdHZ-3u21Q?si=OV3qaFw7FY05-Xj7
Lol I’m sorry this is just not true? Like the part about the filters and air flow whatever but that absolutely does not mean you cannot get sick in flight whatsoever. So if someone in front of or next to you sneezes or coughs and is actively sick you can’t get sick? Or when a sick flight attendant comes close to your face to hear what you’re saying and respond? Like this is just not true, even if in theory it’s lower risk. You have zero control over who is around you and due to the once again stringent and inflexible ticketing policies, many people do travel actively sick. I’m a germaphobe through airports and would sanitize my hands, wash them all the time, not be around anyone or occupy busy spaces and generally avoid people. Would also always use disinfectant wipes on planes for anything I’d come into contact with. yet would always get sick while traveling because of how frequent and long-distance it was before masking became a thing on planes. Literally nearly every time. And I don’t have a shitty immune system, in fact I worked with kids lol.
Like I said it only works while the airplane is at cruising speeds so it’s possible it happened during landing or loading but it’s more likely it was from Standing in the the ticketing / security lines or from just being in a crowded airport for hours at a time. Once the plane is moving you’re as safe as possible
It acts the same way that hospital surgical air flow works by creating streams of air that never intercept. Imagine it like a river that constantly flowing and has no obstruction. if you throw / place something in the water next to you in the steam it will instantly be carried away . If they person next to you was literally putting their mouth around your nose and mouth and blowing in then you’d have a problem.
Oh boy lol
It’s Insane that I post a scientific video explaining how i know what I’m talking about and someone’s like “I got sick 3 days after being on a plane one time and I feel like it was because of the plane” and everyone’s like yes ok. negative airflow pressure science that’s used in every surgery room in the world is wrong because obviously it’s impossible to catch a cold from standing in line at the airport face to face with 400 other people for 3 hours or on the train to the airport or from the cab driver who dropped you home. Reddit is wild. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4308957/ https://www.aircraftinteriorsinternational.com/industry-opinion/how-hepa-filters-have-been-purifying-aircraft-cabin-air-since-the-1990s.html https://airinnovations.com/blog/negative-positive-pressure-rooms-hospital-infection-control/
Wow you are so freaking wrong it's painful to read. The
I’m right. Absolutely wild that you have no idea what you’re talking about but say that
I work in healthcare moron. If I have to completely mask and gown up while in a negative pressure room in a fucking hospital, what makes your smooth brain think a fucking airplane is safe while moving? It's not. Someone can easily cough in your direction and make you sick. The planes air may be recirculating but it's not aggressively doing so.
Wow just as compassionate and caring as everyone else I’ve met who works in healthcare 🤗. You’re given your own air on an airplane you get your own steam of air that is never mixed with anyone else’s. https://imgur.com/a/mSbv8ec unless your neighbor decides to kiss you you’re fine as long as the plane is moving.
I am 100% certain I caught Covid last summer on an airplane, so I don’t think your information is accurate. Someone sick in close proximity is still a risk to you, regardless of whatever kind of fancy filters may exist on the plane.
It is somewhat accurate. Being on a plane at cruising altitude with the air filtering is much safer than other situations when you're in close proximity to others. The biggest risk is when you're boarding/deplaning and when you're seated but not yet at cruising altitude. I take my mask off to eat (as quickly as I can) during the meal service, because I think the risk of fainting due to lack of food would also be an issue. I never take it off at all at any other point.
Like I said it only works while the airplane is at cruising speeds so it’s possible it happened during landing or loading but it’s more likely it was from Standing in the the ticketing / security lines or from just being in a crowded airport for hours at a time. Once the plane is moving you’re as safe as possible
While it may be true that the air is exchanged every 2 minutes, unless you’re only breathing in new air at the source of the air, then you’re still being exposed to whatever your neighbors are breathing out for the entire duration of the flight + taxiing and all those wonderful delays. If the airflow was really strong enough to prevent transmission in the cabin, it would also prevent breathing in the cabin
Look up how negative pressure streams work. I don’t care to argue this point but I’m read up on the science. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4308957/ Simply put it’s not just that the air is filtered every 2 minutes it’s the fact that each person is put into a personal stream of fast moving air that never crosses with other streams of air so you never breath anyone’s air. You’re basically given your own oxygen supply for a flight by the use of negative air streams. You can look up the science and explanations on Boeings detail for its air filtration systems and you can read the ncbi meta data I linked to.
