sf7307

We have never in our lives based or changed travel plans based on a perceived threat such as the coronavirus. We went to Israel a month after the Tel Aviv airport massacre - the entire country was under threat. We went to Turkey DURING the Tahrir Square "threat" (not really one at all). But we were about to start planning a trip to India for the fall, and find ourselves holding off until we know the extent of the threat. Not sure where we'll go if we decide to scuttle that trip.

hetismij2

I just booked the ferries to and from the UK for end of April for my brother's birthday bash. One is an overnight ferry, the other Dover-Calais where there is a very fast turnaround.
We'll see what happens.

gmoney

Has anyone here ever changed their travel plans because of the flu? If not why would you change due to corona.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/heal...019-vs-the-flu

Similarities: COVID-19 and the Flu

Symptoms

• Both cause fever, cough, body aches, fatigue; sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.
• Can be mild or severe, even fatal in rare cases.
• Can result in pneumonia.

Deaths:

COVID-19: Approximately 2,770 deaths reported worldwide; 0 deaths in the U.S., as of Feb. 26, 2020.

Flu: 291,000 to 646,000 deaths worldwide; 12,000 to 61,000 deaths in the U.S. per year.

I'm really not getting why people are so concerned over this virus, compared to the flu it is nothing.

gruezi

It’s the post trip quarantine people are concerned about. Especially those who work or have other obligations in the community.

hetismij2

Yes I think it is the risk of being stuck in quarantine, either during or post trip which is putting people off, plus sites being closed because of it.
I can understand people with existing health problems being nervous about it as well.

mlgb

And maybe that sites and public gatherings will be closed or cancelled.
And maybe that any sign of a fever or cough gets you "special treatment". Has anyone noticed that if you cough or sneeze, everyone backs away!

I was in Ecuador when H1N1 broke out, and no cough remedies were allowed to be sold in pharmacies. I was told if I needed any of that type of treatment, that I had to travel to the main hospital in Quito and be tested first! I knew it wasn't flu, so had to make do with hot drinks, salt water gargles and hot showers for a few days.

xcountry

Having wasted the last few days of a trip to Europe trying to find a way home (Brussels airport bombing) I would add that airport closures and cancelled flights can ruin a vacation while you are on it.

cdnyul

We are f@#$%d.
If prayer doesn't work for this guy what hope is there for the rest of us?

https://nationalpost.com/news/world/...e-vatican-says

hetismij2

Being so cheerful keeps you going doesn't it cdnyul?
The Pope was already snuffly before he met the crowds. He has a cold probably. What he almost certainly (99.99999%) doesn't have is Covid-19. Given his age and the numbers of strangers he meets and greets it isn't surprising that he gets the occasional cold or other lurgy.

mrwunrfl

>>Has anyone here ever changed their travel plans because of the flu? If not why would you change due to corona.

Answers to your two questions:
1) Not me. I get the flu vaccine every year.
2) There is no vaccine yet for the CV.

cdnyul

<<Being so cheerful keeps you going doesn't it cdnyul?>>

Yes it does, but "tongue-in-cheek" would be a more appropriate description.

Has everybody forgotten to take their dicyclomine tablet?

Dukey1

I'm beginning to get offers from Italian hotel chains about special deals, etc. Apparently the cancellations have been numerous.

danon

not only that, but the virus is still mutating
Comparison to the flu is silly.

sugarmaple

This morning my sister postponed her Insight tour to Italy to next year. She was due to leave in March.

sunbum1944

A friend of mine had a hiking trip to Nepal scheduled. Tour operator has cancelled the trip.

danon

La Semana Santa in Spain is starting in just five weeks ..
followed by Easter.
Also , the beginning of Ramadan is on April 23rd..
Hard to see the festivities going on as usuL.

Dukey1

"...while Mr. Trump blamed Democrats and cable news channels for overstating the threat."

Guenmai

Agreed. And also the possibility of being quarantined in a foreign country and not knowing under what kinds of conditions that quarantine situation would be run.

While I was in Asia and dealing with this situation and casually talking with other folks on vacation in the region, folks were not only hoping to not get infected by Wuhan Virus, but also if infected the concern was about where they might be quarantined, how those quarantine centers/hospitals were being run, if they had meds from home and were being held in a foreign country under quarantine and then ran out of their meds, how they would be replaced, and then after being released out of an overseas quarantine situation, will there be flights to get home and after getting home will one's own country enforce a second quarantine for another 14 days.

I was around a lot of folks while in Asia for 6 weeks and such was being discussed before it was really being discussed here in the U.S. as while in Asia, I was also following the U.S. news along with watching local Asian news on the ground and at that time there was only one reported U.S. case which was being reported that it was in Washington state.

I can totally understand why folks would postpone trips to another time as the Wuhan virus situation gets more chaotic. In my case, I had no choice as I was already in Asia when it all broke out so for those of us already there, there was a different focus regarding how to deal with the situation. And as for the flu, yes more people come down with the flu than Wuhan virus, but how many people end up quarantined for the flu? Plus, there's no Wuhan virus shot like with flu shots even though flu shots are not a 100% guarantee of not getting the flu.

Happy Travels!

Pegontheroad

I'm planning a trip to Nerja, Spain, to study Spanish for a month, with a side trip to Alcoy for the Moros y Cristianos festival for three days. It didn't occur to me to cancel the trip until I saw that Gonzaga U is canceling its study abroad in Florence this year.

I tend to think I'll go anyway. But that could change.

So Trump blames the Dems and cable news. Anybody surprised?

Pegontheroad

Oh, the trip starts on April 21 and will last until May 20.