Opinion: Don’t Let Your Common Sense Succumb To The Coronavirus

Should you cancel your travel plans with the #coronavirus spreading steadily around the world?

Here's why Bloomberg Opinion columnist Sarah Green Carmichael is going ahead with hers (armed with high-octane hand sanitizer).

Here she writes:

Over the past few days, a limitless supply of articles has tried to answer this question. The problem, though, is that so much about Covid-19 is still unknown. Thus the basic gist of most of this advice is to use common sense: Don’t go to a country experiencing a major outbreak, wash your hands often, don’t touch your face while you’re traveling, and use extra caution if you’re older or have a compromised immune system. (Older smokers may want to be especially careful, since Covid-19 affects the respiratory system.)

I know what the entire internet has to say on this topic because my husband and I have texted approximately all of these articles to each other over the last 48 hours. We are set to celebrate our anniversary with a trip to the French Riviera in a couple of weeks, and the sudden uptick in Covid-19 cases in Europe has sparked a discussion over whether we should cancel.

The U.S. government’s travel advice for Europe is rather blasé. Italy, for example, has been added to the list of countries where travelers should “exercise increased caution” — but its overall travel advisory level remains unchanged. The same is true of Spain, where hundreds of holiday-makers have been confined to a hotel in Tenerife, and France, where there have been a handful of cases and at least two deaths. As far as the government is concerned, terrorism and civil unrest are still bigger threats to U.S. travelers in these countries than the virus.

As for airplanes — those flying Petri dishes — the chances of catching an illness while confined in one are probably less than we fear. On the one hand, yes, you’re crammed into a confined space with a bunch of strangers, but it’s not that different from being in any other crowded, enclosed space, like a subway car or a movie theater. Plus, that recycled air is filtered through a HEPA filter, the International Air Transport Association notes.

Close proximity to sick passengers is the biggest risk factor: If you’re not sitting next to someone sick, you’re much less likely to get sick yourself. (Yes, you can use this column to justify the seat upgrade you’ve been longing for.) Frequent travelers swear by airborne-germ-limiting tactics like shutting off the overhead air vent or choosing a window seat.

But the bigger issue may be the globules of sickness lying in wait on oft-touched surfaces: the handle on the lavatory door, the latch on the tray table, the touchscreen on the seatback in front of you, even the in-flight magazine. The solution is simple: Touch them as little as possible and, if you do touch them, wash your hands with soap and water before you touch your face.

Everyone’s risk tolerance is different, as is everyone’s definition of “non-essential” travel. For me, the French Riviera sounds pretty darn essential. So unless things take a quick turn for the much worse, I think I’ll get on that airplane — armed with high-octane hand sanitizer and a resolution to leave the in-flight magazine untouched. After all, it’s not as if it’s a cruise ship.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel

QUICKTAKE ON SOCIAL:

Follow QuickTake on Twitter: twitter.com/quicktake

Like QuickTake on Facebook: facebook.com/quicktake

Follow QuickTake on Instagram: instagram.com/quicktake

Subscribe to our newsletter

Email us at quicktakenews@gmail.com

QuickTake by Bloomberg is a global news network delivering up-to-the-minute analysis on the biggest news, trends and ideas for a new generation of leaders.