Travel Toiletries & Other Coronavirus Travel Tips

The holiday season is here, and with it comes holiday shopping, family dinners, and parties. 2020 has been a distressing year for everyone. With an international pandemic, months of quarantine, a grueling presidential election, and many precious lives lost, it’s understandable to want to spend time with the people that matter in life. It’s important to remember that the Coronavirus pandemic is still at large and every precaution should be taken when assuming the responsibility of traveling this year, including bringing your own travel toiletries and restroom essentials. Whether your chosen mode of transportation is train, plane, or automobile, be sure to follow our health and safety travel tips. 

The Risks of Travel During Coronavirus

Many of us haven’t seen our loved ones all year, and we may be traveling far to do it. Most people are trying to avoid major public transportation such as airports, bus stations, train stations. It’s nearly impossible to socially distance yourself in these areas, and even more so when you’re on a plane, bus, or train. Since Coronavirus can be contracted from the air or on contact surfaces, travel increases your chances of coming into contact with and spreading the virus unknowingly. 

Think about all of the things you touch when traveling on an airliner. You get your ticket from the check-in counter, you grab a bin at the security checkpoint, you may grab a beverage or snack from a concession stand, once onboard you open the overhead bin to place your luggage, once seated you have to buckle your seatbelt, adjust your seatback, and maybe adjust your window cover or tray table. This is all before the plane even takes off. 

Many people recognize this elevated risk and are opting for car, SUV, and RV rentals for their mode of travel. While this decreases most of the exposure to public areas, it doesn’t eliminate it completely. Most rest stops along highways and routes can be contaminated with coronavirus and other health impacts. This is especially true in public restrooms. The provisioned toilet paper, soap dispensers, and hand drying stations can be riddled with bacteria. Microscopic particles of human feces, urine, influenza, and even Coronavirus can all be found on these surfaces. Even the soap itself can be contaminated from improper storage, refilling, and sitting stagnant in an airy, wet environment. 

Hotels, gas stations, restaurants, and fast food places also pose a risk, since it’s almost impossible to know if surfaces have been properly cleaned and sterilized recently. In general, the more areas and surfaces you come into contact with, the more you increase your risk of contracting the virus. Regardless of how you travel, your chances of getting and spreading COVID-19 increase when you leave your home.

Important Health and Safety Measures to Follow

To best protect yourself and your loved ones, the CDC and many other health officials are promoting teleconferencing services for connecting with families and friends during the holidays. Most of us have the technology to do this, and it could help prevent the contraction and spread of Coronavirus from unessential travel. However, if you’re going to travel, you can take precautionary measures to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.