While traveling is strongly discouraged for the holidays, many people will still be going away from home for the Thanksgiving holiday. HSHS Hospital wants you to know the risks of travel if you do go out and some tips to keep yourself safe when you are traveling. Any type of traveling puts you at risk of the disease but there are ways to keep yourself safer. 

Find out how active COVID-19 is at for your destination. The more cases there are the higher your chance of getting the infection. If you or someone you live with is thinking of visiting people that are more prone to get the virus such as older people, smokers, pregnant women, and others with underlying conditions, you should consider them before traveling.

You should also check into local regulations as well. Some states require you to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival. The CDC has a full list of websites with information on each state/country. HSHS along with the CDC has released information on risk from levels being lowest to highest. 

Lowest risk is short trips by car with no stops along the way. More risk is longer trips with one or more stops, higher risk is trips with people not in your household or direct flights, and highest risk is flights with layovers and trips on a cruise ship or a riverboat.

Before you leave for your trip make sure you bring extra masks, a sealable plastic bag to store wet or dirty masks, hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, and sanitizing wipes. Finally, always wear a mask in public, stay at least 6 feet from others, wash your hands often, avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes, and bring your own road food as much as you can. 

For more information visit the CDC website which you can find by clicking here.