Covid-19 has drastically changed everyone’s life, putting all of us under two to three months of lockdown. The impact and fear of this virus is mostly decreasing and the global lockdown is finally opening up. Wider travel and international border crossings are starting to resume once again, allowing visits to see family, friends or undertake new adventures. But this doesn’t mean that it’s safe to go out there without any precautions, below are five tips on how to stay safe from the Covid 19 virus when travelling.
1. Check Government Guidelines
Do research information published by local authorities regarding areas you are visiting or travelling through to confirm current lockdown status. Most authorities have segregated places into different zones based on the level of infection. Areas with large or increasing numbers of Covid-19 cases or with local containment restrictions should be avoided, even if they have interesting attractions or friends and family live there. You should wear a mask all the time, especially when indoors and in confined areas, like hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. where social distancing is trickier.
On the other hand, the authorities will also publish information about safe zones with minimal or zero cases. These will make ideal adventures destinations, so pack your bags, load them on a universal roof rack, and voyage to the places you always wanted to go.
2. Pre-ride Safety For Bikers And Motorcyclists
For people who love riding, staying inside was almost impossible during the quarantine, but now we can hit the road again. Before you take your bike for a spin, do take on board the safety measures below:
Sanitise Your Motorcycle
While your motorcycle spent most of its days in a public parking lot, or by the side of pavement during the lockdown period, who knows how many people may have passed and touched the bike’s handlebars, seat, etc. It would be wise make sure that there is no trace of any virus on your bike’s surfaces, by sanitising it with a non-alcoholic disinfectant, preferably hypochlorous (bleach) solution.
Caution: Make sure that the bike’s ignition is turned off when you carry out this step.
Choose A Full Face Helmet
Opt for a full-face helmet over an open face helmet. You should avoid wearing an open face helmet because it won’t provide as much protection against the microbes in the environment. If you can’t purchase a face-covering helmet, make sure to put on the mask before the ride, take it off once you are at your home, or your hotel room.
Pack With Caution
If you are a biking nomad and carry your luggage on the bike, take extra measures to maintain the hygiene of your bags. Consider placing a plastic cover over all your bags, and sanitise the cover before touching it. This step will ensure that your bags and other camping gear (if any) doesn’t come in contact with an infected person whilst parked up.
Mandatory Mechanical Check
You may not have used the bike in the last few months, but that doesn’t mean that your bike is in the same state that you left it in. Before going on a road trip, make sure to perform a thorough pre-ride mechanical check list, like the POWDERS motorcycle check. This includes checking tyre pressures, greasing the chain, checking brakes and electrics. If in doubt, call out a local mechanic to fully check your bike before you take it for a ride.
3. Carry a Disinfectant Bottle With You
In the current climate, riding or driving will be preferable to taking public transport. If for some reason you have to travel by public bus or train, make sure to disinfect everything you are going to touch, like railings, seat handles, seats, window panes, etc.
If you are travelling in your own vehicle, you will probably stop at places for breaks, filling fuel, or just to admire the marvellous landscape that you might visit. Make sure to disinfect all the things you touch at these places with your bottle of disinfectant. Although staff at these places may already follow all the safety measures, it never hurts to double-check.
4. Wash And Sanitise Your Hands Regularly
The coronavirus will typically enter the body through the mouth, nose, and eyes. If we sanitise our hands after touching public property, our chances of contracting the virus decreases significantly. It may seem like stating the obvious, certainly since for the past three months we’ve all watched hundreds of commercials telling us to wash our hands. Nonetheless, even after so many ads, many are still reluctant about washing hands.
5. Boost Your Immunity
You can take all the precautions to safeguard yourself from virus contact, but it would also be wise to make your immune system stronger in case you do contract it. You should regularly take natural immunity boosters like citrus fruits and multivitamin tablets to protect you from the infectious virus.
If you want to boost your immunity before going on a trip, here is a traditional one for you. Take ginger, lemon, basil, turmeric powder, black pepper, cinnamon powder, clarified butter, cumin seeds, Ashwagandha (Indian Ginseng) powder, and fennel seeds, and add them to 300 ml water. Boil this mixture until half of the water evaporates, what’s left is the best decoction to maintain a healthy immune system.
Drink this remedy every second day and your immune system will be resilient against the virus and other microbes. The ingredient Turmeric has proven health and immunity benefits, while the others also have significant value in boosting the immune system.
Conclusion
This coronavirus outbreak is dangerous for everybody, may adversely damage your health and should not be dismissed lightly. At the same time, we cannot stay inside forever, so the best solution is to exercise caution and stay informed of essential safety measures. By following these top five tips, you will be safer when travelling during the covid 19 pandemic.