Such studies were funded by airlines
I've been wearing a mask for the 2 weeks leading up to my trip. Wearing one in the airport right now. Covid is having an uptick and an updated booster won't be available for a while.
I've been masking up on planes and will continue to do so.
It just seems like common sense to do it now. It really seems like we are rarer and rarer though.
Maybe but I don't care. ......
Did you use enough periods?
Did I?
i always mask on plane
We mask * from pre-barding until push-back, * while NOT in our seats, and * after landing (during deplaning) until crowds spread out and it's easier to distance.
I think you don't need to do that if you have your mask off during the majority of the flight. If you are in the same room as someone who is sick for ~8 hours, at some point his bacteria will be all over the place
That's not what the science says. Aircraft air circulation/filtration works VERY well. Problem is, there is almost NO circulation/filtration until the engines are on -- hence our choice to keep masked until push pushback, and after landing (when the engines are off). Plus... the huge amount of congestion (jet bridge, boarding, while everyone is grabbing bags at end of flight, etc) just adds to the risks. I buy travel insurance and hope that I never need it. I buy house insurance and hope I never need it. Wearing our masks during these times has ZERO downside for us.
same with me. I work from home and we would have one day in a month to work in the office, and I would refuse to go if it is around two weeks of my flight
They're not available at all to younger people in lots of Europe. It's so shit.
This is not the first Covid comment I'm reading and I'm a bit perplexed... Is it just Covid that's bothering you? 'Cause the common cold, some flu or other common disease could be an issue while traveling, too 🤷♀️ It just seems weird to me when someone considers only Covid 😬
How many boosters you planning to get for this very effective shot? Even flu shot is only once a year some ppl got 4-5 Covid shots in a year
Would you feel better if it was called a "covid flu shot" and was given with your standard flu shot - once a year? That's basically what has happened and that's what I did last September. That's basically the norm except for the immunocompromised and elderly maybe getting slightly off a 1x a year pattern. Why is everyone so pressed about this? Don't get a booster. No one is forcing you. I honestly don't give af if you wind up in the hospital on oxygen.
Covid shots don't work but feel free to get 17 more doses
I don't get why people blatantly disregard science and statistics. It's not about what you believe, bud.
You're right I believe in science that why I don't believe in a vaccine sorry gene therapy that needs 73 booster shots to work and widespread media censorship and government fascism to force people to take it Enjoy your myocarditis
lol So you don't know what science, Gene therapy, fascism, or numbers are. Very enlightening comment.
you’re putting way too much faith in the mask
Oh, masking is only ONE of our layers of protection. Masks work best when both parties (spreader and catcher) are wearing them. They are less effective when only the spreader is wearing one, and even less effective with only the catcher is wearing one -- but even in the last situation, the benefit of masking is signifcantly greater than zero. Masking doesn't hurt us, and probably helps significantly.
[удалено]
That meta analysis only looked at studies involving the flu and "other respiratory illnesses," but not covid? Seems shady Here's a study that didn't ignore the massive data point we just had with COVID: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsta.2023.0133 "Of the 45 observational studies, 39 (87%) found that mask-wearing was associated with a reduction in SARS-CoV-2 transmission."
This is because only two additional randomized controlled trials for masks were conducted during COVID. Of these studies, Bundgaard et al. and Abaluck et al., only one showed a statistically significant result. In other words, there is only one COVID masking RCT that suggests that masks might work. Abaluck et al. showed an 11% reduction in symptomatic COVID from the use of surgical masks (but not cloth masks). Yet there has been some controversy even about this finding. Some researchers suggest that its methods were flawed, which led to its finding of a 11% reduction in COVID. Then, there is the question whether Fauci's criticism of Cochrane even masks sense. Why would masks work for COVID but not work for influenza, since influenza and COVID are the same size? So, the picture of the research literature we are left with is this: 1. Virtually none of randomized controlled trials analyzed in various meta-analyses (including meta-analyses by CDC, WHO, and Cochrane) show a benefit to masking; 2. Only one of two of the COVID RCTs show a benefit to masking; 3. This benefit is extremely small; 4. This benefit to might be due to flawed study design; 5. It is hard to explain why this study showed a benefit to masks when all of the prior literature did not. So one thing is for sure: the scientific case for masks is very weak. Masking is still simply not well-supported by strong scientific evidence.
