Should SARS affect your travel plans?

[tonado]

http://www.bcentral.com/articles/elliott/139.asp

-------------------------------------------------

 

Should SARS affect your travel plans?

 

Power Trip / Christopher Elliott

 

Just a mention of SARS, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome, is enough to leave most of us feeling apprehensive.

 

But for frequent travelers, talk of this mysterious virus continues to trigger a considerable amount of anxiety as well.

 

With good reason. Spending time on planes, in airports, at hotels and in other public places appears to increase the odds of infection.

 

A recent survey by the National Business Travel Association found that more than half of all travel managers had seen reductions in business trips because of SARS fears. My alma mater, the University of California, even took the unusual step of banning most trips to the parts of Asia affected by SARS. It also decided not to accept students from universities in Hong Kong, Taiwan, the People's Republic of China and Singapore for its 2003 summer session.

 

Are we overreacting? Maybe.

 

If SARS remains generally confined to several Asian countries, then it's more a question of balancing the possibility of an infection against the value of the trip. The United States has avoided major outbreaks. Essential business trips may be worth the chance; nonessential leisure trips internationally might not be.

 

If SARS isn't contained as the year wears on, we will all be rethinking our itineraries. At some point, you'll have to review your schedule to determine what part of your trip can be refunded or rebooked to a later date — and what part is lost.

 

Should I stay or should I go?

 

 

I'll be rooting for the first scenario, of course. I'm hoping that the steps taken by governments and the World Health Organization (WHO) will have proven to be effective in stopping this deadly disease.

 

Still, I was curious to find out whether travelers had decided to either stay or go. So I asked a few of them, and here is a representative sampling of the responses.

 

Stay: wary of WHO warning. E. Aimee Concepcion had planned to visit China and South Korea in the spring. On part of that trip, she was to meet her sister, who is stationed in South Korea. "Because of SARS, my sister was barred from going to any of the Asian countries affected by the disease," says Concepcion, a Platteville, Wisc., software engineer. "Then the World Health Organization sent out its alert." Unable to meet her sister, and wary of the WHO warning, Concepcion canceled her trip. She incurred a penalty, but says it was well worth it. "I probably would have worn a mask on the plane and on my layovers," she adds. "I didn't want to do that."

 

When should you stay home? When you're afraid you'll get sick. Also, when circumstances such as quarantine measures or other scheduling conflicts related to virus-prevention measures begin affecting your itinerary. Calling a trip off when you can no longer achieve your trip objectives is a sound reason for staying put.

 

Go: "We all came back healthy." For Diane Reinig, a software consultant in Basking Ridge, N.J., a trip to Thailand and Hong Kong coincided with a major WHO warning. The person leading her delegation researched SARS before they left and decided it was safe to travel. "On March 27, we flew into Hong Kong from Bangkok," she remembers. "The only signs we saw was the crew wearing masks as they said goodbye to us as we got off the plane and the empty airport that greeted us." She recalls that about a quarter of the people she met in Hong Kong were wearing protective masks. In retrospect, Reinig says she's surprised her group traveled — knowing what she knows now. "But the good news is that we all came back healthy."

 

When should you go? Sometimes the value of a trip outweighs the outside chance of becoming infected with SARS. That was a decision made by Reinig's leader. It's a tough call to make, and may not be the best one to make if you are headed somewhere in the throes of a major SARS outbreak. The higher the risk, the more you really shouldn't go. However, when business travel is critical to the survival of your company, there are times where you do need to take chances.

 

But . . . what if?

 

We think we've seen the worst of SARS already. But if we haven't, all bets are off. I don't think any travel expert would advise you to put yourself in harm's way.

 

Should SARS threaten to spread further across the globe and not show signs of being conquered, you owe it to yourself, your co-workers and your family to cancel your trip. Here are three precautions you can take now to make sure you don't lose the value of your trip:

 

Insure your trip. Now more than ever, consider taking out cancellation insurance policy, which will protect you if you call things off because of SARS. Typically, if you've spent more than $1,000 on your ticket, it needs to be insured.

 

Know the rules. Airline policies regarding SARS can be confusing, but here's the rule you really need to know: 14CFR part 382 / regulation 382.51 (5). That's the rule in the Code of Federal Regulations that says if your travel is postponed because of a communicable disease, the airline must let you reschedule your flight without a penalty or, at your discretion, offer a refund.

 

Use a travel agent. In times like these, a travel professional is an important ally. An able travel counselor can help you anticipate problems and in some cases can "bend" rules that the airlines have set in stone. (For example, if you buy certain airline tickets through an agent, you have a grace period during which you can void your itinerary without incurring a cancellation fee.)

