Travel and swine flu: How to vanquish the H1N1 virus by Peter Greenberg

I travel more than 400,000 miles a year. During the SARS crisis, I flew to Hong Kong. During the hoof-and-mouth crisis, I visited Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom. Avian flu? I went to China. Swine flu? I caught the first flight to Mexico’s Riviera Maya.

Does this mean I'm ignorant and impulsive or that I have a cavalier attitude toward a potential medical crisis? Not in the least. Instead, I recognize the potential crisis for what it could be, and act accordingly — and responsibly.

In all of these situations, I embraced common sense and practiced the most basic personal hygiene principles I learned in grade school. I washed my hands before and after eating and before and after going to the bathroom. On airplanes, I washed my hands before and after flying. I also cleaned off the armrests, seatbacks and tray tables with some antibacterial wipes — an act that took less than 90 seconds.

These are the same techniques we can all use to keep the swine flu (H1N1) virus at bay. But the swine flu alert, at least in scale, has the potential to be bigger than these other crises.

In August, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) submitted a report to the White House based on the history of influenza pandemics over the past 100 years. PCAST projected a possible scenario that the flu could infect 30 to 50 percent of the U.S. population this fall and winter.

Now, that's scary. Advisors also said that infections could lead to as many as 1.8 million U.S. hospital admissions during the epidemic, with as many as 300,000 patients requiring care in intensive care units. It could cause 30,000 to 90,000 deaths in the United States, targeting children and young adults. (The seasonal flu in the United States kills 30,000 to 40,000 people annually, targeting people over 65.)

Despite those numbers, there’s no reason to give into that four-letter word, fear, and you don’t need to change your travel plans. Assuming the advisors are even half right, and also acknowledging that air travel can accelerate the spread of infectious disease, the damage has already been done: We're already at a stage 6 pandemic.

Slowing the spread of H1N1

My advice boils down to common sense. If you develop flu-like symptoms before departing on a trip, it’s advisable to postpone your travel plans for at least seven days after you get sick or 24 hours after you stop having symptoms, whichever is later. And if your immune system is already compromised, or if you have a pre-existing medical condition, consult your doctor. Chances are you'll want to stay home.

For everyone else, be aware that airlines such as Virgin America and Southwest have removed most blankets and pillows from their aircraft. (They should have done this years ago; both were bacteria "festivals" before any pandemic started.)

On its red-eye flights, Virgin America has taken a cue from JetBlue and offers sterilized, pre-wrapped pillows and blankets for individual use. It also provides antibacterial hand wipes or gel on planes and at airports for crew and guest use.

Most U.S. airlines will readily admit that they reserve the right to deny boarding to anyone who has a communicable disease — H1N1 or otherwise — that can be transmissible to other passengers on the flight, and will offer credit for future travel (even if you have a non-refundable ticket). Flight crews are trained to be aware of airborne pathogens, and for passengers who get sick onboard, many airlines work with a service called MedLink that provides 24-hour ground-to-air medical support.

Travelers heading abroad might encounter thermal scanners, which have become more prevalent in foreign airports and identify boarding passengers who may have higher body temperatures due to illness. These machines can be found in airports in Mumbai and Goa, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; Turkey; and Vietnam; as well as on MSC Cruises. China has gone a step further and has actually quarantined passengers who show symptoms of disease.

One final note: Don’t assume that your travel insurance will cover you if you have to cancel your trip due to illness, as not all travel insurance policies cover disease. Also, many "cancel-for-any-reason" policies no longer covered swine flu after April 24, 2009, when it was declared that H1N1 was no longer an “unforeseen” circumstance.

Peter Greenberg is the Travel Editor for CBS News. He is also the author of The New York Times best-seller “Don’t Go There!” and “Tough Times, Great Travels,” and host of the nationally syndicated Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio show, as well as travel editor at large for AARP. Visit him on the Web at http://www.petergreenberg.com.