Illness while traveling
Getting ill while traveling can ruin your vacation. Unfortunately, it happens much more often than people think. According to the CDC, travelers are 5-10x more likely to get ill and 2-3x more likely to get injured. The most common culprits include traveler’s diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, skin complaints, allergies, and sprains.
You might ask why is it so likely to get sick or injured while traveling? The answer is simple. Traveler’s risk exposure is much higher. Travelers spend time in close contact with people coming from different parts of the world, they eat new foods in foreign environments, and tend to take on more risk than they would at home. For example, a recent study showed that the week following an 8-hour flight, as many as 50% of travelers experience an upper respiratory infection!
How do you avoid this fate? Prevention is the best medicine. Try to avoid contact with people who appear sick. Frequently wash your hands and use hand sanitizer when you can’t, and don’t overextend yourself! If you don’t exercise regularly, maybe a 5-mile hike isn’t for you.
If you do get sick, TripDoctor is here to help. Just visit tripdoctor.com, enroll and schedule a doctor appointment via house call to your hotel, or a priority hospital visit. It only takes 5 minutes and you can get back to your trip and feel better faster!