Staying Healthy While Traveling and Upon Return

I have 'brought home" a cold I don't know how many times, at least prior to the pandemic. I guess I just chalked it up to being around and exposed to so many people. Every time I go on an airplane trip of any length I still wonder if I will get a cold from it. (Of course now masking is much more the protocol). It is viruses flying around? Changes in temperature? Fatigue that lowers my defenses? Lack of sleep? I still mask on the bus and the rail, though haven't been on many planes of late. My husband just came back from Mexico with a really bad cold. We have discussed when or from whom it might have come. I do remember once actually "curing" a cold from travel (well, medically who knows)--I had had a cold for a few days prior to leaving for Costa Rica, and within a day of arriving in that country, the cold was gone. Totally cleared up.

I've had fewer to no post-vacation illnesses since I've been wearing a mask in airports and on airplanes. I put on a mask when I get dropped at the curb at the airport and leave it on until I'm in my hotel on the other side except for eating and drinking. I don't mask at home any more but I do not live in a crowded urban environment - It's Idaho, lol!!

I've not done a US road trip other than my annual 2-week trip to Yellowstone and that is just a 7 hour drive.

I do take Airborne for a few days before a trip, on the day of my flight, during my flight and afterward. I also use a neti pot/nasal lavage with a saline solution normally. When traveling I add 1/8 teaspoon of Johnson's Baby Shampoo to the saline mixture as it may have an effect on the replication of viruses.

My SIL, brother and I babysit for their grandkids/my great nephews who are 5 and 2. We don't have much resistance to pre-school ills any more so after they leave I always use the neti pot with the shampoo to clean out anything before it gets a toe-hold. Right now I'm well but my SIL has a sore throat after we kept them for the Super Bowl. Did I just not get a good dose from them or did the neti pot work? Unknown but I will continue my routine.

I'm retired so I don't have to try and jam in everything over 2 weeks when I vacation. I know I'll be back. I also don't leave tired. I have my bag packed and at the front door 2 days before I leave. I have my personal item done the day before. I'm ready to roll on the morning of my flight.

I'm pretty sure everyone is sick of me recommending this but I used the Timeshifter app for jet lag last August on a shorter trip and it worked great for me. I had terrible jet lag in April when flying to Amsterdam and needed to do something to make sure I could get my circadian rhythm back in synch. The program is free for your first round trip so I tried it with good results. They say the research from NASA shows that manipulating circadian rhythm is the key.

I have read that the dry air on airplanes makes our nasal passages less effective at screening out viruses, so I take a bottle of saline nasal spray with me when I fly anywhere, and I try to remember to use it in the period leading up to flights.

Like some others I still wear masks at the airport and on the plane, especially when the plane is not in the air. I wear a surgical masks as I really can’t bear to have an n-95 mask on for a long flight. Not perfect but seems to have worked. I did wear an n-95 mask before there were vaccines. I also put the a/c on full blast and wipe down the tray and arm rests.

I don’t wear masks any more anywhere else but am not crammed in a small space with a lot of other people.

I traveled during the worst of covid and did not get sick which was striking as I was one of those who tended to get sick when I travel. This is why I have kept up my covid practices.

One other thing I do is travel with zicam and take it at first hint of a cold.