Coronavirus - Travel impact

[Fermion]

That is really contagious...542/3711

I know this is on a ship, but I have to think people were at least not licking the walls or something.

I am not even sure the flu would spread that fast...and this thing is 10 to 20 times deadlier.

And the market goes up.

 

[Freedom56]

They have cancelled some major trade shows in Japan due to this virus. We were planning to go to NAB 2020 in Las Vegas in April. The organizers have put out messages stating that they are monitoring the situation given that 30% of the exhibitors are from Asia with the majority from China.

The other issue is that I ordered glasses from Zenni Optical, in January, and I got an email stating that their labs in China were shut down causing delays but have since re-opened as of February 9th. I knew the frames came from China, I didn't know that the glasses were manufactured in labs in China. My glasses are on their way now but they will be handled with surgical gloves and wiped down with Lysol and Clorox wipes and then soaked in alcohol before I wear them.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

But the data from Wuhan shows that 80% of the fatalities are over 60.

And I showed in a post on another thread that western countries including the US have an older population than China.

So a solution to the social security trust fund issue?

But maybe not so "good" in terms of the medicare trust?

 

[JJpop]

Not nothing to those who have been sick or no longer alive. There is a reason for the caution and concern and it certainly is not nothing.

 

[Teacher Terry]

Especially since the death rate in China is most likely 10x’s what’s being reported.

 

[JJpop]

Especially since the death rate in China is most likely 10x’s what’s being reported.

No way. China would never manipulate important data

 

[NW-Bound]

So a solution to the social security trust fund issue?

But maybe not so "good" in terms of the medicare trust?

The medical cost would be front-loaded, but an acute illness is short-lived by definition if it is fatal, and usually cheaper than chronic conditions, I think.

 

[sengsational]

That is really contagious...542/3711

I know this is on a ship, but I have to think people were at least not licking the walls or something.

I am not even sure the flu would spread that fast...and this thing is 10 to 20 times deadlier.

And the market goes up.

Yeah. I haven't looked at CCL lately, but I can't believe there are any buyers at all.


As to transmission... One word: Buffet. They heard Margaritaville for the 100th time, which drove them to lick the walls.


But if one guy sneezes into his hand, then goes through and handles 10 sets of tongs and 5 servicing spoons, then 50 people follow him, you get massive contamination. The first thing they do on a norovirus outbreak is have only the staff dish-up on the buffet.

 

[Nemo2]

The first thing they do on a norovirus outbreak is have only the staff dish-up on the buffet.

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

 

[fh2000]

I just called Iberia to cancel my 10 day March trip from Los Angeles to Madrid. Hotels can be canceled for full refund.

The airline tickets are non-refundable though I got 2 emails few days ago that they changed the departure time a couple of times by 5 minutes each time. I guess because of that, I am now eligible to cancel for full refund. They will email me back in 72 hours for the confirmation. I will wait and see if cancellation and full refund will actually happen. If not, $800 won't break my bank.

 

[sengsational]

The airline tickets are non-refundable though I got 2 emails few days ago that they changed the departure time a couple of times by 5 minutes each time. I guess because of that, I am now eligible to cancel for full refund.

I doubt a slight schedule change will let you get your money back. I tried it with a 35 minute change, and they denied the refund. But let us know if it works.

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

Unus est enim confidunt, sed hyacintho caestus Auxilium

 

[audreyh1]

This year we postponed any international travel plans as I expected to have to spend considerable time at my Dad’s for at least the first half of the year. Now I’m really glad we don’t have such plans and don’t mind that our leisure travel has been put on hold.

I still have to fly domestically, so I pay attention to what’s happening.

 

[audreyh1]

I just called Iberia to cancel my 10 day March trip from Los Angeles to Madrid. Hotels can be canceled for full refund.

The airline tickets are non-refundable though I got 2 emails few days ago that they changed the departure time a couple of times by 5 minutes each time. I guess because of that, I am now eligible to cancel for full refund. They will email me back in 72 hours for the confirmation. I will wait and see if cancellation and full refund will actually happen. If not, $800 won't break my bank.

I had some non-refundable international tickets last year that I had to change (dropping from first class to economy) and they issued me electronic certificates for the difference good for a year, that I have since been using to pay for airfare.

In many cases the tickets may be non refundable, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get credit at the airline.

 

[Nemo2]

Unus est enim confidunt, sed hyacintho caestus Auxilium

Catcher's Mitt's might be preferable.

"Big fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite them, and little fleas have lesser fleas and so on ad infinitum."

Jonathan Swift (1732

 

[Sunset]

We are continuing on with our plans for UK and Baltic cruise in the spring.
The big expense and a 2 week time slot is the cruise ship.

If it cancels on us, then we might be forced to cancel the rest, or scramble for something to do during that 2 week period (or flight change).

 

[simple girl]

We have a companion pass on Southwest that I am eligible to use through the end of 2020, so we were planning to travel a lot this year. I have to say...this bug is starting to give me pause. According to this article, it is 18 times deadlier than the flu:

While influenza is a bigger threat to the state, it isn’t as deadly or as contagious as the coronavirus. Sinnott said that one person infected with the coronavirus can spread it to an average of 2.2 people, compared to influenza, where one infected person can spread it to an average of 1.8 people. Moreover, about 1.8 percent of the people infected with the coronavirus will die, compared to 0.1 percent of those with influenza.

They also still don't know for sure how it is spread, apparently. Good gracious. If this thing is airborne, like TB, that is truly frightening.

