Tag Archives: sickness

Don’t let the fear of a medical emergency while traveling stop you from traveling. Prepare for an emergency or even a small health-related inconvenience and then begin packing your bag. You can fall sick, experience a minor injury, or have an accident anywhere in the world. It’s just easier if a medical emergency happens at home because you have quick and easy access to care at home.  Don’t let potential illness, injury or the thought of a medical emergency stop you from traveling. You just need to have a few contingency plans in place to deal with any illness or injury while you’re traveling. Here’s what you can do in advance of your trip for peace of mind.

How to Prepare for a Medical Emergency While Traveling
The simple preparations for a medical emergency abroad

  1. Always carry your ID, a credit card, and some cash Always have these essential items on you, even if you’re just going out for a walk or a quick trip. I ‘d add to that list your phone. As for your phone, you should have photos of various other health-related documents that could come in handy during a medical emergency. Have photos of your prescriptions, vaccination records and any information regarding implanted devices that may help you in case of a medical emergency. Plus having your phone makes it easier to communicate with travel companions or loved ones. This is where a travel money belt, anti-theft bag or waist pack comes in handy to carry your essentials.cash and cards help prepare for medical emergencies
  2. Pack a small first aid kit to deal with blisters, cuts,  and bug bites. Keep it in your day bag so you have it handy when you most likely need it. If you don’t want to make a kit from scratch you find some travel first aid kits here.  A few basic items you should consider for your emergency kits are band-aids in various sizes, an antiseptic cream like Neosporin, or anti-bug spray depending on your destination.First Aid kit for medical emergencies
  3. Pack over the counter medications in travel sizes so they don’t take up a lot of room in your bag. Anti-diarrhea, allergy meds and pain relievers, soothing eye drops and anti-itch remedies are the most common drugs you’ll need. Don’t wait to buy them in your destination country. They could be difficult to find in travel sizes and costlier too.
  4.  Bring a copy of any prescriptions you take and snap a photo of your prescription bottles in case of loss. Have a copy of your medical insurance card too.
  5. Know how to say you have a food/drug allergy or a medical condition in the language of your destination  Be sure you and your travel companion(s) know how to say you have an allergy in the language of the country you’re visiting. Have it written down or keep it handy on your phone if you can’t remember how to say it. Using your screenshot function or having a photo stored on your phone for this is extremely useful. Telling a waiter about a food allergy or a doctor about an allergy or implanted medical device could be life-saving.
  6. Local doctors or clinics are a good option for minor medical emergencies  Injuries like a sprain or an illness like the flu, seek out the help of a local doctor or clinic. Your hotel or a pharmacy clerk can help you find one. Use google translate to help describe symptoms if there is a language barrier.Minor medical emergency while traveling
  7. Check to see if the credit card you are traveling with provides any travel insurance benefits. Ask for a limit increase on your card before you leave on your trip. The increase could come in handy to cover emergency medical costs.
  8. Know what hospital to go to  If you think it is something worse or life-threatening get to a hospital immediately. Car accidents, heart attacks, strokes, gallbladder attacks can happen anywhere. Research prior to your trip which hospitals in the areas you are visiting cooperate with your insurance. If you haven’t done that ahead of time contact the US embassy. They can assist with wire transfers to pay for services, arranging airlifts if necessary and help with finding the medical care you may need. When our son went on a study abroad program, we made sure that he, the in-country program manager, and his host family knew of his peanut allergy and which of the 3 hospitals in the city he should be taken to for any medical emergency as dictated by his travel health insurance. Knowing where he would go in case of a medical emergency gave us peace of mind.
  9. Purchase travel insurance before you go. It’s worth it. Insurance coverage can vary by company so read the policy and talk with a company representative before selecting a travel insurance policy that will meet your needs. The travel insurance company may also have a preferred hospital or clinic in your destination, be sure to ask about it. If you have a significant underlying health condition or are uncomfortable about treatment for certain injuries or health issues ask the insurance provider about medical evacuation. Keep the information on your phone and keep it with your travel docs. Make sure your travel companions know where information is in addition to someone at home.
  10. Travel Insurance for medical emergencies
  11. Be prepared for medical emergencies – are your vaccinations up to date? If you hurt yourself you may be asked about tetanus. If you travel to areas where certain diseases not normally found in the US you may be asked about vaccinations for those too. This is a great transition to the next point for being prepared for a medical emergency while traveling.
  12. Visit a travel health doctor before you depart Do research about your intended destination at the CDC.gov. website. If you’re going to a location identified as having or prone to Zika, Malaria or Ebola Hepatitis outbreaks seek out a travel doctor to get the proper immunizations and advice for your destination.