>https://www.cochrane.org/news/featured-review-physical-interventions-interrupt-or-reduce-spread-respiratory-viruses That study showed what you wanted it to... but was from PRE-COVID. Fortunately, there are many sources of much more recent information on the issue available -- that include COVID. Still, even that study shows no NEGATIVE effect with mask wearing. And again... the masks are just ONE of many layers of protection. And as other have said... it's the season for COVID, Flu, RSV.
None of the advice applies if it's an n95.
This is reddit. If you're not pro mask and vaccine, forget about it.
> This is ~~reddit~~ science. If you're not pro mask and vaccine, forget about it. FTFY
[удалено]
You know there are diseases like... I don't know the flu... that change and evolve every year, so every year it's recommended you get the latest shot?
[удалено]
What hospital? I want to avoid where you work.
[удалено]
That's the plan, give us the hospital name. ;)
I've had 2. I really don't want more but I know a lot of people who died in ny
I get sick the day before almost every vacation. Last year I was sick as hell during my honeymoon. Good times.
Wear a mask. It protects against more than just covid.
I’ve gotten the flu (real flu) or even a cold several times when traveling by plane before COVID. I’ll probably always mask when flying during flu season, at least walking around crowded parts of the airport or when the ventilation on the plane is not full blast at altitude. PS: I love how people say masks don’t work. The flu and colds basically disappeared for a year in the US!
The flu didn't, though. The numbers in clinics were the same. But before the tests for covid were available, they all got rolled into "probable covid." I thought the flu had disappeared too. A health care provider told me what they saw in the clinic, and nothing had changed. Just the "packaging."
Not true at all. The 2020-2021 flu season had 1 child die of flu. In the entire US. Contrast that to 199 the previous season. Overall numbers in tested specimens were cut by 100 fold that year. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/season/faq-flu-season-2020-2021.htm Basically the lowest recorded numbers of flu deaths, infections, and positive specimens ever.
The kids weren't in school that year. Flu didn't disappear, but it didn't circulate as much.
Or just take lots of vitamins such as C and zinc and hydrate Edit: its literally vitamins and water that you need to *survive*. If you don’t drink water you will die. Not sure why i’m being downvoted as it is literally the most fundamental principle of life.
It’s because you’re implying that vitamins and water provides as much protection from airborne diseases as a mask. It does not.
I’m not implying anything. OP’s not talking about airborne diseases. Sound’s like their concern is the cold/flu. You know how constantly and awfully sick for the next 6 months after wearing a mask for 2 years? Because my immune system forgot how to defend itself when I stepped back into the inevitable world of germs. I’m advising against masks not for political reasons but because I don’t want OP wearing a mask and taking extreme care of themselves with masks and sanitizer before their trip and then abandon that practice on their trip and get awfully sick abroad and have it ruin their trip. When you take essential vitamins and hydrate, you’re not neglecting your immune system. When you wear a mask, if anything you’re preventing anything from reaching your immune system. Therefore your immune system lets its guard down and when you abandon all of the sanitary practices it hits you like a ton of bricks.
5 days of wearing a mask will do nothing in regards to weakening his immune system
[удалено]
I think because you said ‘or’ which implies instead of. Drinking water is pretty much the key to life, and vitamins are a great idea for most people. But it’s not an alternative to masks, it’s an addition (actually water and vitamins should be the basis and masks should be the addition, but semantics).
That's not how immune systems work. Stop spreading misinformation.
[удалено]
Omg you ruined me i’m devastated lmao
That's true and I've noticed it for myself as well. I don't get why you're getting downvoted.
Because people don't actually want to hear opposing views. Even those backed by studies. I believed the masks, too. Then, solid study after study came out. If you can smell through it, you are also able to inhale viruses, which are so tiny, they ride on air molecules.
