Amid the Coronavirus Threat

Amid the Coronavirus/Covid-19 threat, the world is taking measures to avoid public gatherings or mass events. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is postponed to October in 2020, Austin cancels South by Southwest Festival, NBA and NHL both halt their sport seasons, conventions throughout are either cancelled or rescheduled, and the House also prepares for telework scenarios. People around the globe are at risk and bracing for the worst. Should you then, take that trip you planned months ago? The answer depends on where you’re going and how cautious and knowledgeable you are about the contagion.

As experts point out, testing and isolation, not travel bans, are what we need against Coronavirus. Do take precautions when traveling, though. Equip yourself with updated, accurate information and stay clear of potential contagious sources. There are four travel advisory levels: Level 4 -- do not travel; Level 3 -- reconsider travel; Level 2 -- exercise increased caution; and Level 1 -- exercise normal precautions. The countries listed below require particular caution if/when you’re travelling.

As of March 12, 2020, countries that are now under the category of Level 4: Do Not Travel, include China and Iran, according to the Department of State’s travel advisory. Other non-coronavirus risk indicators, including terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict involve: Haiti, Iraq, Mali, Central African Republic, Venezuela, Yemen, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, Syria, Somalia, Afghanistan, North Korea, and Libya.

Italy, South Korea, and Mongolia are at Level 3 -- Reconsider Travel. Italy and Iran are among the countries with the largest numbers of cases outside Asia. Other non-coronavirus risk indicators, including terrorism, kidnapping, and armed conflict involve: Pakistan, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nigeria, Lebanon, Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Sudan, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

Japan, Hong Kong, Macau listed at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution. Other non-coronavirus risk indicators, including crimes, civil unrest, and arbitrary enforcement of local laws involve: Ukraine, Guinea, Russia, Serbia, Timore-Leste, Brazil, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Nepal, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Mauritania, South Africa, Belgium, Mexico, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, The Bahamas, Tajikistan, Dominica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, Peru, Spain, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar (Burma), El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Malawi, Ethiopia, Cote d’lvoire, Uruguay, Netherlands, Madagascar, Egypt, Denmark, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sri Lanka, Germany, Kosovo, Guyana, Zimbabwe, Maldives, United Kingdom, Republic of the Congo, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Uganda, Trinidad and Tobago, Philippines, Kenya, Colombia, Cameroon, Bangladesh, Algeria, Morocco, France, India, Guatemala, Turks and Caicos Islands, Eritrea, Antarctica, Belize, Tunisia, Israel, and Jordan.

Countries listed at Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions are: Thailand, Palau, Solomon Island, Micronesia, Luxembourg, Australia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Poland, Croatia, Canada, The Kyrgyz Republic, Samoa, Armenia, Zambia, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini, Botswana, North Macedonia, Seychelles, Mauritius, Fiji, The Gambia, Rwanda, Equatorial Guinea, Cabo Verde, Bulgaria, Austria, New Zealand, French Guiana, Djibouti, Tonga, Kiribati, Ireland, Brunei, Belarus, Suriname, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Laos, Finland, Norway, Andorra, Hungary, Cyprus, Romania, Estonia, Slovakia, Latvia, Moldova, Ghana, Albania, Greece, Malta, Czech Republic, Iceland, Lithuania, Portugal, Benin, Togo, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saint Kitts and Nevis, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Panama, Comoros, Turkmenistan, Saint Lucia, Malaysia, Georgia, Angola, Kazakhstan, Nauru, New Caledonia, Sweden, French Polynesia, Vanuatu, Barbados, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Montserrat, Antigua and Barbuda, Tuvalu, Grenada, French West Indies, Mozambique, Bhutan, Paraguay, Sao Tome and Principle, Gabon, Sint Maarten, Curacao, Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Bermuda, Aruba, Liberia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Singapore, Uzbekistan, Marshall Islands, and Argentina.

Coronavirus spreads through respiratory droplets through proximity, contact, and the surfaces upon which the droplets land -- like airplane seats and tray tables. The University of Chicago Medicine defines exposure as being within six feet of an infected person for 10 minutes or longer. How long those droplets last depends both on the droplet and the surface -- mucus or saliva, porous or non-porous. To a lesser degree, respiratory viruses can also be transmitted through the air in tiny, dry particles known as aerosols. Viruses like moisture, and many fade from being infectious if left dry for too long.

No matter where you are or where you travel to, the most important thing is to stay healthy and clean: eating right, sleeping plenty, washing your hands with regular soap or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after being exposed to/touching any public surface. While on a plane, sit at the window seats to avoid exposure to the virus or close contact with others. Limit your own movement throughout the airplane; do not touch your face, eyes, mouth, or nose with unwashed hands. Follow the public health measures and hope for the best.

