COVID International Travel Risks in 2022 - February 2022

After completing our 2022 Jordan and Egypt travel, I've been asked about current COVID risks associated with international travel. In the past,  travelers considered their interests, budget and available time. We now need to consider our COVID risk tolerance.

The world is not over COVID despite our wishes for this to be so. During international travel, individuals may be exposed to COVID in airports, airplanes, hotels, restaurants, coaches and at local attractions. Identifying and either accepting or controlling risk could ease your mind during your international travels. Understanding the health and safety protocols of your tour company is essential. 

On our Jordan and Egypt trip, we tested negative for COVID before our flight back to the US but positive immediately once we were back home. We accepted the risk of becoming COVID infected on this trip - though we preferred to remain healthy. That said, we became better able to evaluate COVID risks after our trip. Here are some areas for you to think about as you evaluate group travel COVID risks for 2022:

• The CDC publishes COVID recommendations for country destination. Are you comfortable traveling to a CDC rated level 4 "do not travel" destination?  
• Is your country destination currently considered a COVID "hot spot?" Is this related to a new and spreading variant for which little is known?
• Consider local health and safety practices and customs - they may be very different than yours and could improve or reduce your comfort level. For example, what percent of locals are fully vaccinated? What COVID health and safety protocols, if any, are generally practiced? Will you be in tourist areas that heavily draw local visitors?
• What are the COVID health and safety protocols of your tour company? 
• What action will your tour company take if you test COVID positive at the beginning, middle or end of your trip. Where will individuals be quarantined if the need arises? A vague response could mean that the tour company is unprepared to respond to an infection outbreak. This can become a significant problem for you if your expectations are not realized.
• At the start of the trip, is everyone in the tour group fully COVID vaccinated?
• At the start of the trip, are travelers in the tour group subject to a lab test confirming they are negative for a COVID infection? International air travel may require a lab test and offer such a confirmation.
• Does the travel company support smaller group sizes to permit some degree of social distancing? Use of audio devices reduces the need for travelers to physically gather close to hear guides.
• Does the tour company offer immediate COVID testing for all group travelers (and staff) should a COVID outbreak occur during the trip? A delayed response could drive a higher infection rate.
• When group dining, are travelers permitted to seat themselves in an ad hoc manner? Ad hoc seating could drive up COVID infections. Face masks are off during dining and your possible exposure risks increase with different table mates. Also, mixed table mates means that contact tracing becomes almost impossible.
• Does the tour company provide sufficient coach seating space to support social distancing?
• Does the tour company disinfect coaches on a daily basis?  
• During city stops, are members of your travel group permitted to leave your traveler "bubble" and explore on their own?
• Is COVID testing performed on a daily basis during your trip?
• Are your fellow travelers asked by tour company to wear face coverings and regularly sanitize/wash their hands?
• Do you have sufficient private funds or insurance to cover five to 14 days of quarantine? You may need a documented negative COVID antigen test to continue your travel home. Realize that while your COVID symptoms may disappear within 3-5 days, your antigen test could take longer to become negative. It took 11 days for our antigen test to become negative. That translates to 11 days of possible quarantine outside of the US should we not have received a negative test result the day before flying back to the US. Note that many insurance claim procedures require documentation signed by a physician indicating the need for trip interruption. 
• Does your travel insurance cover your trip from start date to end date? We learned there are situations that limit the dates of your group travel insurance coverage and could exclude personal travel added to an organized tour schedule.
• Finally, you might consider packing a proctored COVID antigen test, such as BinaxNow AG Card Test with eMed Telehealth. This type of test can provide a QR code from a negative test. You do need WiFi  access for this test kit. Alternatively, any at-home test kit could be helpful.

The above list is likely not exhaustive. Nonetheless, it does give you a starting point. Good luck on your travels!

Scenes from the Nile River

The vertical rebar on the building rooftops
is for a higher floor. Apartments are often constructed
to permit later additions.  

Garbage is often incinerated.