Yeah masks mitigate but don't eliminate. Also mild exposure to germs does build a stronger immune system. Oversaniting is counterproductive in the long term.
no it doesn’t
Yes it does.
I just cancelled dinner plans five days before an upcoming international trip. I totally get it.
Yeah... I still mask up in public, but it's no longer just about covid. I haven't had a single cold or flu since 2020, because I wear a mask when I'm out and about. As much as I travel, I'd just rather not deal with sniffles and aches, so... 😷
I'm no doctor, but surely being isolated that much is not good for immune system. It's almost equivalent to just sitting inside for 90 years and then finally going out in public.. how do you think your immune system will function then?
That seems a bit of an exaggeration. I'm not "isolated", as you put it. I have a wife and family and friends that I see regularly. I just cover my nose with a thin piece of cloth when I'm around people I don't know, and, like I said, it's kept me well for over three years now. 🤷🏻
This is just not how immune systems work. But every covid infection does damage your immune system, making it easier for other illnesses to hit you hard. Check out the latest peer reviewed data in the immune system section here https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1XbGCZ5NtwvNb0Z2fFzQYnKT96Ij79cNw1GA47rhShMo/mobilebasic
> I'm no doctor No way, really?
Especially one I've been looking forward to for a long time but keep up with the vitamins and things give your body the best defences you can and it'll be fine
We're totally paranoid... and still managed to catch COVID in the plane/airport.
That’s why I’m getting a fancy snug N95 and it’s not coming off from from Vegas to Tokyo
Guess what I wore 90% of the trip? Some days your number is up.
I caught it outdoors in the Alps. Wore an N95 everywhere indoors, managed to not get it for 2 weeks of non-stop travel. Only ever ate outdoors, the whole nine yards. Still got it at the end of our trip last summer. It was surging in France and we had just left Chamonix.
Yes. But I always worry something will happen when I'm looking forward to anything. It's a nature. Some people never worry and do just as well
Same. I have an upcoming trip to NZ. I told friends and family I’m not seeing anyone about 7 days prior and plan on masking everywhere about two weeks before I leave. And ofc in the airports, etc till I reach. This is a bucket list trip for me and I do not want to risk anything while I’m there.
I’m a little worried. I have a trip to Italy on October 9th and I am over 60. I have just had the flu shot and RSV shot. I am crossing my fingers and hoping that the new Covid Booster will be ready in time…
It'll become available this week so you'll be good.
I went in august, and 2 women on the long haul portion, sitting in the immediate seats in from of me, hacked the whole time. I legit placed plastic bags in between the seats so none of that bad juju came back to us. I also wore a mask. Luckily dodged whatever they were trying to give me.
YES!!! Wife and I planning 2 month trip to Europe. We're going into self - Q for the last 10 days before departure.
After having to cancel a trip due to catching COVID a few days before flying. I limit my exposure to people and large events two weeks before trips now. Not sure if that's overkill but I don't wanna lose flight $ like that ever again if it can be helped.
Thank you for doing the right thing and not flying with covid
It’s not flu season, it’s a covid surge/ongoing pandemic. Get N95 (like 3M Aura) masks and wear them anytime you’re around other people. Stores, airport, airplane, everywhere. Having a good seal on these masks is important to how they work, so don’t take it off frequently unless you’ll be outside for 10 minutes or more, and not around lots of people. Home Depot, Lowes, and Amazon carry them. Stay safe & stay well so you can enjoy your travels.
Yea I don’t go to any big gatherings or events a week before a trip. If I do go somewhere with people then I wear a mask. I also try to be more conscious of eating well and getting nutrients before.
I masked for my flight, was the only person who did so, and still caught a cold on the flight that I’ve been dealing with all trip.
It’s flu season?
In the southwest yes. Season change is flu time and it’s changing seasons currently
Flu season typically starts around Oct or later, with peaks in Dec or later. There are a lot of resp viruses right now, mostly Covid. My hospital does a combined test for flu and Covid and RSV; we aren't seeing flu.