The coronavirus can be spread by droplets that are sprayed when people sneeze or cough or through contact such as shaking hands. Sinnott, a member of a group called Global Virus Network, said he believes the virus could also be airborne, similar to tuberculosis.

If airborne, he said, the germs can hover in the air for up to two days, meaning the virus could be contracted without direct contact with an infected person.

 

[Bestwifeever]

We have three trips in the works between June and October using the airlines but no cruises or tour buses, and don't plan to change any of our plans. One is in Europe, two in the USA. We will be washing our hands frequently. Some experts predict warm weather will as least temporarily stop the COVID-19 spread, so crossing our fingers that is true.

 

[OldConch]

FYI, we just arrived in the U.S. after a month in Thailand and 2 days in Hong Kong. Lots of Thai people wearing masks in the big cities. Maybe 40%, less so in smaller population areas. Hong Kong was a different story. The airport was a ghost town when we arrived as was our airport hotel. Almost everyone except hotel front desk staff and tourists were wearing masks which were nearly impossible to find. I's say 99%+ near the airport, downtown, and subways. When we explored in the new territories the number went down to probably 75% in areas where we were among the few obvious westerners. There were lots of people cleaning on subways, escalators, door knobs, elevator buttons etc. and everyone was thermal scanned at the airport on arrival and at our hotel restaurant. We finally started wearing masks that were given to us on a Bangkok Grand Palace tour because we felt out of place and a bit rude to be uncovered when all else were. The only question we were asked on arrival in Hong Kong and LHR was "have you been to mainland China in the last 14 days."

A new one for us leaving Chiang Mai direct to HKG. The AirAsia A320 had less than 40 people on it. Less than a bus full. Took a picture when the doors closed and the vast majority of the plane was empty. A couple of minutes after announcements and safety drill the pilot gets on the horn and notifies us that there's a "safety issue" and we need to swap planes. We'd already had our Bangkok to HKG flight cancelled and replaced with this one. Anyway we all got off the plane drove around the airport on the tarmac bus for 15/20 minutes and then got back on the SAME plane and had a great flight. DW speculated that they removed some fuel from the plane and that sounds pretty plausible to me.

 

[Sunset]

We have three trips in the works between June and October using the airlines but no cruises or tour buses, and don't plan to change any of our plans. One is in Europe, two in the USA. We will be washing our hands frequently. Some experts predict warm weather will as least temporarily stop the COVID-19 spread, so crossing our fingers that is true.

For our trips, I view the flying on airplane as the most risky, very small space with a lot of people breathing recycled air for hours, At least on the cruise ship I can stand a few feet away and not sit beside other folks.

 

[JJpop]

FYI, we just arrived in the U.S. after a month in Thailand and 2 days in Hong Kong. Lots of Thai people wearing masks in the big cities. Maybe 40%, less so in smaller population areas. Hong Kong was a different story. The airport was a ghost town when we arrived as was our airport hotel. Almost everyone except hotel front desk staff and tourists were wearing masks which were nearly impossible to find. I's say 99%+ near the airport, downtown, and subways. When we explored in the new territories the number went down to probably 75% in areas where we were among the few obvious westerners. There were lots of people cleaning on subways, escalators, door knobs, elevator buttons etc. and everyone was thermal scanned at the airport on arrival and at our hotel restaurant. We finally started wearing masks that were given to us on a Bangkok Grand Palace tour because we felt out of place and a bit rude to be uncovered when all else were. The only question we were asked on arrival in Hong Kong and LHR was "have you been to mainland China in the last 14 days."

A new one for us leaving Chiang Mai direct to HKG. The AirAsia A320 had less than 40 people on it. Less than a bus full. Took a picture when the doors closed and the vast majority of the plane was empty. A couple of minutes after announcements and safety drill the pilot gets on the horn and notifies us that there's a "safety issue" and we need to swap planes. We'd already had our Bangkok to HKG flight cancelled and replaced with this one. Anyway we all got off the plane drove around the airport on the tarmac bus for 15/20 minutes and then got back on the SAME plane and had a great flight. DW speculated that they removed some fuel from the plane and that sounds pretty plausible to me.

Were you screened?

 

[audreyh1]

For our trips, I view the flying on airplane as the most risky, very small space with a lot of people breathing recycled air for hours, At least on the cruise ship I can stand a few feet away and not sit beside other folks.

That air has been heavily filtered. I turn the air on to create some positive air pressure around my head.

Do planes have air filters?

On most aircraft, air is also circulated through hospital-grade HEPA filters, which remove 99.97 percent of bacteria, as well as the airborne particles that viruses use for transport (many regional jets lack these filters). ... When the plane is on the ground, however, air circulation in the cabin can be greatly reduced.Jan 13, 2010

 

[NW-Bound]

That air has been heavily filtered. I turn the air on to create some positive air pressure around my head.

I always do that. However, I wonder if it also swirls up all the air surrounding me.

What they need to do is to provide air masks to passengers, which are fed by the air vent outlets.

 

[explanade]

I always do that. However, I wonder if it also swirls up all the air surrounding me.

What they need to do is to provide air masks to passengers, which are fed by the air vent outlets.

If passengers around you have their vents wide open, probably.

 

[audreyh1]

I always do that. However, I wonder if it also swirls up all the air surrounding me.

What they need to do is to provide air masks to passengers, which are fed by the air vent outlets.

I’m in first class or economy plus. But I can tell you that I only feel the air blowing on my head.

And I don’t turn it on full blast.

 

[NW-Bound]

I was thinking about the Venturi effect, that draws air in from the surrounding. You need the outlet right next to your nose to avoid it.