Dos and don'ts of (almost) post-pandemic travel


THE EXPERTS SAY: If you're fully vaccinated, you're probably fine flying, but driving's safer when it comes to infection-prevention. “Most viruses and other germs do not

spread easily on flights because of how air circulates and is filtered on airplanes,” according to CDC travel guidance, though it adds that because social distancing is so difficult on a

plane, flying “may make you more likely to get COVID-19.” That's why the safest way to travel and protect your family from COVID-19 is still by car, says Gina Suh, M.D., an infectious

disease expert and head of the travel clinic at the Mayo Clinic. (Note, though, that if you're vaccinated and you do get infected, your symptoms are likely to be no worse than a bad

cold.) INFLIGHT I thought I was mentally prepared for the flight, but it was more nerve-racking than I expected. Yes, I kept my mask in place — except to eat — as required by law. But I was

stuck in a middle seat with masked strangers on either side of me. Both occasionally unmasked to eat and drink, and they forgot on occasion and briefly left their masks off even after

eating. I simply touched my own mask to remind them, and both quickly put their masks back on. Experts agreed on the most important step: We all were fully vaccinated by the time of our

departure. THE EXPERTS SAY: If you're anxious about exposure, despite being fully vaccinated, you might start a conversation mentioning that you are vaccinated in order to find out if

the people sitting around you are, too, says William Greenough, M.D., a retired geriatrician from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an international expert in infectious disease.

Whether or not they are, if you're vaccinated, you are well protected. But if they're not, and that makes you uncomfortable, you can try to change your seat. RENTAL CAR Once in

L.A., we boarded the shuttle bus to pick up our rental car — careful to wear our masks and staying socially distanced from other riders, as required. We did not wipe down the car interior.

THE EXPERTS SAY: It's not critical to wipe down rental cars. “There is very little [in terms of the COVID-19 virus] that you can catch from surfaces,” Greenough says. HOTEL Checking

into our hotel on the beach in Santa Monica was a breeze. The Shore Hotel required everyone to wear masks and to social distance indoors. When we checked into our room, we were too tired to

wipe down the nightstand, the TV remote and the bathroom.