What Travelers Need to Know About Wuhan Coronavirus

“Wuhan Pneumonia” is a new strain of illness that poses a threat to travelers. We strongly recommend that you monitor the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) website, particularly if you are flying to China. This post is to focus on what travelers need to know about Wuhan Coronavirus.

Latest information about the Wuhan Coronavirus

• China has quarantined over 20 million people in 3 cities near the center of the Coronavirus outbreak (Wuhan, Ezhou & Huanggang)
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• Transportation in and out of Wuhan has been closed including flights, trains, subways & buses. Some news outlets also show roads being closed.
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• A vaccine is being worked on, but could take at least 3 months before its would be ready for human testing according to officials.
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• The situation is evolving with new information coming out often several times per day.
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• The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a statement that the new virus generally presents a low risk to U.S. citizens, but the agency is conducting the screenings at major airports as a precaution.

What is Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Examples of other coronaviruses were SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome,) & MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome.) This new virus strain is causing an outbreak of respiratory illnesses. It started in the city of Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, sometime in early December 2019, with Chinese officials now reporting hundreds of cases in the city of Wuhan. Cases have also been reported in other countries including 1 in the U.S., a person that had just traveled to Wuhan. It is expected many more cases will be confirmed. It appears to be highly contagious. Symptoms include cough, fever, fatigue & difficulty breathing.

What Can Travelers do to Protect Themselves?

The CDC is advising travelers to practice enhanced precautions. Again they stated the risk is low in the U.S., but there are some preventive measures you can take.

• Travel with disinfecting wipes. I always travel with Clorox wipes & a travel size Lysol spray. From airplane trays, arm rests & seat belt buckles, to door jams, remotes & telephones in my cabin or hotel room, disinfecting is the first thing we do.
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• Have hand wipes. Antibacterial wipes such as Germ-Away for example, are also part of our travel routine. If you don’t have wipes, at least carry hand sanitizer.
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• If you are flying on a plane and want peace of mind, consider taking a face mask with you since viruses can be spread through coughing and sneezing. It is flu season here in the U.S., so why not have it available just in case?
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• Visit a doctor before you travel to another country. Talk to them about vaccines & medications recommended for your destination.
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• Monitor travel warnings & alerts from the US Department of State.
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• We always recommend having travelers insurance that includes medical evacuation coverage.

Related: Preventing Norovirus Infection While Traveling on a Cruise

Final thoughts…in 2003, the SARS outbreak took over 800 lives across Asia & had a huge financial impact on China’s economy. With it’s impact in mind, China and countries around the world have taken much quicker action this time around by implementing screening at major airports and now shutting down non-emergency travel into Wuhan.

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