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Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Adventure in the Age of COVID-19

New Updates


(Updated 04/06/2022)

U.S. entry requirements

The U.S. government has changed requirements to enter the U.S. based on citizenship / residence and vaccination status. All travelers 2 and older entering the U.S. must provide their contact information within 72 hours of departure and a negative COVID-19 test. Travelers must also sign an attestation form confirming they meet U.S. entry requirements or will not be allowed to board the plane.


(Updated 04/21/2021)
The Digital Green Certificate proposed by European Commission will have three certificates included within it including:

Vaccination certificates, stating brand of the vaccine used, data and place of inoculation and number of doses administered.
Negative test certificates (either a NAAT/RT-PCR test or a rapid antigen test like [12]). Self-tests will be excluded for the time being.
Medical certificates for people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the last 180 days.


Figure 1.  Covid-19 test sensitivity—Rapid Test (or Lateral Flow Test) vs PCR Test


Of course, it goes without saying that:
If you decide to hit the roads or to fly the skies, mask up, keep your distance and, most importantly, stay safe.

In this article, we will cover the important things to check before your next trips in the age of COVID-19:[1]

  1. Where do you want to go?
    • Are your destination countries opened for tourism?  Any restrictions? 
  2. What will happen when you come back?
    • Be prepared to stay at home for 14 days upon your return to the state if required
Finally, we will discuss the best- and wors-case immunization forecasts.  Based on it, we probably can say that the COVID-19 won't be fully tamed within 3 years (or even longer).

Updated Information for Travelers (CDC; retrieved on 04/24/2021)

Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread COVID-19. However, international travel poses additional risks and even fully vaccinated travelers are at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading new COVID-19 variants.

CDC recommends delaying international travel until you are fully vaccinated.

If you are fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine:
  • You should continue to follow CDC’s recommendations for traveling safely and get tested 3-5 days after travel.
  • You do NOT need to get tested before leaving United States unless your destination requires it.
  • You do NOT need to self-quarantine after arriving in the United States.


Where do you want to go?


Many locations, especially abroad, will not be thrilled to see you, as evidenced by the lack of international destinations Americans are allowed to visit right now. While the list is ever-changing, you can get insight about countries you may want to visit from the State Department.  

Some countries may require you to fill in a passenger locator form. The World Health Organization provides the form here.
Some require you to present a certificate of a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR test result issued within three days (working days) of boarding before they are allowed to board your flight to the destination country.

If you’re looking for International inspiration, your best bets are Mexico and the Caribbean. Many countries in the region have opened to tourism, some with restrictions on entry based on a negative COVID test. For Covid-19 testing, see [3] for your options.  The U.S./Mexico land border is still shut down, but flights into Mexico are available, especially to most of the major tourist destinations like Cancun (CUN) or Cabo San Lucas (SJD). 

Video 1.  eMed Product Demo (see [12]; YouTube link)

What will happen when you return to US?


Valid from 01/26/2021: 
Passengers aged 2 years and older must hold a completed a 'Passenger Disclosure and Attestation to the United States of America' form and present it prior to boarding. You must confirm on the form either that you are holding a negative viral (NAAT or antigen) test result, obtained within 3 days prior to departure from the calendar date when the specimen was collected. The test result (paper or electronic copy) must include the passenger’s name, date of birth, type of test and sampling time.  Click here for more information.

Your decision to travel may not only influence your actions before you go, they may also require you to make accommodations when you return. At time of writing, eighteen states have quarantine or stay-at-home orders in effect for those arriving or returning to the state.
 
Figure 2.  Booster rates in the world (Source: @Eric Topol on 02/19/2022)


Some, like the order in Washington DC, require quarantine for visitors from certain areas of the country where COVID cases are on the rise. As the regulations change, the easiest way to keep on top of what to expect from your home state is to check your state’s health department’s website. 

Also be aware that the situation at your home is subject to change while you are traveling, meaning that even if you left home under an all-clear, you may return to a quarantine order.  Long story short: Be prepared to stay at home for 14 days upon your return. 


Best- and Worst-Case Immunization Forecasts


In a Bloomberg report, it states that:
In a best-case scenario, six vaccines are approved and rolled out shortly.  In a worst-case, only four vaccines are approved and supplies are delayed.  The two scenarios could differ by 21 months.

