Welcome back to the blog! If you’re here, then you must be a traveler, you must love a good bed and breakfast accommodation (or at least be curious enough to want to stay in one) and you must be wondering what my Covid-19 travel must-haves are. I’ve gone on a few trips since the pandemic started, and I’ll share with you my insights and routine. Let’s get to it.
What extras to bring, compliments of Covid-19?
- First and foremost is the ever so hot topic of 2020…you guessed it, masks. Since we’ve been fighting this pandemic now for 6 months, masks are everywhere! And masks for various activities are one of my necessities. I suggest you make it a necessity in your world. I work in a hospital and wore a mask most of the time pre-pandemic, so I know how important it is to be comfortable when wearing If it’s the wrong mask, it’ll drive me crazy and I’ll not be fully engaged. So, take the time to figure out what is right for you. Since everyone with a sewing machine and their mother are making/selling masks I encourage you to get a bunch in different styles and fabrics. Each time I traveled this year I brought along different types to cover all my needs. There are options for everyone in every environment: ear loops, tiebacks, cloth, medical-grade, thin and breathable fabric for hot weather, water-resistant for rain showers.
- Second and third necessities in my travel gearbox, hand sanitizer, and wipes. There’s been discussion lately about how much disinfectant wiping is needed. And for guidance, I refer you to the CDC. Personally, I bring them, always. As soon as I get in my car, a squirt of sanitizer. The rental car and hotel room? I grab some wipes and get to getting’ before I take any personal items in. I wipe all hard surfaces, remotes, light switches, and handles, knobs, gears, don’t forget the curtain rods and HVAC buttons. It literally takes a few minutes to complete this task. Don’t skimp on extra precautions. Cleaning crews are on their game these days, but we’re all human and have the potential to miss something. A bonus layer of precaution I take is to spray the fabric surfaces with Lysol (optional).
I cannot stress this enough, make COVID precautions a travel ROUTINE!
It can be hard at first but hopefully, by now you already have a routine for procurement of your everyday essentials and venturing out into the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, if not, start NOW, it’s not too late. And carry that routine over when you leave town. You can vacation and travel safely during the pandemic.
Cross-contamination and airborne precautions are a completely new experience for the general population. They sound scary, but they don’t have to be. And, lucky for you dear reader, I’m not most people. The hospital environment I work in has uniquely situated me to notice and avoid cross-contamination.
My secret? The mental note.
When I first began to work with sterile instruments and equipment, I’d make a mental note about which hand/hands were clean. So as not to touch them to any non-sterile surface. Applying this
to the pandemic, which hand/hands are “dirty.” As I pump gas, grocery shop, or I’m out in the community, I notice. A small mental note. And when I get back to my car or finish pumping gas, before entering, I get a shot of hand sanitizer. I keep it right in my car door so it’s staring out at me when open. Some like to keep the germs off their hands completely using gloves or a barrier. Not necessary unless the hand sanitizer messes with your skin. But if that’s your deal, great. Be mindful that the glove is now dirty. Getting back into your car with the gloves on then removing them after you’ve turned your car on, touched the wheel, adjusted the thermostat cross contaminates your clean hands that were under those gloves. Be mindful.
Routine is so important when you want the best outcome. The absolute number one reason you should have a COVID routine is that it helps ensure you take the precautions needed every single time you step out of your house and that you do them well. Making these things a routine gives you a certain amount of control, and if you are travel shy during these times, you can drastically reduce your exposure with a good routine. Life doesn’t have to stop while waiting for a vaccine if we all make some good changes to our routine.
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Author
Lisa Brooks
Superpowers include an eye for spotting cross-contamination