We just got back from our first international trip after being fully vaccinated, and the TLDR is that we found it less stressful and more relaxing knowing we have one of the most effective vaccines in history working to protect us. (Abby had Moderna and I had Pfizer).
This past week, we spent 5 nights on the beautiful Caribbean island of Saint Martin (more on that in a future “destination spotlight” post). In full disclosure, we’d traveled several times during the pandemic (e.g., to Oregon/Washington, Mexico, and Hawaii) from July 2020 to Feb 2021, so it was easy for us to compare our experiences.
Even early on we felt like the risk of contracting Covid via air travel was relatively low (as a scientist, I read every study available, and the combination of excellent air refreshing systems in airplanes plus the mask requirement and middle seats being open meant that airplanes were very unlikely to be super spreader events).
We got Covid tests before and after traveling to make sure we weren’t spreading the virus others while traveling or to my sister (who’s in our family bubble) when we returned. We also followed all CDC guidelines (we wore N95 or KN95 masks with surgical masks over that and sometimes face shields), wiped down our seats and tray tables with Clorox wipes, washed our hands frequently, and refrained from eating or drinking while on the plane.
At our destination, we wore masks and socially distanced everywhere we went, and ate only take out or at outside restaurants. We found that hotels (especially in Mexico) had really good cleaning protocols and all staff wore masks.
But still, despite these precautions, before the vaccine we generally felt paranoid, hypervigilant, and nervous—getting spooked whenever anyone coughed (we moved several rows back on a flight once because one of the passengers coughed a few times) and obsessively checked everyone’s mask to make sure it was above their nose. (Sadly, the Austin airport was one of the worst we saw in terms of compliance). To eat in the airport, we’d find a hidden corner at any unused gate and slide our mask down to sneak quick bites of a sandwich.
Last summer, the airlines were cautious about enforcing mask requirements and getting into confrontations with passengers (my brother is a pilot and confirmed this), but once they uniformly started enforcing this in the Fall, I saw far fewer masks below the nose. Flight attendants caught onto the “I’m slowly drinking this coffee during the entire flight so I never have to have my mask on” trick, and now they explicitly tell passengers to slide the mask down temporarily while taking a bite or sip but to have it fully on otherwise.
The flights to Saint Martin were the first in which we had a passenger (window seat) in our same row, but I felt so much better than I would have before the vaccine. We never ate or drank during the flight and neither did our row-mate, so we weren’t all that nervous. The flights home were less full, and even though there was someone assigned to our row, the flight attendant let us move to the exit row, which we had to ourselves.
Once in Saint Martin, all the same protocols were followed (by us and by the hotel), so not much was different there. Fortunately, the views for outdoor dining were stunning.
Probably the biggest difference was when we went on tours. We took an all-day boat tour of the island with 2 other couples (one from Poland and one from Connecticut), and it came up quickly that all of us were fully vaccinated, so we felt comfortable without masks (we were also outside on a speedboat with lots of air circulation, so that factored in as well).
The bottom line: we felt less worried and more relaxed throughout the entire trip, even though we didn’t do much differently (other than removing masks on boat tours with other fully vaccinated people). However, everyone will have to decide for themselves what they’re comfortable with. I have plenty of friends who are fully vaccinated who still don’t feel like they want to be in public with others, and I totally respect that. I personally don’t feel comfortable eating inside a restaurant (because people are maskless and it’s not that unlikely that someone in the restaurant has Covid), but I do feel comfortable flying/traveling and hanging out with friends and family who are also fully vaccinated.
If you’re considering traveling this summer and are fully vaccinated, the CDC has green-lighted domestic travel. If you’re itching to go international, I’d recommend Mexico or the Caribbean (but of course check the US Department of State Travel Website for country-specific recommendations). As of now, the US requires negative Covid tests (antigen or PCR) within 3 days of your return flight to the US, but many resorts offer free or reduce-priced onsite testing for their guests to make this much easier. At our hotel, the nurse had our results and paperwork done in 5 minutes (in what looked like a pregnancy test), which was really cool.
Good luck, and happy travels!
Halyard Mask is a Fluidshield soft procedure Mask which is comfortable to wear. For all your Dental Supplies visit Optimus Dental Supply.
ReplyDeleteInterested in Scuba Diving. Buy your Scuba Gear from the World’s Largest Dive Shop and Make your Scuba Diving experience wonderful. You can choose from a wide variety of Scuba Products for Men, Women and Kids.
ReplyDeleteHalyard Disney Mask adds a sense of fun that helps them feel more comfortable with the idea of wearing a face mask.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols for respiratory etiquette recommend that patients with undiagnosed respiratory symptoms wear face masks in waiting rooms. That means active pediatric practices and hospital admission or waiting areas should have a child-size mask available for kids.
ReplyDelete