Wellness
What to know about travel and COVID-19
The global travel industry
has been in
turmoil since the
outbreak of COVID-19
in December 2019.
Many would-be travelers,
including business
travelers and vacationers,
canceled
previously planned
trips or delayed future
travel plans in the
hopes of reducing their
risk of catching a virus
that CNN estimated
had claimed more than
4,000 lives across the
globe between December
2019 and mid-March
2020. According to estimates
from the Global
Business Travel Association,
business travel
revenue loss totaled
$820 billion across the
globe through the first
week of March 2020.
The International
Air Transport Association
estimated that
global airlines stood to
lose $113 billion in sales
if the coronavirus continued
to spread, a decline
in sales that the
industry has not experienced
since the global
fi nancial crisis of 2008.
That loss in revenue
has led many airlines
and cruise lines to decrease
prices in an effort
to entice more people
Metro Creative Connection
to travel. However,
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
note that travel could
be dangerous, particularly
for people with
underlying health conditions
Why the fl u shot is so important in 2020
COURIER L 16 IFE, SEPT. 18-24, 2020
who intend to
take cruises.
As of March 2020,
the CDC was recommending
that travelers
who fit that criteria
defer all cruise ship
travel. Cruises place
vast numbers of people
in frequent and close
contact with each other,
conditions that can promote
the spread of respiratory
viruses like
COVID-19.
The CDC notes that,
due to the way air is circulated
and fi ltered on
airplanes, most viruses
and other germs do not
easily spread on airplanes.
However, those
who want to err on the
side of caution should
discuss travel with their
physicians, including
whether or not it’s benefi
cial to delay unnecessary
travel plans until
the threat of COVID-19
is minimized.
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Connection
Millions of people across
the globe get fl u shots
each year. Flu shots
protect people against infl uenza,
but they might provide
even greater benefi ts in 2020.
As the world continues to
confront the outbreak of the
COVID-19 virus, it’s imperative
that people everywhere
take every step necessary to
protect themselves and others.
The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention notes
that a fl u vaccine will not protect
people against COVID-19.
However, fl u vaccines have
been shown to reduce the
risk of illness related to the
fl u. Those illnesses weaken
people’s immune systems,
making them more vulnerable
to other viruses, including
COVID-19.
Flu vaccines have also
been shown to reduce the
risk of hospitalization. That’s
a signifi cant benefi t of being
vaccinated, as people who get
their fl u shots can indirectly
help hospitals conserve potentially
scarce resources.
As the COVID-19 virus rapidly
spread late in the winter
of 2019-20, many hospitals
across the country and even
the globe were stretched incredibly
thin. So anything ordinary
citizens can do to alleviate
such burdens can help
save lives while also making
hospital workers’ jobs easier
and less stressful.
Many people may be concerned
about going out and
getting a flu shot in 2020.
However, the CDC notes that
getting a flu shot in 2020
is an essential part of protecting
your health and the
health of your family. Many
doctor’s offices are now insisting
patients wait in their
cars until doctors are ready
to see them, and masks may
be required when entering
the doctor’s office. Such measures
can reduce the risk of
getting the COVID-19 virus
when visiting a doctor’s office
for a flu shot or another
visit, so patients should not
be hesitant to receive their
vaccinations in 2020. Patients
can follow such protocols
even if their doctors are
not insisting they do so. The
same safety measures can
be followed by people who
intend to get their flu shots
from neighborhood pharmacies.
Flu shots are vital to individual
and public health every
year, but the importance of being
vaccinated in 2020 is heightened
as the world continues to
confront the outbreak of the
COVID-19 virus.
— Metro Creative Connection