Is travel essential to your work? Josh Vignona looks at the challenges of coronavirus business travel and how to build a routine that protects your health.
“Hey Josh Vignona, how do you manage business travel during coronavirus?”
As someone who’s traveled during this pandemic, I get this question a lot. And I mean A LOT.
But even after navigating socially distant jetways and face-shielded bellhops for the past six months, it can sometimes take me a second or two to come up with a good answer. I mean, explaining how to manage the redeye to San Fransisco can be difficult even in “normal” times. But in the midst of a global outbreak?
After a little head-scratching and a lot of thought, I’ve cobbled out a few pieces of advice I think can better prepare you for coronavirus business travel.
And while I can’t say these will remove the anxiety from your next experience, I think they can help prevent surprises and better protect yourself and others at each step in your journey.
Josh Vignona: How to tackle coronavirus business travel and maximize safety
Perhaps the most common question I get about business travel during coronavirus is this:
“Josh Vignona, even with all the right precautions, how do you eliminate your risk for getting the virus?”
It’s a great question. And for most, my answer isn’t very surprising:
You can’t.
After combing through countless studies, airport hazard signs and company travel disclaimers, I’ve learned there is no way to completely erase your risk for COVID-19 – even in the most ideal of situations.
Fortunately, there are some good practices to help minimize your exposure and protect your health during each trip:
Stay clean and socially distant
Know how careful you are when going to the grocery store or visiting the neighbors?
Those same precautions you take during everyday activities are just as important if not more during business travel, when the opportunities for exposure go up dramatically.
While nobody’s ever declared Josh Vignona a health expert (at least not yet), I do know that wearing the proper PPE and keeping your distance are vital to protecting your personal health and safety.
- Wear masks. Most airports, airlines and hotels these days require you to wear a mask, making it crucial not just to have one on your face, but (at least) 2-3 backups in your pocket or carry-on in case something happens.
- Limit contact with surfaces. Do your best to limit contact with armrests, rails, counters, doors and other surfaces throughout your trip. Gloves can sometimes make this step a little easier.
- Keep your hands clean. Make it a habit to locate and utilize handwashing opportunities after each situation. Carry a small container of approved hand sanitizer to use where soap and water aren’t accessible.
- Don’t touch your face. Ever.
- Follow the 6-foot rule. While nearly impossible on a packed flight*, staying 6 feet away from others in airports and hotel lobbies is just good practice.
*Air travel often requires sitting next to others for hours, which can often increase your risk for COVID-19 exposure. But because of how air is circulated and filtered on airplanes, germs don’t travel easily, making the overall risk of infection relatively low.
Research local conditions and requirements
Another good question I often get about coronavirus business travel:
“Josh Vignona, is coronavirus business travel the same everywhere?”
While I’d like to say the experience is the same no matter where you go, health and safety protocols for business travelers can vary widely. This is mostly due to the ebb and flow of local outbreaks, and how different governments and regions react to them at any given time.
When a new hotspot starts to emerge, it may soon be followed by tighter distancing restrictions, local quarantines and sometimes even partial or complete bans on travel. The reverse may be true when infection trends begin to decrease, leading to reductions or lifting of restrictions that may increase opportunities for in-person (but distanced) business meetings.
Because things can change so quickly, it’s always a good idea to research local conditions before you head out the door. To stay updated on the latest in coronavirus travel restrictions, I’ll usually cross-reference sources like Covid Controls and the U.S. State Department website.
Covid Controls offers a pretty good real-time database on outbreaks, levels of containment, number of cases and lockdowns in different areas around the globe. The State Dept. provides info on official travel advisories and alerts to note as you plan or adjust your next trip.
Pack right and plan accordingly
Coronavirus adds yet another challenging element to international business travel, piling on a hefty layer of extra information and additional routines that can test even the most resolute of mindsets.
But while things may feel somewhat upside down, I believe the right levels of preparation and patience can go a long way toward keeping ourselves safe and on an even keel.
PACKING
Just as in pre-pandemic times, business travel is made a lot easier when we have the right gear. In addition to having that cellphone charger and extra pillow at your side, Josh Vignona recommends packing:
- 3-5 cloth masks. Extra face masks provide a convenient backup when others break or get lost.
- Gloves. Use gloves whenever possible to avoid touching surfaces.
- Alcohol-based based wipes. Disinfectant wipes are essential when surface contact is unavoidable.
- Hand sanitizer. Having a small bottle of hand sanitizer can be an effective backup when handwashing opportunities aren’t available.
- Thermometer. A reliable thermometer is key to tracking potential symptoms and staying updated on your health.
PLANNING
Coronavirus protocols often add extra time and frustration to the business travel process. Proper planning can help navigate those additional routines and reduce the anxiety that comes with getting through your day.
Giving yourself a few extra minutes to check luggage and make it through security can help reduce the stress of traversing pandemic-era safety procedures, ensuring you’re on-time and able to avoid rush-related mishaps that may potentially increase exposure.
This also goes for essential in-person meetings, where accounting for additional time provides the wiggle room needed to keep everyone safe and properly distanced throughout.
Learn more about Josh Vignona and how to manage coronavirus business travel on his Facebook and Twitter.
I’m Josh Vignona and #bizleisure has become a lifestyle. Don’t have the foggiest idea what that is? All things considered, it’s a LIFEstyle that I decide to live by. Being a business explorer doesn’t need to mean letting your life pass you by out the window of a plane or at the lodging bar. For me, business travel life is tied in with living at the time and place you are in and getting a charge out of the entirety of the encounters that encompass my day. Follow my Blog and Social Media to learn everything about it!