Hopefully, you won’t need to take advantage of any of your medical emergency preparation. However, if you do experience a medical emergency while traveling you’ll be better off and less panicked that you did prepare.

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How You Can Track the Spread of Any Illness Around the World

Concerned about where to travel or if where your plans are taking you are safe from a health perspective?  Now you have a couple of tools to help you learn about your destination with up to the minute advice.

The following two websites show where the Coronavirus has spread and where there are outbreaks of other illnesses too.

This tracker shows ALL pathogens/epidemics tracked around the world, be sure to use to the filter on the top right to isolate which pathogen you’re interested in tracking, You can track measles and hepatitis in addition to many other pathogens. Both are easy to use interactive maps.

This tracker is dedicated to the Coronavirus

Quick Coronavirus Facts: as of Jan 30th, 2020

The coronavirus family is a large group of viruses that typically affect the respiratory tract. Coronaviruses can lead to illnesses like the common cold, pneumonia, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and even death. he virus can spread from an infected person to others before the infected person shows any symptoms of the disease.

The deadly coronavirus has spread to over 20 other countries within Asia, Europe, and North America, with the vast majority of cases being in mainland China. In China over 170 people have died and there are at least 8200 confirmed cases reported throughout China.

Due to the outbreak of the virus, the U.S. State Department has issued its highest travel advisory, a Level 4, to the Hubei province in China.  Level 4 advisories urge travelers “Do not travel,” their strongest recommendation.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Warning Level 3 (red) Alert – which states “Avoid all non-essential travel” to this destination. The outbreak is of high risk to travelers and no precautions are available to protect against the identified increased risk.

The CDC reports that there are no specific treatments for illnesses caused by human coronaviruses. Most people with common human coronavirus illness will recover on their own.

 How the Corona Virus is Spread

Like the flu, the Coronavirus which can be spread from person to person and is transmitted through coughing, sneezing, or touching an infected person – so getting to close to someone who may already have the virus would be risky.  

What Are Airports Doing

Air passengers arriving in the US are being screened now at 20 airports — Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York’s John F. Kennedy among the most popular with flyers. Those airports receive most of the travelers on direct and connecting flights from the central Chinese city of Wuhan and other cities too.

Passengers are being screened by the CDC personnel which includes administering health questionnaires as well as checking passengers for fever and other symptoms.

How Travelers Can Avoid Catching Coronavirus

Try to stay away from sick travelers – when possible

Because the viruses are spread through airborne droplets (sneezing, coughing), when possible, avoid close contact with people who are sick — particularly those who display symptoms similar to those of pneumonia or the common cold, such as coughing or runny noses.

Wash Your Hands Often

Frequent hand washing is an effective way of reducing the potential for infection. Touching of others or touching an infected surface can transmit the illness. If hand washing is not an option, the use of a good alcohol-based hand sanitizer is a good substitute. Try not to touch your mouth, eyes or nose.

While On Airplanes – Wipe Down Surfaces

It’s also wise to take into consideration that airborne droplets can be deposited on hard surfaces that can last for several days.

Compounding this issue, if an infected person coughs or sneezes onto a surface – such as an airline tray table, and another person touches that surface, there may be a chance the virus could be transferred.  This potential transfer is greatly increased if the traveler then inserts their fingers in their eyes, mouth, or nose, as reported by the University of Georgia.  It should also be pointed out that as of this writing, it’s unknown how long coronavirus particles can live on surfaces.

To reduce the chances of contracting a virus while on board an airplane, travelers should take additional measures to minimize exposure to germs and infection, especially if they suffer from a weak immune system or are particularly vulnerable to illnesses.

Travelers should consider using disinfecting wipes to help kill germs and disinfecting hard surfaces they will be exposed to. They should pay special attention to wiping down:

  • Seat tray table (top and bottom). The tray table is the most important, as it usually tops the list for bacteria per square inch.
  • Armrests,
  • TV-screen and/or remote,
  • Seat buckle,
  • Seat storage compartment, and,
  • Seat call buttons

Related Article: What is a Travel Health Clinic

Wearing Masks?

Wearing surgical masks has become a phenomenon in China since the outbreak of coronavirus – but there are mixed reports about their use.  What’s consistently reported is that when a mask is worn, it needs to be a higher quality mask.

To protect themselves from infection, health care workers don’t wear the kind of thin, over-the-mouth masks you see in operating rooms, which are designed to keep germs from leaving the mouths and noses of medical staff in the room. When it comes to preventing infection from their surroundings, health care workers wear N95 respirators, which fit much more tightly.  It’s also reported that these respirators haven’t been tested for effectiveness when worn by the general public. Learn more about the N95 mask.

