When the weather outside is cold, the holidays are over and you have to travel for whatever reason, you realize just how bitter and oppressive winter is. What’s more, this time of year is prime cold and flu season, and it’s very easy to catch the funk while you’re traveling. Whether you’re getting on a bus, subway train or plane, there are more ways to catch the flu than you could count.
Here are our top tips for staying flu-free while traveling this season.
If you’re sitting within three feet of someone who is coughing and hacking like they have the flu, it’s a good chance that you’ll contract the disease from them. The best way to deal with a nearby passenger who is coughing and showing flu symptoms is to make sure you keep your mouth and nose covered with a medical mask or a thick, heavy scarf of some kind.
Additionally, make sure you don’t touch any shared surfaces, and avoid touching your hands to your face. Bring some hand sanitizer with you, and wash your hands frequently.
If you don’t already, take care to travel with a medical mask in your things. This way, if you think someone around you could be sick, you can put the mask over your face to prevent the airborne pathogen from getting into your system. Another important anti-flu item to have on hand is a tube of antibacterial gel or hand sanitizer, which will help you wash away any pathogens you may inadvertently touch.
If you can at all help it, try to get the window seat on a plane, bus or train. The aisle seats tend to collect the most germs due to people constantly touching the tops and sides of the seat as they walk through the aisle. If you can, take the window seat so you’re as far as possible from the common space. This also reduces the number of people that are sitting near you, as you’re closer to the wall than other passengers.
Hopefully these tips will help you make it out of this flu season without so much as a sniffle!
