Tips for Traveling in COVID19 Times with a Compromised Immune System
In late May, as talk of opening up the economy began, I started to think of my mother and her primary caregiver; my father. They both need my support and assistance as they face the challenges of a serious chronic illness, so I told my husband it was time for a trip.
As a planner, I took a week to think through the process of travelling across five (some large) states. There was uncertainty, curfews and shutdowns. I learned from my actual experiences and think others might appreciate my travel tips given their own compromised health status.
1. Hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes were keep in the car during the entire two and a half weeks. Since disinfecting wipes were missing from all store shelves or online, I made my own by pouring two tablespoons of rubbing alcohol into a package of baby wipes that we had in our personal disaster supplies. I already had non-alcohol based hand sanitizer due to naturally dry skin, and was pleased to learn my hands never burned or dried out even with the frequent use.
2. Gas stations, hotels and even restaurant meals (after a long day of driving) are often part of any road trip. My husband and I wore masks and used hand sanitizer and/or disinfecting wipes each time we returned to the car after pumping gas, using touchscreens, dining-in/taking-out, visiting a bathroom and checking in/out of the hotel. I paid close attention to the steering wheel, key, gear shift, door handles and my cell phone. We only used credit for more touchless encounters and wiped cards, as appropriate.
3. We were strategic in planning our route given some state and local orders/hot spots. Arizona had an 8:00 pm curfew, so we left early to make sure we could get through the state before that time. Gallup, New Mexico was a hot spot on our route, so we planned to only drive through. On the way back, we avoided Houston, Texas — a larger geographic hot spot with sometimes unpredictable traffic.
3. To me, stops for food and drink aren’t essential. Healthy snacks, lots of water (since we did cross deserts and remote areas) and various drinks were packed. We also had supplies for making sandwiches in the car to keep up with our planned timeline and eliminate some stops (and contact with others). In addition, I had one all inclusive meal that could be prepared in a hotel room microwave in case we encountered any unexpected challenges in the communities we stayed.
Note: Free breakfast buffets in hotels don’t exist currently and some don’t even have coffee/tea stations. However, one hotel along the way did offer their on the go breakfast bags upon request. The good news is hotel prices seem to be lower.
4. We started the trip with a supply of N95 masks from our disaster supplies. These quickly proved to be very uncomfortable in hot and/or humid environments — which there were many. By this time, cloth masks were increasingly available and a cousin even made a couple for my arrival. My husband and I wore our masks every time we encountered other people or inside spaces. The exceptions were my parents and a couple of close family members who were also social distancing.
Finding masks along the way was easier over time, however my head may be smaller than the average person and most are two ply. Once I got to my moms house I tacked the ear loops for a shorter and snug fit. I also stuck a microfiber cloth (used to clean glasses and found in my glove compartment) inside of my primary mask for added protection.
Note: After reviewing research on the best face mask cloth, I rounded up all of the microfiber cloths from around the house that were collected at conferences or provided with each new pair of glasses. These will be added to all new masks.
5. The trip was to my home state of Louisiana and most of our time was with my parents in a rural area, so social distancing was pretty easy. However, it just wouldn’t be a real trip home if I couldn’t have a little fun and I needed to see a couple of close family members in the New Orleans area.
New Orleans was just coming out of its designation as a COVID19 “hot spot”, so I had some concerns. We avoided crowds and the typical tourist spots. We found that most places had plenty of space between tables and outside seating. Other places were pretty empty, so we were really pleased to be able to support them. We also found that that going a little earlier or later than prime times helped limit our exposure to others.
6. There were people who chose not to wear masks during our travels and we just stayed away from them. They weren’t our priority. Getting home to my family was my priority.
7. Adapting to a more non-typical trip home resulted in a few more roads less traveled. One unexpected example was our time on the North Shore of Lake Pontchatrain — on the other side of the lake from New Orleans. The slower pace, seeing the development and sharing memories from childhood made me realize what a rut I had been in for the past several years. During my next trip home, I plan on getting off the beaten path and social distancing a bit more — with or without a pandemic.
Since COVID19 will likely be with us for several more months, not all travel can be prevented. Even limited travel around town comes with risk. So, my most important tip is to think through your trip and identify the activities with greater risk or where you will come into contact with others. Then specifically plan to minimize the risks and limit unnecessary contact with others … or the places they have been. And, plan for the unexpected.
Originally published at https://thielst.typepad.com.
