Concerns about new Omicron subvariant (B.5) in Portugal?

Covid appears like it's going to be around for a long time. BA.5 is most likely not going to be the last Omicron variant. If we want to travel again, we're either going to have to wait, maybe for a lot longer, or just start learning to live with it and assume we get Covid when traveling. Take precautions to reduce the risk. Be prepared in case you get infected and have to extend your stay, delay your departure home from Europe, etc. Consider travel insurance.

But even people who are "double boosted" are getting breakthrough infections. Another shot of the same vaccine might reduce your chances of getting Covid a little - but it's not something I would count on. I want my parents, who are older than me (seniors) and more likely to have compromised immune systems, to get a second "booster." But personally, for myself, I am waiting for an Omicron-specific vaccine (this fall?) instead of getting another shot of the same vaccine I've already had a few times. I don't think I need another "booster."

Yes, the numbers of infections have gone up after the relaxing of mask mandates. Little surprise there. However, the hospitalization and death rates are still going down.

We also have more tourists around than we have since 2019.

I still wear my mask in crowded situations - not just on public transport - use my hand sanitizer, etc.
I agree that Covid isn’t going away any time soon and I am (trying) to be less anxious about it. FYI - I have been traveling a fair amount throughout Europe this spring and it’s been great to be back traveling!

Get good travel insurance in case you test positive while here and need to extend your stay.

We arrive Lisbon 6/12 and I don't return until 7/4.

We are fully vaxed and double boosted, but who knows. I purchased flight insurance but am somewhat skeptical that they will actually pay if we can't make the flight. As to the AirBnB costs; if we test positive the day we are to leave, we should get about a 50% refund.
Then again, we could test positive once in Portugal and have to quarantine.

I am 73 and don't see it getting better next year nor me getting any younger.

It's a crapshoot. "You pays your money and you takes your chances."
Dennis

@Dennis. You need more that flight insurance. You need trip insurance to cover the cost of having to quarantine if necessary. We are traveling today, and I paid $400 for trip insurance that will cover up to 7 days in a hotel ($150 max) and the flight delay as well.

Traveling now a days, we always spend the extra $ and get travel insurance (ages 68) it's worth the peace of mind. We are also 2x boosted.

Take care and wear your mask around others for sure, wash your hands, and bring hand sanitizer for when you can't. Covid is here to stay.

Just returned
I am the nervous Nelly of travel and shared your concerns. But went anyway and I'm glad I did

Everyone masked on public transport but otherwise not so much. No one made any comments about wearing your mask either way. I took a test with me though I never ended up using one

After I returned I read about travel insurance that lets you speak to a Portoguese doctor via internet call. Maybe look for that?

Also some hotels let guests quarantine there for cut rate if that becomes necessary. Or you can pick a hotel with a one day cancellation policy. And of course travel insurance should cover any significant costs

Some airlines are still letting you "cancel" (voucher) if you test positive before you leave

The fact is most of the places you will want to go are outside And you can eat outside all the time So avoiding crowds wasn't as much of a problem as I thought

Hope this helps

I'm with you, we have to just be careful or we'll never travel again (we're seniors also). But I have a question - I'm all about masks, and eating outdoors as much as we can. But the hand sanitizer - wasn't that started when we thought you could get COVID from contact with surfaces? And now we know it's basically airborne, you get it from people breathing/sneezing/coughing on you - hence the masks. I've really stopped the obsession with handwashing (I DO wash my hands!) and hand sanitizers, should I start THAT up again?

But the hand sanitizer - wasn't that started when we thought you could get COVID from contact with surfaces? And now we know it's basically airborne, you get it from people breathing/sneezing/coughing on you - hence the masks. I've really stopped the obsession with handwashing (I DO wash my hands!) and hand sanitizers, should I start THAT up again?

You are correct in that COVID is primarily airborne. However, using the hand sanitizers is still beneficial in reducing other viruses that can be spread through contact. The high incidence of masking and hand washing/sanitizing is what kept flu rates so low the last two years. Not a bad idea to use the hand sanitizers when handwashing is not available, especially when traveling.

Totally agree with Andrew. Covid is not going away, you either travel with precautions in place or you don’t travel.

On the other hand, overuse of hand sanitizers may be contributing to antibiotic resistance. I stopped using them and washing my hands (more than I washed them pre-Covid) about a month after the start of the pandemic, once it became apparent that Covid is primarily an airborne virus.

Andrew makes a good point about antibiotic resistance. Isn’t that why it’s good to let babies crawl on the floor and put their grubby hands in their mouths? We want to develop natural resistance, and not have to live in a sanitary bubble. I’m SCARED of COVID, I’m not scared of a cold. Of course I wash my hands, but I don’t carry around hand sanitizer anymore.

No it’s not good to let babies crawl on the floor and put their grubby hands in their mouth, Exposure to germs in small amounts is good for babies, but in large amounts it is not good.

I agree hand-sanitizer is way over-used and not good on a constant basis to kill germs (it does not “clean” your hands).