With their eyes set on summer, which is about to begin in the northern hemisphere, many citizens are wondering if it is safe to travel in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. Now that in Spain the de-escalation of confinement has begun, there are those who argue that local tourism will be the main choice of users when choosing their holiday leisure. But, with the rapidly evolving situation, it is difficult to make plans. What will the situation be like in a month or two? Will it be safe to travel? Is it appropriate to take a plane or train, or is it preferable to use a private vehicle?
Asked about this question, the microbiologist Guillermo Quindós Andrés, belonging to the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology of the Faculty of Medicine and Nursing of the University of the Basque Country, guides Very Interesting on a series of parameters that every traveler who is traveling propose to enjoy a vacation on the beach or in the mountains, aboard a plane, a train or a car.
The first and fundamental advice is to discard any type of trip if we feel bad. Guillermo Quindós alludes to responsibility: “If we have a fever, dizziness, cough or respiratory distress, we must avoid traveling and stay at home, not only for safety, but also for solidarity with others.”
Regardless of this question, if we are healthy people, we do not have to avoid travel, as long as we do it with common sense: “With due precautions, it is good that we try to maintain leisure, contact people, and relax from the job strain and the stress of the pandemic. But, on the other hand, we should not forget that there is still (and probably will continue) there is a trickle of contagions ”, warns the microbiologist.
When the time comes (and the authorities allow it), if our desire is to go to a coastal area or a rural destination, we can take the car with our family and enjoy a few days of rest, applying the same precautionary measures that we would take to This is done if we stay in our homes: maintaining social distancing from people who are not from our family nucleus, washing our hands a lot, avoiding touching our faces and using masks (mainly surgical or, if we want to contaminate less, reusable hygienic ones according to UNE0065 regulations ).
Recommendations for traveling by train or plane
But it can also happen that we do not have a private vehicle, that we do not want to rent one, or that the destination of our holidays cannot be accessed by road (because it is an island or long distances). In cases where it is necessary to take a flight or train, we may have doubts as to whether it is the most prudent thing to do, given the circumstances.
As Quindós recalls, the vast majority of infections occur in closed spaces ; However, traveling by plane or train, obviously, can be done, but according to reasonable security measures, and the rules of each company.
It depends on the regulations, on some trips it will be necessary to leave seats free and, surely for the next few months, the use of masks will be mandatory throughout the trip. “The safest places, both on a train and on an airplane, are usually the window seats , which are more isolated from those in the aisle. In addition, when using the bathrooms, or when we touch things that many people have touched, you have to maintain elementary hygiene, wash your hands … but carry out these measures with a little more firmness than usual ”, recommends Quindós .
“ Where it is most difficult to maintain a safe distance on flights ; risk, no matter how much you take action, always exists. Unfortunately, in airplanes, they always pose a risk for any type of pathogen ”, the expert continues to explain.
But there is good news : “If the plane complies with the air cooling obligations, very effective filters that usually filter 95 to 99% of the particles in the air. Therefore, from that point of view, the air that we are going to be breathing is relatively safe ”, says the microbiologist.
Recommendations for beaches, pools and lakes
For those who fear catching the coronavirus on the beach through grains of sand, on which a positive person could have sat minutes before, Quindós’s opinion is that it is “ practically impossible . For a contagion to occur, the sand would have to be contaminated with a high amount of virus.
As a complement to his opinion, Begoña Ayo, from the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, from the Faculty of Science and Technology of the University of the Basque Country, reminds us: “The grains of sand are under the action of the Sun, which exerts two important effects: ultraviolet radiation and heating. UV radiation deactivates viruses by causing irreparable damage to their genetic material ”.
Do you have to wear a mask on the beach? Well, the same thing happens as in parks and outdoor places: as long as the authorities recommend it, yes; in the case of Spain, yes, as long as a safety distance of one to two meters cannot be guaranteed. In addition, in many beaches, a capacity limit already applies, and possibly will continue to apply.
Continuing with possible doubts from bathers, regarding whether it is possible to become infected at sea, Begoña Ayo responds thus: ” It does not seem easy: there should be a very high amount of virus in the sea, and this is very difficult for it to happen.”
Guillermo Quindós complements his answer: “Although we know that the virus does not penetrate the skin, we could think that an eventual contagion is possible because the virus, potentially present in water, can enter through the mucous membranes of the face. . But coronaviruses need living human cells to multiply and increase in number and they do not find this appropriate ecological environment in seawater. ” The latter would also apply to lakes, rivers and natural backwaters.
“Apparently, this type of virus is better maintained in the presence of salt water than fresh water , that is, it is possible that the salt in sea water has a protective effect against virus particles. But in seawater there are other factors that can influence the maintenance of viruses. For example, in seawater there are abundant microscopic particles to which viruses attach themselves, thus sinking to the sediment at the bottom. There are also natural microorganisms in seawater, bacteria and protists, which produce enzymes that are capable of degrading viruses and inactivating them ”, adds Begoña.
In any case, if we want to avoid a possible (although, we insist, difficult) contagion in the water, Javier Garaizar, of the Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UPV / EHU, recalls something fundamental: “In In the case of rivers and wetlands for recreational use, a fundamental factor is to ensure the absence of wastewater that could carry viral particles with infective capacity ” . Remember that the coronavirus can survive in urine and feces for a few hours, and if the wastewater that is expelled into rivers is not well filtered, there could be a certain margin of viral contamination.
Regarding swimming pools, Guillermo Quindós reminds us that this class of systems are conveniently disinfected with chlorine , and that there is no evidence that the virus that causes COVID-19 can be transmitted to people through water in swimming pools, hot tubs, spas or play areas with water.
Conclution
Travel by train, plane, personal vehicle … are not advised against by the experts, as long as the legality of each country, regulations of the transport company and recommendations of the authorities, such as the use of masks; and, on the other hand, the common sense and responsibility of each traveler, who must keep the measures of responsibility and, above all, stay home if they feel ill.
Regarding leisure, it is very important to take extreme measures in closed places , which is where most infections occur: bars, discos, cinemas, theaters, restaurants … And, on the contrary, it is recommended to frequent places outdoors , such as parks, and even beaches, as long as we respect the safety distance.
In times of COVID-19, responsible vacation leisure is possible. It all depends on the responsibility and common sense of the traveler.