 

Yes, SARS is a scary disease, and it must be taken into account when planning trips to Asia and other international destinations. But it doesn't have to stop all your travels or sink your business. I haven't let the prospect of this communicable disease alter my plans for domestic travel.

 

Whether your approach is risk-tolerant or cautious, you must be able to protect yourself — and the value of your trip.

[sarah36]

The current going seems more hesitating than before with the concerns of sars. But its not impossible to go, because even if you go to the most seriously contagious city in China, you will have much percentages not getting the disease. The important thing is you need to be very careful!

 

 

There are two best ways to protect yourself away from the virus going into your body. One is keeping the room well ventilated. Two is washing your hands as soon as you enter where you lives.

 

 

 

Sarah

[wolf]

Sars is bad, but out of the numbers of people that have been infected to the general population, I don't think it is as bad as the papers are making out. Hong Kong got hit hard because it came fast and hit a hotel where it spread fast to other countries. But like Sarah said if you take care than this shouldn't stop anyone from traveling. I will go to ShenZhen June 2, but will also take some masks and anti- wipes and will keep my hands clean. I say good luck to anyone traveling now days. Doesn't matter where, there are problems everywhere. What's the difference if you get sars or get mugged, one way or the other, you aren't going to be a happy camper.

[PJ]

All,

 

Anyone know what the situation is like these days? I was tracking it closely through western news outlets (CNN, MSNBC), but have not seen any updates recently. Hopefully no news is good news?

 

P.J.

[tonado]

Tuesday May 20, 12:42 AM

WHO urges caution over low China SARS figures as Taiwan medics walk out

 

HONG KONG (AFP) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) cast doubt on a sharp decline in the number of SARS cases in China in recent weeks as Taiwan's crisis deepened with mass resignations of medical workers.

 

On the day that SARS hotspot Hong Kong finally appeared to be turning the corner in its fight against the deadly disease, announcing one new infection and four deaths, the picture in its giant neighbour was less clear.

 

The WHO moved to dampen expectations after the Chinese health ministry reported five new SARS deaths and 12 new cases -- China's lowest toll from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) since authorities admitted covering up infection figures a month ago.

 

They took the nationwide death toll to 289 and the number of cases to 5,236, with three of the latest deaths and seven of the cases in Beijing and one death each in Hebei and Tianjin.

 

However, the WHO was not convinced by the sudden fall in cases, which had seen new reported daily infections slip from 203 to 160 by May 5, 80 a week later and to 28 on Sunday.

 

"We're wary of these figures. We're not sure how they are being arrived at. We're not prepared yet to say that things are on a downward trend," the WHO's spokesman in Beijing Bob Dietz told AFP.

 

"We're cautious, and we're wary about the numbers," he added. "One of the things we're afraid of is too much exuberance and that things will lighten up too soon, and that we will regret that later."

 

China's Health Minister Wu Yi added her own word of caution, saying a relapse in the epidemic was likely if the country became complacent.

 

Wu is in Switzerland to attend the annual assembly of the WHO where SARS is topping the agenda and where experts over the weekend stressed China still faced huge hurdles in battling the disease.

 

SARS has left more than 600 people dead and nearly 8,000 infected in around 30 countries since it first emerged in southern China in November last year.

 

Delegates to the WHO meeting in Geneva have been asked not to attend if they have been in close contact with a SARS patient or been to a hospital treating the disease in the preceding 10 days, the WHO said.

 

"It's a rule that applies to everybody, we know that SARS is able to travel," spokeswoman Christine McNab told journalists.

 

Taiwan, which will push for WHO observer status in Geneva in the face of bitter opposition from China, was meanwhile embroiled in a deepening SARS crisis.

 

The resignation en masse of health workers placed intense pressure on the island's healthcare system as it desperately battles the disease's spread.

 

Within the space of a couple of weeks, Taiwan has gone from being relatively untouched by SARS to the third-worst affected territory.

 

The blame has been laid at the feet of the island's health authorities, who have been accused of being slow to respond in the early days of infections.

 

Monday saw healthcare personnel join the attack when 21 staff from Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital and 124 staff from Chang Gung Hospital in Kaohsiung reportedly quit in protest at the lack of funds available to fight the disease.

 

"We do not want to become martyrs ... we need sufficient equipment to protect us while treating SARS patients," a Chang Gung nurse told local television station TVBS.

 

The walkout followed the death on Sunday of a 49-year-old nurse, who is expected to be listed as Taiwan's 41st SARS victim out of 344 cases.