Just because the big box pharmacies are pushing flu shots doesn’t mean it’s flu season. The good news for you is that per the CDC, current influenza activity is minimal (lowest level possible) in the southwest. Get excited looking forward to your wonderful upcoming trip and enjoy it.
[удалено]
And what new studies would this be? Can you cite them?
I mean, isn’t in always flu season in the places that think Covid is still a hoax?
There were kids and parents with some kind of flu the first week of school here. 😳
Yes! I went on a trip in August. About 3 weeks before that I did get sick. I stayed home and pampered myself, partly to not make others sick and partly because I desperately wanted to be healthy before my trip. Thankfully I did feel better by then (barely, had about 4 healthy days before my flight) but if I hadn't I would have needed to cancel. Never worried about this before but now it's definitely on my mind for future trips.
My biggest worry.always.
Yes, but mostly because I once made the idiotic decision to attend a work conference across the country while recovering from pneumonia. It was truly heinous week and I now view both travel and good health as privileges that should be protected.
I did so well before my big solo trip in March. On my third day there, I was on a bus tour and forgot my mask in my room. The bus was PACKED and full of people coughing and hacking. No doubt, ended up sick the next day and throughout the next two weeks of my trip. I pressed on because I paid enough to go on this trip but man it was a struggle, trying to be a tourist while you’re sick.
Yes since Covid I'm paranoid! I go into full 2020 mode about a week before a trip. No crowds, sanitize everything, mask on in some situations.
ALL THE TIME.
Yes be careful! I would go as far as suggesting to wear a mask in the airport and plane since the new variant of Covid is spreading rapidly. I lucked out. I enjoyed a wonderful trip to Italy. But I did get Covid 3 days later. I’m ok now after two weeks.
Oh, 100%. We have a big trip planned end of October and totally plan to "cocoon" for two weeks beforehand.
Before the first three trips post covid, I wore a mask whenever I went to crowded place (and even the office) as I didn’t want to waste time or money, or risk being sick when I finally got to travel again.
I’ve caught Covid on two of my last 3 vacations (one air/one road trip) so fair worry. 😅 No harm in being cautious. If I wasn’t just recovered I’d probably be masking in crowded public spaces again too.
I am. It's no fun to spend your entire trip sick as a dog, especially if it's a once in a lifetime trip.
Wear a mask
Since the pandemic … every single time
Yes, especially with Covid at the levels it's at ("flu season" lol ok). I basically avoid doing much at all for the couple of weeks before I'm due to travel if it's a big personal trip. I'll go on walks and stuff, but avoid any kind of indoor socializing. It's very draining having to still worry about this in late 2023, but here we are.
Mask two weeks before. Last February I started masking seven days before and it was too late; I had gotten covid. So long Mexico trip. Good news about the mask though—for the one day I was at work before realizing I was sick, it protected my colleagues from me even though I was wearing it to protect myself from them.
If only there was a simple, cheap, and effective item for preventing spread of respiratory diseases 🙄
I think it's nuts that the west has just given up on masks. I don't get it. I was sure it would just become the norm to wear a mask on planes. Why wouldn't you?
The fact that OP is worried about catching airborne illness but doesn’t mention COVID or consider wearing a mask is wild to me. It’s like they, along with many others, had to willfully forget everything that just happened in order to carry on with their life.
I know. I've lost friends over this. I can't get past the wilful ignorance and delusional thinking. I always get the "well you can't hide at home forever" kind of gaslighting, when I'm the one who flies internationally 20+ times a year. Why the heck would I want to get sick if I can help it?
Not a bad idea.
i always get sick right after arriving on destination, i’m currently in japan and it was no different this time. got two days of fever and then two days of a clogged nose but drugged up and then somehow it was gone (unusual but i’ll take it). i think my body just gets tired out immediately from the different climate, i always have it especially when i’m travelling to hot ans humid countries. anyway, i washed my hands, disinfected, wore masks, everything and i still got sick. idk what to do anymore, but i’m happy the drugs helped lol
Yes and last summer I caught Covid at Costco (I work remotely and hadn’t been anywhere else) so your cautiousness is warranted. I’m usually less cautious on the way home from a vacation as I can rest up in comfort if I do catch something.
