Places like airports, hotel rooms, restaurants, and popular tourist destinations that draw hundreds of visitors a day can be germ magnets. According to one study published in August 2018 in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases, which was conducted at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport in Finland, the plastic trays at the security checkpoint were crawling with more germs than even the bathroom doorknobs and toilet flush buttons. And, while whether COVID-19 can be transmitted from surfaces is still being debated, an analysis of 18 studies, published in the journal Science of The Total Environment in July 2021, found the virus could survive on money, steel, and glass surfaces for up to 21 days. The list of disease-causing bacteria found on surfaces like hotel bathroom countertops and subway poles can sound terrifying: staphylococcus, Bacillus spp, E. coli, and even drug-resistant organisms. It’s true, things that get touched by a lot of people are gross, and the germs left behind can be harmful. But there are actions you can take to increase your chances of having a healthy trip. “You can’t always ‘not touch’ things,” says John Gobbels, a former flight nurse and paramedic, and chief operating officer of Medjet, a company that specializes in medical transports and travel safety. “But if you avoid contact between your hands and your eyes, nose, and mouth until you can wash or sanitize them, that will help cut down on a lot of transmission.” Read on for more tips about how to protect yourself from travel germs — because the last thing you want to worry about when you’re getting away from it all is bringing a bug home with you.
Know Where Germs Congregate (It’s Not Always Where You Think)
Public bathrooms are never going to be a bastion of cleanliness, but they’re far from the only spots that harbor lots of germs. You’re likely to pick up pathogens any place that strangers tend to touch frequently, including surfaces you might not even think about twice: airplane tray tables, subway poles, restaurant menus, and, especially, surfaces or objects in hotel rooms. In a study presented to the American Society for Microbiology, a team of researchers investigated the bacteria found on 18 different surfaces in nine hotel rooms in Indiana, South Carolina, and Texas. They found that about 81 percent of the surfaces in those rooms were home to fecal bacteria. The worst culprits? The TV remote, the toilet, and the bathroom sink. The light switch, carpet, and telephone were also contaminated with potentially disease-causing bacteria, and even many of the cleaning supplies on housekeeping carts were crawling with harmful germs. Bathroom door handles, believe it or not, scored lower than the aforementioned surfaces on contamination. Keep in mind that the study was performed pre-COVID. Since then, the American Hotel and Lodging Association, an industry organization with many major hotel chains on its advisory council, has released enhanced cleaning and safety guidelines (PDF). And one small study isn’t a reason for you to skip your vacation, but many experts agree that you’re better safe than sorry when it comes to surfaces you know have been touched by many other people. “Don’t throw clothing and towels on the floor and then reuse them, don’t set your toothbrushes on the counter, remove the comforter or bed coverings when you arrive,” says Gobbels. “Basically, be cognizant of contacting surfaces with items you might put near your face.”
Be Proactive About Your Health
The best way to protect yourself from the germs you encounter while traveling is to wash your hands regularly. Really wash them. “Keep hand sanitizer handy, although this does not substitute for proper handwashing,” says Amanda A. Kostro Miller, RD, a nutritionist who is based in Chicago. Miller also recommends bringing antibacterial wipes to wipe down hotel room surfaces, trying to find restaurants and food vendors that practice safe food handling processes, and making sure your hotel room has a refrigerator if you plan to bring any food back to save for later. If you’re traveling abroad, make sure to check with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to see if you need a vaccine. Some of the most common diseases that require vaccines and medication regimens before traveling are COVID-19, malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, hepatitis, and other insect- and water-borne illnesses. You should also check the CDC’s travel health notices to find out about the levels of risk of ongoing disease outbreaks and healthcare accessibility in foreign countries. The CDC says to make sure you are up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccines before traveling to many countries.
How to Avoid Getting Sick on a Plane
So you’ve gotten your shots and you’re armed with hand sanitizer, but now you’re about to settle in for a long flight on a plane full of people breathing the same air. This can be a nightmare for those worried about germs. But what’s really happening up there? In a study published in March 2018 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, researchers (with funding from Boeing) took 10 transcontinental U.S. flights on single-aisle planes to observe the behavior of passengers and flight attendants. Their goal was to estimate, based on that behavior, how easily airborne germs might spread. The study results indicated that “respiratory infectious disease is unlikely to be directly transmitted beyond one meter from the infectious passenger.” In other words, if you’re sick and coughing, it’s possible you’ll infect people one row in front of you and one row behind you. If you’re a flight attendant, however, you could put more people at risk of infection. The researchers only encountered one person — out of 1,540 passengers and 41 flight attendants — who was coughing. They emphasized that most germ exposure happens before people even get on the plane, thanks to surfaces like security bins and bathroom door handles. To avoid spreading the cold or flu among travelers, airlines often provide antiseptic wipes to clean airplane seatbelt latches, tray tables, armrests, window shades, and overhead vents and buttons. If you’re not sure if your airline provides wipes, bring your own. And while face coverings are now optional for most U.S. travelers, you may want to mask up for some segments of air travel. Since the air on planes is filtered, risk is low during flights. But it’s not zero, especially if you’re sitting in the same row as someone who is COVID-positive, or one row in front of them or behind them, according to a study published in December 2021 in the journal PLoS One. And you could also be exposed to COVID-19 when you are checking in for your flight, passing through security, waiting in the boarding area, or picking up your luggage.
How to Boost Your Immune System Before Traveling
Self-help gurus and Instagram influencers are full of ideas for how to prep your body for travel, from “detox” teas and juices to vitamin boosting shots that are mostly not well supported by research evidence. But by the time your trip is a few days out, it’s likely too late for anything apart from hydrating and getting enough sleep to make a difference. “While you may think that you should ‘load up’ on vitamins and minerals like vitamin C to boost your immune system before your trip, vitamin loading won’t really help in the short term,” says Miller. “A diet that is usually full of vitamins and minerals will keep your immune system running at its best.” Your best bet for sickness-free travel is to keep a healthy routine of sleeping well, drinking enough water, eating foods rich in fiber and omega-3s, and washing your hands often. Additional reporting by Stephanie Thurrott.
