Coronavirus | Traveler Safety
Coronavirus is one of the deadliest virus outbreaks that has happened in China and has started spreading to other countries and traveler safety is important to take note of and stop the spread. With the increasing cases of the Wuhan coronavirus victims across the globe, there is a lot of fear among travellers especially tourists that are in fear of catching the infection/disease as they travel to and from their safari destinations in the different continents across the globe.
Well, the unfortunate thing is that the coronavirus is real and you can easily get it from someone who is suffering from the disease or carrying the virus. And it’s for that reason that different safety guidelines from several health bodies including the World Health Organisation and Centre for disease control among others, have been issued to help keep you safe from contracting the virus or rather reduce the chances of exposure to the virus or decrease the rate at which the disease/virus is being transmitted from person to person.
The guidelines mainly focus on self-protection, hand and respiratory hygiene and safe food practices that include but not limited to:-
- Avoiding close contact with individuals that are sick especially with signs and symptoms of a cold and fever. This may feel inhumane but for your own safety, you will need to deliberately make a choice to not stand or sit near a sick person or one exhibiting signs of sickness so that you don’t rick chances of contracting any virus or disease from them. Not the sick person may not be carrying the Coronavirus but you would rather be safe than sorry.
- Don’t touch your or your child’s eyes, nose or mouth with unclean or unwashed hands especially if you have been going through transits, checkpoints and several areas where you have come in contact with other people. You should clean your hands first before you touch your eyes, nose and mouth.
- You should purpose to wash your hands more frequently than usual with soap or alcohol-based hand rub and water, scrub them for not less than 20 seconds. This will help kill any germ or disease-causing agent you have picked up along the way.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or a flexed elbow when you are coughing or sneezing. If you have used a tissue dispose of the tissue immediately and after washing your hands with soap.
- If you have a fever, cough or feel any illness especially with difficulty of breathing while you travel, you should seek medical attention at your next pit stop. Also in informing your travel agent and health care provider as soon as possible.
- When you are visiting places that are suspected or are currently experiencing cases of the coronavirus, always avoid direct contact with live animals and make sure you wash up with soap after your visit to the market to kill off all germs that you may have picked up from the market.
- Avoid consumption of raw or uncooked or undercooked food especially animal and dairy products
- If you have recently travelled to China or any of the countries confirmed with the Novel coronavirus and you become ill please inform the concerned authorizes and avoid contact with other people until you are cleared virus free.
- Above all protect yourself and others from getting ill.
The Novel Coronavirus is a mysterious virus that was first detected in China and is part of a bigger family of coronaviruses that cause illness characterised by common colds and fevers that progress to severe respiratory diseases or syndromes. WHO says that the novel coronavirus is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been seen before in people.
A person infected with the virus will have among other symptoms the following symptoms.
- fever
- cough
- cold
- shortness of breath
- difficulties in breathing
This signs and symptoms may progress in some cases to cause pneumonia, kidney failure and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Infection from this virus is fatal and if not attended to in the first moments of exhibiting symptoms, you can die.
There is no cure currently for this disease but the world health organisation and other health organisations are working tirelessly to contain the disease however the best way to stop it as of now is the keep yourself from catching it.
