Med Sailing Holidays will continue to stay informed with COVID-19 in order to save you time and to help keep you clued-in on the situation.
Today COVID-19 is recognized as a foreseen pandemic. We know that these precarious times can cause a lot of stress, especially when it comes to traveling. We make it our top priority that our customers stay safe, healthy and fully informed in these trying times. So, with this, we’ve consolidated all the important information you may need to know about travelling before, during and after the coronavirus (COVID-19).
For us to equip ourselves with preventive and cautionary measures, we are here to help you by sharing important “Must Know” information about this world-wide adversary we are facing right now.
How do we get infected by coronavirus (COVID 19)?
- COVID-19 is a newly discovered type of infectious coronavirus that spreads through small droplets either from the nose or mouth. Transmit happens when someone who has the virus coughs or sneezes and when those who are exposed tries to put the exposed part on their mouths, nose, and eyes.
- It causes respiratory problems, this means the common symptoms are often the same as the common cold or flu which includes fever, tiredness, difficulty of breathing and dry cough.
- Having said this, please seek professional medical help if you are worried or are showing any symptoms.
How will I know if it’s safe for me to go on a sailing holiday?
First, you must stay informed with the recent developments of the outbreak. You can find reliable information and important updates on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) page
Additionally, here are some useful links for government travel advice pages:
Second, we also advise purchasing travel insurance upon booking your sailing holiday. There are companies that lets you purchase policies that covers cancellations or disruptions due to COVID-19 such as upgrading to a Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) plan that covers reasons such as “cancellation out of fear”, pandemic, or government restrictions. This will give you reassurance that your trip is covered if this world-wide phenomenon gets out of control.
So, what do I need to bring or do to be safe while on a sailing holiday?
Obviously, most of you have mastered packing for the holidays down to a tee, thanks to “What to pack for a sailing holiday trip” videos of famous youtubers and influencers. Of course, you will have wet wipes, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and Over the Counter (OTC) medications inside your toiletry pouches or bags.
Now, it’s important to make use of all your hygiene measures and common sense to stay safe during your sailing holiday trip.
Following these basic public health guidelines is the best way to reduce your chances of being infected with COVID-19:
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when hands aren’t visibly dirty or when exposed to public surfaces like metal, fabrics, and other materials.
- Have face masks handy, especially in places where there are a lot of people gathered in one area such as ports, marinas, restaurants, etc. *The virus does not settle in the air, but on the ground, so it’s safe to say that these bad boys are not transmitted by air.
Tips:
When the virus falls on a metal surface, it will live for 12 hours. Washing hands with soap and water very well will do the trick.
If it falls on fabric, it stays for 9 hours. So, washing your clothes and exposing them to the sun for 2 hours is enough to eradicate it.
It stays on your hand for 10 minutes. So, applying sanitizer or alcohol will suffice to prevent you from being contaminated.
The virus hates hot temperatures. If it will be exposed to a temperature of 26 – 27 degree Celsius, it will die. Drinking hot water or EXPOSURE TO THE SUN are ways you can do, especially on a sailing holiday. (It’s going to be summer in Croatia and Greece by the time our season opens…just saying.)
Also, gargling with warm water and salt solution will kill the virus in the tonsils and prevents it from seeping into the lungs.
You can fact check this information on the UNICEF website
- Cover your nose and mouth with a flexed elbow or a tissue when coughing or sneezing. I believe this is a common social ethic all of us must have learned back in grade school or at home, so no one is excused.
- As mentioned above, try not to touch your mouth and nose.
- Practice social distancing. Don’t go around kissing, hugging, shaking hands with people. I know you’re just trying to be sociable but It’s not a good idea. Not now!
So, should I book or cancel my sailing holiday, or not?
You don’t have to! But of course, this is a decision that only you can make and one you need to feel comfortable with. We are taking great measures to ensuring that your sailing holiday will not be tainted by the fear of this media-hyped disease.
When it comes to booking a holiday in advance, there are always risks associated with it – even without the COVID-19 outbreak. By the time you leave your house, you can never guarantee that the destination you’re travelling into won’t have been experiencing natural disasters, political issues or other situations that will make visiting there a bit of a challenge. And there is that fact that getting sick while travelling is no longer breaking news to us. If we don’t take care of ourselves, we can easily get food poisoned, we can get infected by common flu or cold if we allow our immune systems to deplete by staying up too late drinking, partying, or not taking in vitamins. There could be a lot of factors for you to get sick while traveling and it’s not just being infected by this corona virus.
So, for as long as you’re comfortable to travel and go on a sailing holiday, you should. There is no reason for you not to. Just be smart, keep yourself informed with current situations and lock down or quarantine guidelines, use your common sense, get travel insurance, and look after your health and hygiene before, during and after your sailing holiday trip.