To check the current Covid-19 information of each country check out the WHO website (link).

What to Expect at the Airports in the Future?


Based on a news,[5] Covid-19 has an odor, and the dogs are detecting it.
When the virus has infected our cells, this can have a knock-on effect on various systems within the body, which results in odors being released through our skin and breath. So there was a really strong likelihood that coronavirus would produce a distinct odor as well.

Dogs can smell cancer and disease.  Why not train dogs to detect Covid-19?  Yes, it is happening.  So, maybe one day in the near future, you could be welcomed by a team of Covid dogs at the airports.

References

  1. 5 Questions To Ask Before Traveling For The Holidays In 2020
  2. Immunization Forecasts in US
  3. COVID-19 testing (aa.com)
  4. COVID-19 Travel Regulations Map (IATA)
  5. ‘Covid-19 has an odour, and the dogs are detecting it’: meet the canine super-squad sniffing out the virus
  6. Public health passenger locator card (WHO)
  7. Where to Go in 2021 (Bloomberg; subscription may be needed)
  8. TSA PreCheck®
  9. 'Vaccine passports': Will I need one for going out, work and travel?
  10. V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker (CDC)
  11. What you Need to Know About Travel Insurance
  12. Abbott’s BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag At-Home Test Kit 6 Pack
    • Note that you need to sign on their website to do the test, can’t do it from their App.
  13. What you Need to Know About Travel Insurance
  14. Purchase COVID-19 Collection or Test Kits (Switch Health)
  15. The 30 best holiday destinations in November: Where to go for winter sun
  16. Seven Corners Travel Insurance: What You Need to Know
  17. Be Covid-19 Smart: 11 Precautions To Take Before And During Your Next Trip
  18. Best Pandemic Travel Insurance Plans Of December 2021 (Forbes)
  19. Biden Announcement: The Latest Covid-19 Requirements For Returning To The United States (12/02/2021)
  20. You Have COVID-19 — Now What Happens? (Cleveland Clinic)
  21. What Happens If I Test Positive For Covid-19 While Traveling?
    • You are well advised to have travel insurance that covers the cost of a quarantine.
    • The CDC provides an international health department directory, which you can access here. Another helpful resource provided by the CDC is this Guide to Healthcare While Traveling.
    • You can find a full list of the rapidly developing requirements for travelers to Europe here.
  22. 10 Handy Travel Apps to Solve All Your Problems
  23. Humans 2, Omicron 1 (good)
  24. Entry Regulations for Austria
  25. Entry Regulations for Hungary
  26. Entry Regulations for Croatia
  27. Entry Regulations for Bosnia
  28. Entry Regulations for Germany
    • On account of the dynamic development of infections, new high-risk areas and areas of variants of concern may need to be determined at short notice. Find further information here.
  29. Entry Regulations for USA
  30. Entry Regulations for Slovakia
  31. Entry Regulations for Czech Republic
  32. Rome2rio website
  33. Weather and Climate 
  34. Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)
  35. COVID in Europe: An updated list of travel restrictions for every European country
  36. VeriFLY™
    • VeriFLY™ is a secure health passport app for iOS and Android that makes it easier to manage your destination’s required travel tasks. Upload negative COVID-19 test results, vaccination records, digital vaccine certificates and health forms to get verified status for travel. From there you can check in using the American app to get your boarding pass and streamline your airport experience.
    • Supported Digital Certificates
      • UK - NHS
      • EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC)
      • SMART Health Cards (CVS, NYS Excelsior, US States - California and Louisiana)
  37. Review: the Verifly App (good review; read it before you try it)
  38. Get Vaccine Records - CVS
  39. Travel Requirements 
    • There are new requirements to enter the U.S. based on citizenship / residence and vaccination status. All travelers entering the U.S. must also provide their contact information within 72 hours before departure.
  40. Brutally HONEST Allianz Travel Insurance Review
  41. Coronavirus - Covid-19 - A Travel Insurance Guide
  42. Liaison® Travel Medical Insurance for International Travelers (Seven Corners)
  43. Smart Health Card
  44. Seven Corners Insurance Provider PPO Network
  45. Best Travel Insurance Companies of 2022 (Investopedia)
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