While the CDC does not discourage healthy people from wearing surgical masks as a precaution, the agency is only recommending their use for patients thought to have the virus and the medical professionals who interact with them.

It should be noted that some airlines, including American Airlines and Cathy Pacific are allowing their flight attendants to wear masks on certain flights to or from China. 

Coronavirus Online Training Resource

The World Health Organization has a free, online training course that has been made available to the general public.  The course, called “Emerging respiratory viruses, including nCoV: methods for detection, prevention, response and control” is appx one hour in length, and can be located here. 

More Travel Health Information

CDC Coronavirus Home Page

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

World Health Organization

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

World Health Organization – Situation Report Review – Released Daily

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/situation-reports/

CNN

https://www.cnn.com/asia/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-01-27-20-intl-hnk/index.html

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What is the difference between a travel medicine physician and a general practitioner?

While your regular doctor may have knowledge about what diseases you may encounter when you travel, healthcare professionals at travel clinics are specifically educated on the many various health problems you may encounter around the world. Travel clinics specialize in vaccinations for Meningitis, Polio, Typhoid, and Yellow Fever to name only a few plus medications for diarrhea, malaria, tuberculosis and more. The decision to vaccinate in some cases needs to be weighed versus the risks of the vaccination. That is where the value of a travel medicine doctor comes into play.

If you’re visiting somewhere tropical, subtropical or if you have any chronic health condition such as diabetes or kidney disease, a trip to a travel clinic could provide life-saving recommendations that your general practitioner may not be aware of. Beyond medical concerns, the clinic may also counsel on precautions regarding food, beverages, insect bites, and even pickpockets. They can also clarify which over the counter medicines to pack are best according to your destination.  Of course, all this good advice depends on the doctor and clinic you visit. Lastly, depending on your health insurance a trip to a travel medicine doctor is often covered.

To underscore the issue regarding the decision to vaccinate, here’s an enlighting article by Julian Klapowitz, MD illustrating how and why a doctor skilled in travel medicine could be a good health care partner to seek out when it comes to understanding recommended vs. required vaccinations.

_______________________________________________

Should Overseas Travelers Get a Yellow Fever Vaccination?
The Benefit vs. The Risk

Julian Klapowitz, MD

Internal Medicine and Travel Medicine

www.travelsurenyc.com

Professor Martin Gore, a leading UK cancer scientist, died on January 10th, reportedly as a result of a Yellow Fever vaccination he had received.

Unfortunately, all vaccinations may have life-threatening side effects. Severe allergic reactions/death can rarely occur after all shots. In our NYC travel vaccination clinic, we review these risks verbally and with VIS’s.

The issue with the Yellow Fever vaccine, in particular, is that:

  1. A) It can also cause severe neurologic and multi-organ side-effects (in addition to allergic reactions).
  2. B) The actual risk of getting yellow fever disease during travel is not always easy to determine and is sometimes not much higher than the risk of the vaccination.

The Disease: Yellow Fever is a potentially life-threatening mosquito-borne viral illness. An estimated 15% of people infected with Yellow Fever will develop severe illness and up to about half of those people die of complications. The vaccination is nearly 100% effective at protecting against the disease.

The Risk of Getting the Disease: Generally, in West Africa, 50 per 100,000 travelers having a 2-week stay will develop severe illness and, for South America, it is 5 per 100,000. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The risk varies significantly, though, with the specific location, length of trip, activities during the trip, and whether or not there is an outbreak of the disease.

The Risk of the Shot: The risk of the severe/life-threatening side effects from the vaccine is approximately 1.1 per 100,000 people vaccinated for age under 60 and 3.4 per 100,000 in ≥60 (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).

So, if the risk of the disease is very low (for instance, traveling to a country in S. America for a few days where Yellow Fever is present at low levels), the risk of the vaccine is close to the risk of getting the disease, particularly if a traveler is older.

Other factors that need to be taken under consideration: a traveler’s health, what medications they take (immune suppressants), and whether or not the Yellow Fever vaccination is REQUIRED for the trip (as opposed to RECOMMENDED…I will address this subject in a later post).

Bottom line: The Yellow Fever shot, and all other vaccinations, carry risk. Thoroughly reviewing what is needed on your trip with a Travel Health Care Professional will not eliminate that risk, but it will help ensure you are getting only the shots you need. As with Yellow Fever, in particular, the decision to vaccinate for travel is not as simple as it may sometimes seem.

Doctor Klapowitz has more interesting and important information you can find here:

www.travelsurenyc.com