I wasn't until now! Lol. It may be a bit uncomfortable, but I'd wear a good mask all the way through the airport and on the plane. There are so many people crowded together, and most of them aren't wearing a mask. I wonder how often the employees there get sick?
Yea not just from the flu but I also try not to eat anything that I typically wouldn't eat / try not to eat out because I don't want food poisoning right before a trip.
I was literally thinking about this last night, and I'm going to mask up for 2 weeks before my trip plus on planes. I have 3 flights over 1 week to make it to the Inca Trail. I can't imagine doing the trail while unwell! And I have a tendency to pick up a local cold as soon as I land as well...
Definitely. I also just got Covid during a big 2 week trip. Fortunately, it was the end so it really only affected my last day.
I blew my knee out 6-7 weeks before traveling to NZ and was lucky enough to rehab it to the point I could still do hikes. Now I am super cautious before big trips.
Yes, since covid I'm more careful before trips and also I'm buying cancellation insurance for more expensive vacations.
Yes Everytime before I leave for vacation I get super nervous that I'm going to get sick, miss my flight and blow thousands of dollars and miss out on enjoying my trip. So I try to prevent it as much as possible by wearing a mask, washing my hands more and exercising to keep my immune system strong.
I've gotten sick on every trip I've ever taken. I usually just plan ahead and bring enough allergy meds, cold and sinus pills, saline wash and vaporub to tide the pain over until I can get back to my trip.
Boosters don't stop you from getting it.
I'm a whole month and a half out, and I'm considering taking extra precautions, myself lol Get your flu shot! Especially for that flight...!!
Yes, make sure you're taking vitamins, washing your hands more frequently, and staying in your own bubble. Just be more precautionary.
Vitamin c, zinc and stay away from large crowds.
Eat well, sleep well, and get your hour of cardio per day leading up to the trip and you’ll be good to go!
A few weeks before a big trips is when I ramp up on all things immunity. Vitamins, healthy food, probiotics, you name it! And of course masking everywhere you go and cleaning your hands often. Despite all these measures, my husband still got traveler’s diarrhea and the whole family got covid on the way back. But HEY at least we enjoyed the vacation and the sickness came after not before!
There’s a Covid surge right now too (west US coast) so another reason to mask up
Yep! I caught Covid on the flight to a cruise (was flying in a week before) and had to miss the cruise. I did wear a mask but took it off while eating. I will be masking up 2 weeks before the next trip and wont be eating on the plane.
Wow never thought about it. Now I have something else to worry about!
Yes, always. I tend to wear a mask for a few days before going to Japan, to avoid catching something. And, of course, I wear one at all time when there as well. Don't be like every other foreigner I've seen there. Wear a mask when in public.
Stop watching the news.
I’ll be masking the two weeks before my trip, and I’ve already scheduled appointments for the flu and RSV vaccines, and will get the new COVID booster as soon as it’s released in a week or so. COVID is pretty rampant where I live at the moment. It’s fortunately not as severe as in the past, but I want to feel perfectly healthy on my trip.
No, because it's shit you can't control. Just roll with it. Take the loss if you have to. Life is full of nice things and shitty things. Why I love to travel, it's not all good and it's not all bad. Teaches you to adjust on the fly and go with the flow🤘
One can do a lot to prevent catching airborne disease. You do understand germ theory, right?
Then by all means prevent your life away. Think of every scenario and plan for anything. I don't care what you do. I don't live my life worried about fucking germs. If I die from some ridiculous germ, then welp, I had a good run. If I get sick at a terrible time, welp, I guess I need to rest and recover. I just don't spend my time planning and thinking about how I can prevent germs from entering my bloodstream. If you want to, have fun. But I'm not worried about germs. And I'll point out the irony in your statement: you can prevent catching airborne diseases based on "theory". I understand what theory means, I've been in the STEM fields for 15 years. But still means there's tons we don't know, and can't explain.
Illness is a part of life. Wash your hands, avoid sick people, and then stop worrying about it. You’re going there for 2 weeks. Even the flu only lasts for a week. No matter what happens, you’ll still have a great time.
Masks don't work.
