Last Updated on April 12, 2022
1. Purchase Travel Insurance
USAA provides great travel insurance to military spouses who are USAA members. Due to the Coronavirus, many flights are being cancelled and select countries are now threatening 14-day quarantines for at-risk travelers. Having the peace of mind that you can get most or all of your money back if your trip gets cancelled for any reason is worth the extra few bucks for travel insurance.
2. Utilize Your Resources Before Local or International Travel
There are some great resources that can be used to determine what kind of threats different countries or areas are under.
Resources
- For a list of countries and the daily count of cases, use WorldOMeters.info
- For specific locations, such as restaurants, stores, etc. that have had identified cases of the virus, utilize USFK.mil (for Korea) or other US Forces site.
- For travel warnings and other general information on COVID-19, use CDC.gov
- For military spouses in South Korea, an awesome source for what countries you’re able to enter, along with detailed descriptions of restrictions, visit the Korean Air Immigration Restrictions page.
3. Buy the proper face mask
Although, many places online and in-stores have sold out completely of face masks, there is still a chance you can snag one from a drug store or hardware store. Surgical facemasks are the easiest to come by, and do help. Though, the best face mask to prevent the most particles from entering is a N95 mask. These are a little more difficult to find but are worth the buy if you can find one. Remember, face masks are not completely defensive to the virus. Masks must be worn properly and regularly. Taking them on and off will defeat the purpose (even though they are hot and uncomfortable). Combine this with other preventative measures, such as hand washing frequently and avoiding touching the face.
4. Purchase hand sanitizer with ration
Hand sanitizer, amongst other essentials, have been difficult to come by. If your base exchange is sold out on shelves, take a gander at the service counter. Some base exchanges have been requiring patrons to purchase hand sanitizer from customer service in order to ration the product out, limiting only one per customer.
5. Pack baggies of Clorox disinfectant wipes
Purchase a large container of Clorox or Lysol disinfectant wipes (much more cost-effective) and fold some in Ziploc baggies to carry around with you, especially while traveling. For flights and public spaces, I like to wipe down every hard surface that I may come into a lengthy contact with.
6. Splurge a little on accommodations
Although, hostels and Airbnbs are great for saving some extra bucks, during the Coronavirus threat, it’s safer to splurge a little to ensure cleanliness and distance from others. Nicer hotels I’ve visited recently have signs in each room indicating that the room was thoroughly disinfected prior to our arrival. Even though I do trust their cleaning abilities, I still like to disinfect things myself. It just eases the mind to know that you are in a clean environment.
7. Consider mode of transportation
Obviously, if necessary, having to fly somewhere is just a risk someone will have to take. Though, if taking the train or a bus, where personal space is limited, maybe consider renting a car instead, if possible. As much isolation from others, the better.
