Knock on wood, I haven’t contracted Covid-19 but I do know that if you do while traveling, it’s going to, at a minimum, throw a large wrench into your plans. Thanks to reader Martha D for writing this tip about what she learned from getting the virus while on the road. And if you’re traveling internationally, be sure to see Christina Bernstein’s tips on what it’s like for an American to test positive for COVID while visiting Paris.
From Martha:
“I’m triple-vaxxed but recently had the misfortune of testing positive for Covid the day after a flight to the Midwest to see my family. Not only did I need to isolate and extend my stay, but my husband, who tested negative at the time, was at risk for contacting Covid, too, potentially extending our isolation period for much longer.
I learned a few things along the way. Here are a few tips:
1. You’re not allowed to fly for 10 days after you come down with Covid. Don’t be a jerk and do it anyway. This is how the disease spreads rapidly. So – we decided to drive home in a rental car instead of waiting ten days.
2. Make sure you always travel with extra days of any important medications.
3. Consider your carry-on bag as your emergency kit. I travel frequently so I keep mine packed in the basement with five days of extra prescription meds, first aid supplies, a set of socks and underwear (in case of lost luggage), charging cables, an empty water bottle, a flashlight, pen, a small first aid kit.) It can also serve as your “go bag” in case of fire, emergency evacuation, hospital visit, too.
4. If you travel a lot, an annual travel insurance policy can be money well spent. We ended up driving home from Michigan to California and the cost of the extra days of lodging, car rental, meals, gas was well over $4000!
5. Airlines are giving travel credit right now, so make sure you cancel any flights promptly.
I’m now home and safe after driving 2500 miles across the country. I wore an N-95 mask around my husband and he stayed healthy. I hope your readers don’t need this information, but fortunately, we were well-equipped to deal with the problem.
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Thanks for these tips, Martha. I keep a similar carry-on bag ready to go and I too have an annual travel insurance plan (from Allianz).