 

President Chen Shui-bian, inaugurating the island's first designated SARS hospital -- Sungshan Military Hospital -- attempted to rally the disgruntled staff with a promise of more resources.

 

But his move was overhadowed by news that two more hospitals had been added to the three already forced to close wards over SARS scares. Another two have closed completely.

 

With four more deaths and one new infection, the mood was brighter in Hong Kong.

 

For the fourth day in a row it had recorded less than five new cases, one of the conditions set by the WHO for the lifting of a travel advisory against the former British colony that has decimated its tourism industry.

 

A further indication the territory was inching back to normality was the reopening of schools across all age ranges. Many had been shut since late March.

 

In Manila, officials said they had requested the WHO remove the Philippines from a list of countries that have had recent local transmission of SARS, saying no new cases of the disease had been found for 20 days.

 

The announcement of a second probable SARS case in Finland however could hamper Filipino efforts. The 27-year-old Finn fell ill hours after returning from the Philippines on May 14.

[lori&dave]

After 1 month's close observation of SARS situation, Dave made the trip fm CA to Shanghai then we flied to Lijiang-Yunnan and had a wonderful vacation there. (due to SARS, almost no tourists there).

 

Well, first, we didn;t travel to seriously infected areas like Beijing or HK, second, we kept watching the news not only fm WHO and China but also CNN. If u look at things fm both sides, u will find more truths. We evaluated risks and we made cautious decisions.

 

Dave was back last Wed. in CA and currently he's under "quarantine period"-10 days back home. (too bad he's bored)

 

Bon Voyage!!(things getting much better now here...)

[owenkrout]

Things appear to be improving. I say appear because anyone who has lived here knows enough to be very skeptical of facts and figures coming from the government. Current governmental decrees may have made it more likely that things would be under-reported.

 

I got this from a reliable source who would be in the know and who was not supposed to be telling me. The reason foreign teachers are even more restricted in travel than Chinese citizens, at least in Liaoning, is because there was a meeting for all Liaoning educational authorities and it was decreed that if I were to get SARS, my schools Foreign Affairs officer would "resign". If a class of students were to have to be quarantined due to SARS then the school's President would "resign". If a school were to be closed due to an actual SARS outbreak then the Head of the Liaoning Educational Authority would "resign". They know that it would be impossible to hide a foreign teacher having SARS, so nobody wants to take the chance.

 

I asked if Shenyang had any cases of SARS. "No."

They why are the students restricted to campus? "Because of SARS."

But if there are no cases of SARS in Shenyang then one can't catch it here. "That's right!"

So why restrict the students? "Because it is not safe because of SARS"

 

Then they wanted me to fly out through Beijing Airport.

Me: I would rather not transit through Beijing. Them: Why not?

 

Me: Just being safe. Beijing is still the worst place in the world for SARS and I would have to stay overnight at a hotel there. Them: Oh, don't worry. Beijing is safe now.

 

Me: You told us that anyone coming into Shenyang from Beijing would be turned away or quarantined. Them: Yes. That is correct.

 

Me: If I returned to Shenyang through Beijing right now I would be quarantined? Them: Yes

 

Me: If Beijing is safe, why would I be quarantined? Them: Because of SARS.

 

Me: I'll just fly out through Seoul. Them: Why?

 

It kept going in circles, but the end result is that I am flying out through Seoul.

 

New public notice posted this afternoon here in Shenyang. People don't have to "beat" dogs and cats when they see them, but now owners are required to keep their pets indoors except between the hours of 8:00 PM and 6:00 AM.

 

If pet is ill you must take it to the veterinarian immediately and pets are subject to being quarantined.

 

Overall, I figure there was an over-reaction that is still occuring, but in their defense you have to recognize the extreme importance of keeping this out of the general population outside the major cities. The primitive public health system there simply could not cope with a large number of cases of something this serious.

[sarah36]

Same as here. All the universities in Qingdao have restricted students going out to the campus since two weeks ago, when things were obviously getting better. Qingdao is also not infected except one case found in the far suburb region. But why they do so? Because of sars. Many things now have the reasons with sars.

[wolf]

Everything I am reading seems to point to the slow down of sars. From everything my fiancee in ShenZhen tells me, everything is back to normal there, but I think at the borders one most still go thru checks. Now that the warm weather is hitting many area, I think this will clear up for the summer and may return in the fall as is the way with any flu type sickness. Now I think many things are being blamed on sars, only to not give the real reasons for such acts, as was talked about adoption in prior post.