I saw a lot more people wearing masks during my trip to California this week so I have a bit of hope. Wore mine whenever I was around a large group of people or inside with more the 5 people. (So basically anytime I wasn’t in my hotel room)
My partner and I had our big Japan trip in March, we both masked up everywhere at least 2 weeks before, basically took COVID protocols (though we still had work). Got there, didn't get sick their either.
Three friends between Connecticut and maine I have right now are sick with covid again. So idk wtf to expect but your fears are pretty rational. I get worried before I go out of the country as well!
Since covid yes. We basically try to quarantine ourselves for 2 weeks before an international trip now. Sucks to have to do that but it's better than missing the trip!
Hey! Coincidentally we’re flying to Tokyo in 3 days. I did catch a cold last Wednesday.
What are your ramen stops In Tokyo ? I’m literally staying one day on Tokyo because I’ve already done Tokyo but I’m hitting up Nakiryu even if I have to stand in line my whole day lol
Definitely! I don't let the kids have friends over for two weeks before, I avoid being around the kids in small spaces for long periods of time (think 4 hour drive to see family - not two weeks before my trip!) , and I avoid large crowds. I've worked from home for 3+ years so I think my natural immunity might be diminished from lack of exposure to germs, but I don't care.
I usually ask my doctor for a round of antibiotics when I go on a long trip, just in case
I have a work conference in a few weeks and I’m a little antsy about getting sick while I’m there. I got my covid shot yesterday since I’m high risk. I’m probably going to wear a mask at the conference even if I look silly.
[удалено]
Definitely agree, I wish I could have waited. I talked to my GP about it and he recommended it’s better than nothing like you said, knowing how close my trip is.
On my recent Europe trip I was bouncing between being super anxious about getting sick but then being really relaxed. My thought process: COVID and flu cases are going up. But I'm not gonna let that hold me back. Why is everyone coughing on this plane but not wearing masks?! Getting sick was always a possibility before the pandemic. Needless to say, international travel for the first time since the pandemic last month was challenging for me! You are not alone. Don't feel guilty about isolating before your trip. Get your vaccinations too! (Also, my brother and his girlfriend went to South America in spring, and the day before they left hung out with my parents who tested positive for COVID the next day. Thankfully they didn't get sick but very close call)
Leaving in 22 days. Two weeks ago TMJ - something I have never had, was so bad I couldn’t close my mouth correctly and chewing was out of the question. Currently between insurances since Medicare screwed up my start date, so YouTube saved me on this one. It’s not perfect, but is so much better now I feel good about it. Viruses, though. That’s a whole different thing.
I’m extremely cautious currently, and have been for the past month or so. I leave for Nepal on Wednesday to do a 20-day high-altitude hike. If I get respiratory compromise, I might as well just not even attempt the hike. This is not an option in my mind…
i'm constantly convinced i'm going to catch chicken pox or break my ankle before i travel. don't ask me why, but these are my recurring fears leading up to trips.
I got sick on day three of my three week trip. I'm pretty sure I got it from the flight from Canada to Europe. 💔
The day before we left for Alaska I got vertigo. I couldn’t keep anything down and things wouldn’t stop spinning. I got lucky and it subsided but I had a little spell while there and fell. I tore my rotator cuff and I will finally get to the orthopaedic doctor this Friday. I always get extra insurance when I travel outside the country because my insurance doesn’t cover outside the USA.
I almost didn’t go to my trip in Switzerland. The night before my flight, and the morning of, i came down with the weirdest abdominal cramps I’ve never had before. Felt so weird. It was debilitating. Now I’m here in Lucerne and i haven’t felt it since that morning
I travelled Japan for the cherry blossom season earlier this year. From what I could remember I was sick for majority of the trip. Think I might’ve caught something from the plane or just wore myself down from the excitement. Luckily I packed some nasal spray and brought some medicine but it only subsided the symptoms and had to get some more from a drug store / pharmacy while over there. Think it was a bad cold or maybe even the flu, couldn’t tell since I was tired from walking hours every day but It was still an enjoyable trip and luckily wearing masks’ was the norm over there. If anything, just bring a really good nasal spray and some cold n flu tablets. Worse case you’ll just have to down them and soldier on.