Health and travel: how to stay healthy during the coronavirus pandemic

Planning and preparation

Before travelling, it is recommended to learn more about possible health risks and actions to reduce or eliminate them. Recommendations are usually based on a number of factors such as the travel destination, planned activities, length of stay and type of accommodation, health status etc. It is always recommended to check if your health insurance covers certain health services costs, especially if you are travelling abroad *. It is also recommended to consult an epidemiologist for questions regarding protective vaccination or preventive use of certain medications.

*Given the current epidemiological situation, it is not advisable to travel abroad unless absolutely necessary. If the reason to travel is justified and necessary, the basic and most important instructions for preventing the spread of the coronavirus must be followed: physical distancing, wearing a face mask indoors and frequent hand washing/disinfection.

Protection against infectious gastrointestinal diseases

All infectious gastrointestinal diseases are transmitted similarly, i.e. by ingesting the pathogens through the mouth via dirty hands or contaminated food, beverages or objects. General precautions include:

• Consumption of tested drinking water and water for personal hygiene (bottled drinks)
• Consumption of freshly prepared foods that are sufficiently thermally processed
• Thorough washing of food items with tested water that meets health safety standards
• Avoiding consumption of raw foods, ice cream and sweets of questionable quality
• Reinforced personal hygiene measures (frequent washing and disinfection of hands and surfaces)
• Seeking immediate medical attention in case of diarrhoea, fever, vomiting etc.

Protection against insect and animal-borne diseases

Direct or indirect contact with insects or other animals can cause an infection with any number of diseases that are transmitted by insect stings or bites, animal bites or scratches, or contact with their secretions. To reduce hazards and risks, it is recommended to:

• Avoid direct contact with both wild and domestic animals
• Avoid swimming in stagnant water (dangerous due to animal secretions)
• Wear appropriate clothing and footwear in addition to using a safety net during sleep and repellents
• Avoid consumption of raw or undercooked meat and other animal products (milk, eggs, fish and seafood etc.)
• Seek immediate medical attention in the event of a snake bite, sting or scratch caused by any other animal, especially in case of any illness with fever.

Protection against sexually transmitted diseases

Travelling, change of environment and a relaxed holiday atmosphere are often associated with more frequent situations of unplanned or impulsive sexual contact. Because such actions can have undesirable health consequences, most notably in the form of sexually transmitted diseases, responsible sexual behaviour is crucial for risk prevention and mitigation, which includes:

• Abstinence, i.e. refraining from sexual intercourse
• Maintaining sexual relations exclusively in a mutually faithful relationship
• Regular and proper use of protection (condoms etc.) throughout every sexual intercourse with all sexual partners
• Regular and proper personal hygiene (washing hands and genitals before and after sexual intercourse), which also reduces the risk of transmitting infectious gastrointestinal diseases.

Precautions for returned travellers

For their own safety, but also for the safety of their relatives and wider community, the Law on the Protection of the Population from Infectious Diseases (Official Gazette 79/07, 113/08, 43/09, 130/17 and 47/20) provides for a health screening of returned travellers to identify the occurrence of a particular infectious disease in a timely manner with the aim to treat the infected person while taking other necessary measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the community. It is obligatory to determine where and when the person was travelling and when they became ill.

Given the current epidemiological situation, it is recommended that returned travellers avoid places and events with larger crowds and groups of people, especially indoors, but if these cannot be avoided, it is recommended to wear a face mask, frequently wash/disinfect hands and maintain physical distance from other people, i.e. avoid close personal contact with others (less than 1.5 meters apart) for 14 days after returning from abroad.

Protective face masks as well as gloves can be classified as medical devices, in which case they must be manufactured under controlled conditions and in accordance with specific regulations. The entire process of marketing a medical device can be time-consuming and exhaustive, but Marti Farm has many years of experience in working with medical devices, and with its team of experts provides the best possible service for its clients. If you are planning to certify a medical device such as face masks or gloves and require assistance with any part of the regulatory procedure for medical devices, we invite you to connect with us.

Measures in case of suspected coronavirus infection: if a person develops symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g. fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue, headache, loss of smell and/or taste, muscle and joint pain) within 14 days of returning from abroad, they must stay at home and contact their doctor by phone for further instructions.

Although many of us would like to spend our well-deserved summer vacation somewhere outside the city or country where we normally live and work, under current conditions it is necessary to remain responsible and considerate of both other people’s and our own health. Even though it is not easy to accept new, necessary preventive habits and the “new normal”, they should become part of our daily lives and responsibility for our wellbeing.