冠状病毒的威胁

在冠状病毒/ Covid-19威胁之下，世人皆正采取措施来避免公众聚会或群众活动。 Coachella山谷音乐艺术节推迟到2020年10月，Austin取消了South for Southwest Festival，NBA和NHL都暂停了运动季节，许多会议也被取消或重新安排，众议院并且已为远程办公做准备。全球各地的人们正处于危险之中，并为最坏的情况做好了准备。在这节骨眼，您是否该按照几个月前计划的行程进行旅行？此答案乃取决于您要去的地方以及您对传染病的谨慎和了解程度。

正如专家指出，我们需要针对冠状病毒进行测试和隔离，而非禁止旅行。不过，在旅行时请务必采取预防措施。为自己配备最新，最准确的信息，并远离潜在的传染源。当今有四层旅行戒备级别：4级--不旅行； 3级-=重新考虑是否旅行; 2级-加强谨慎戒备；1级--采取正常的预防措施。在旅途中，您必须在以下列出的国家/地区特别小心谨慎。

根据美国国务院的旅行咨询于2020年3月12日的分类，现在属于“第4级：请勿旅行”类别的国家包括中国和伊朗。其他非冠状病毒风险指标包括恐怖主义、绑架和武装冲突，所涉及的国家包括：海地、伊拉克、马里、中非共和国、委内瑞拉、也门、南苏丹、布基纳法索、叙利亚、索马里、阿富汗、朝鲜和利比亚。

意大利、韩国和蒙古处于3级程度--重新考虑旅行。意大利和伊朗是亚洲以外病毒案件数量最多的国家。其他非冠状病毒风险指标包括恐怖主义、绑架和武装冲突，所涉及的国家包括：巴基斯坦、布隆迪、刚果民主共和国、尼日尔、尼日利亚、黎巴嫩、几内亚比绍、乍得、苏丹、洪都拉斯和尼加拉瓜。

日本、香港、澳门列在第2级：增强谨慎度。其他非冠状病毒风险指标包括犯罪、内乱和当地法律的问题，所涉及的国家包括：乌克兰、几内亚、俄罗斯、塞尔维亚、Timore-Leste、巴西、哥斯达黎加、玻利维亚、尼泊尔、阿塞拜疆、印度尼西亚、毛里塔尼亚、南非、比利时、墨西哥、塞拉利昂、坦桑尼亚、巴哈马、塔吉克斯坦、多米尼加、古巴、智利、厄瓜多尔、秘鲁、西班牙、巴布亚新几内亚，缅甸、萨尔瓦多、沙特阿拉伯、土耳其、马拉维、埃塞俄比亚、科特迪瓦'lvoire、乌拉圭、荷兰、马达加斯加、埃及、丹麦、波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那、斯里兰卡、德国、科索沃、圭亚那、津巴布韦、马尔代夫、联合王国、刚果共和国、牙买加、多米尼加共和国、乌干达、特立尼达和多巴哥、菲律宾、肯尼亚、哥伦比亚、喀麦隆、孟加拉国、阿尔及利亚、摩洛哥、法国、印度、危地马拉、特克斯和凯科斯群岛、厄立特里亚、南极洲、伯利兹、突尼斯、以色列和约旦。

处于第1级的国家/地区--采行通常预防措施包括：泰国、帕劳、所罗门岛、密克罗尼西亚、卢森堡、澳大利亚、斯洛文尼亚、黑山、波兰、克罗地亚、加拿大、吉尔吉斯共和国、萨摩亚、亚美尼亚、赞比亚、纳米比亚、莱索托、埃斯瓦蒂尼、博茨瓦纳

北马其顿、塞舌尔、毛里求斯、斐济、冈比亚、卢旺达、赤道几内亚、佛得角、保加利亚、奥地利、新西兰、法属圭亚那、吉布提、汤加、基里巴斯、爱尔兰、文莱、俄罗斯、苏里南、瑞士、列支敦士登、老挝、芬兰、挪威、安道尔、匈牙利、塞浦路斯、罗马尼亚、爱沙尼亚、斯洛伐克、拉脱维亚、摩尔多瓦、加纳、阿尔巴尼亚、希腊、马耳他、捷克共和国、冰岛、立陶宛、葡萄牙、贝宁、多哥、阿拉伯联合酋长国、卡塔尔、阿曼、科威特、巴林、圣基茨和尼维斯、英属维尔京群岛、安圭拉、巴拿马、科摩罗、土库曼斯坦、圣卢西亚、马来西亚、格鲁吉亚、安哥拉、哈萨克斯坦、瑙鲁、新喀里多尼亚、瑞典、法属玻里尼西亚、瓦努阿图、巴巴多斯、圣文森特和格林纳丁斯、蒙特塞拉特、安提瓜和巴布乌达、图瓦卢、格林纳达、法属西印度群岛、莫桑比克、不丹、巴拉圭、圣多美和原理、加蓬、圣马丁、库拉索岛、开曼群岛、博内尔岛、圣尤斯特歇斯和萨巴岛、百慕大、阿鲁巴、利比里亚、柬埔寨、越南、台湾、新加坡、乌兹别克斯坦、马绍尔群岛和阿根廷。

冠状病毒通过呼吸道飞沫传播，并通过近距离、接触和飞沫降落表面来传播，例如飞机座椅和餐桌。芝加哥大学医学院将短距接触定义为距离受感染者六英尺以内10分钟或更长时间。这些液滴持续多久取决于液滴和表面--粘液或唾液，多孔或无孔。在较小程度上，呼吸道病毒也可借由微小的干燥颗粒（称为气溶胶）形式通过空气传播。病毒喜爱水分，如果干燥时间过长，许多病毒会丧失其传染性。

无论您身在何处或在哪里旅行，最重要的是保持健康和清洁：饮食正确，睡眠充足，在暴露于公共场所或接触过任何公共场所之后，要用普通肥皂洗手或使用含酒精的洗手液。而在飞机上，您最好坐在靠窗的座位上，以避免接触病毒或与他人紧密接触。限制自己在飞机上的移动；不要用未洗的手触摸您的脸，眼睛，嘴或鼻子。遵循公共卫生措施，祈求世界安好，同心协力度过此一难关。

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