Numerous individuals who made travel plans before the coronavirus was first recognized are presently rethinking their outings.
In any case, health experts say the fear of the infection has far outpaced its risk, and travel, even to nations neighboring China, is safe.
“The risk right now primarily travels to China,” explained Dr. Dean Blumberg, Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of California, Davis. “So 99% of all the cases are in China, and 80% are in Hubei province where Wuhan is located, the epicenter of the outbreak. So your risk of travel to any other country is extraordinarily low.”
Dr. Blumberg said he believes the U.S. government has just set up adequate protections, including adding a travel advisory to China. Dr. Blumberg added that he would make a trip to nations that neighbor China.
“If you’ve got plans to go to Thailand or Malaysia or Japan or Korea where we know there are been cases, but a very small number of cases, I would still go,” Dr. Blumberg said. “The risk is extraordinarily small. The real risk is travel to China at this point.”
All things considered, there is an away from psychological component to such fear of travel when such a significant number of inquiries stay about the coronavirus.
“It’s hard to damp down that natural protective factor,” explained clinical psychologist Dr. Eunie Jung. “You know it’s kind of what keeps us safe. Like the evolutionary mechanism to keep ourselves safe is really strong.”
The reality, in any case, in any event, for the individuals who catch the virus, the danger of death is just somewhere in the range of one and two percent.
“If we think about it, lots of things are out of our control,” explained Dr. Jung. “But that doesn’t mean those things are going to happen to you. And so if you were to follow your fear around everything, most people would have to stay at home because any moment you step outside, something can happen.
“But it usually doesn’t. It usually doesn’t happen. That’s why we’re standing here going to work and hanging out with people and doing the things we want to do.”
Dr. Jung said it’s important to be gentle with oneself as well as other people if they feel that dread form.
“I mean I would first validate,” said Dr. Jung. “It’s a natural reaction. Like it’s not wrong, it’s not bad. But to try and get as much space and see it as an emotional reaction and not reality.”
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Truth Classified journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.
