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Should I Cancel my Travel Because of the Coronavirus?

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Dr KK Aggarwal    28 February 2020

In late January, CDC issued a level 3 travel warning, recommending that anyone with nonessential travel plans to mainland China should avoid going there.  But as the outbreak of COVID-19 is now spreading out into other countries, we have more new cases outside China than in China.

South Korea, Italy, and Iran have reported large number of cases, locally spread from person to person. Cases are now being reported from places near these countries as well. As on today, there are over 82,000 documented cases of COVID-19 worldwide, across 48 countries, with over 2,800 deaths.

On 25th February, the number of new cases reported outside China exceeded the number of new cases in China for the first time. The UN health agency estimated the number of new cases in China as 411 on Tuesday and those outside the country as 427.

On 24th February, CDC issued some travel warnings, with a level 3 alert for South Korea and a level 2 alert for people traveling to Italy, Iran, and Japan.

Older adults and those with some chronic medical condition should consider to postpone nonessential travel to Italy, Iran, and Japan, states the level 2 advisory. Anyone who has returned from these countries in the past two weeks and has developed symptoms like fever, cough, or difficulty breathing should seek medical help and inform their doctor about their travel.

Unless the CDC issues a travel advisory for the place you plan to visit, you need not cancel your plans at this time.  But you should, in general, follow a good hygiene practice during your travel. Avoid touching your face with your hands, avoid close contact with sick people, and wash your hands frequently, with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that has 60 percent to 95 percent alcohol.

The World Health Organization advises against implementing travel restrictions during an outbreak, including this one.

Those who are against the travel restriction do so because the fear and economic damage that these restrictions create tends to worsen the situation, making countries more reluctant to report cases. Additionally, they can make people prejudiced toward the residents of affected countries or of their neighbors who belong to those countries.

By the time it becomes apparent that an outbreak has spread, travel restrictions may not help stop it. There is limited data to support the use of travel bans to minimize the spread of MERS, SARS, Ebola, and Zika.

After a certain stage, it becomes more about making efforts to minimize the damage an outbreak causes, and less about preventing it from entering a country.

On Monday, the World Health Organization had declined to declare the outbreak a pandemic as of now, as it noted that some countries appear to have been able to curb the local spread of the disease.

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA

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