COVID-19 pandemic

COVID-19 vaccines are available in most countries, though still easier to find in richer countries than in poorer ones. Get vaccinated as soon as you can, in order to protect yourself and those around you. Vaccination is not a guarantee against getting infected, against spreading COVID to others, against complications, or against death, but it does significantly reduce all those risks.

For most vaccines, the protection is best after having had two doses with several weeks in between and then waiting two weeks for antibodies to develop. If you are going to travel or visit risky areas, you should try to have your doses in time for that.

There are over half a dozen vaccines in widespread use and more still undergoing clinical trials. Vaccines that have been approved by the WHO include mRNA vaccines (Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna), viral vector vaccines (AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson) and more traditional inactivated virus vaccines (Sinopharm, Sinovac and Bharat Biotech). Several others are going through the approval process. While all WHO-approved vaccines are very effective in preventing serious complications and death, their efficacy when it comes to preventing mild and asymptomatic cases varies between vaccines and virus variants.

Depending on the country, proof of vaccination may be necessary for travel. Each country has its own rules, including a list of which vaccines they accept. In general, the "Western" vaccines (BioNTech/Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, AstraZeneca) will open the most doors. Some countries' restrictions include a maximum time since the most recent dose, effectively making boosters a requirement for some travellers. Some require a minimum time since completing the required vaccinations, so last-minute vaccinations don't help. For the Chinese vaccines, Sinovac or Sinopharm, Singapore requires you to have three doses, with the third dose 3 months after the second, in order to be considered fully vaccinated.

Evidence of vaccination may not exempt you from other measures being imposed, including quarantine, as you may still spread the disease. On the other hand, lack of vaccination will exclude you from some countries and may mean stricter testing or quarantine requirements in others.

Whenever possible stay outside and avoid public indoor spaces, especially crowded spaces.

Many governments around the world have advised their citizens not to travel unnecessarily amid the pandemic. Particularly avoid cruise ship travel. Travelers who have not yet been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, especially older travelers and those with certain medical conditions, are most at risk and should avoid travel, especially long plane flights, visits to crowded places, and cruises, even outside of severely affected areas.

In affected areas, you should practice physical distancing (social distancing). This means minimising contact with others by keeping a distance of six feet or two meters from them and avoiding gathering together in groups. Measures you are encouraged to take include working from home whenever possible, avoiding crowds and avoiding leaving your home unless necessary. If you must go out, try to stay at least 2 m (6 ft) away from other people. In many places these measures are required. Some areas prohibit gathering in large groups; others prohibit all group gatherings.

COVID-19 is transmitted through the air and through objects, and it is contagious even without symptoms. Follow hygiene practices like for flu prevention. These include:

• Wear a mask in public in areas where transmission is widespread, and especially where physical distancing isn't possible (such as shops and public transportation). Medical masks are recommended for people over 60, people with underlying conditions, those who are suspected of carrying the disease, and those who are in close contact with infected people. Wearing a mask is required in some countries and cities in an effort to reduce community transmission. In some areas any sort of face-covering is accepted, such as a scarf, or just a T-shirt. Even if you aren't worried about catching the virus, you should still cover your face, to avoid transmitting it to others in case you have an asymptomatic infection. Many countries are experiencing shortages of surgical masks.
  • Make sure to use the mask correctly. The mask should cover your nose and mouth and fit without gaps. Wash your hands before putting on the mask and avoid touching the mask while wearing it. If you do touch it, wash your hands immediately afterwards. When the mask becomes damp, discard and replace it. Remove it from the back, throw it away, and then wash your hands.
  • Increasingly mask mandates specify that a FFP2 (KN95) mask needs to be worn. Those may be scarce in certain times and places. Reuse, while common, is still not proven as perfectly safe (a common recommendation is to let the mask rest or dry in ambient air for seven days before reusing) so stock up before you go to a place that mandates those masks.
• Open windows of rooms and vehicles when possible, for good ventilation and airflow.
• Frequently wash your hands with soap and water, and then dry your hands on a clean towel. As coronaviruses are enveloped viruses, washing your hands with soap kills the virus by disrupting the mostly fat-based viral envelope. Effective hand washing requires rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. Drying your washed hands physically removes some germs from your skin (so don't skip that step, and don't share towels).
• If soap and water are not available, then use a >60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Alcohol is a quick germ-killer, but it's not quite instant, so this still requires the same 20 seconds of rubbing your hands together, making sure that every single scrap of skin gets wet, and then you have to wait about another minute, for the alcohol to completely dry.
• Disposable gloves can also be useful if you have to handle multiple things others may have handled or sneezed on when it's not convenient or possible to wash your hands. One example would be going to a public building where you would have to open doors and push elevator buttons. After you're done using them, take them off touching them minimally (they will naturally fold inside out, hiding the outer possibly infected surface, and the one first off can be left inside the other), discard them and wash your hands as instructed above.
• Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth. Most people touch their faces every few minutes, all day long. Try to do this less, and try to wash your hands before touching your face. Also, try to avoid touching surfaces you don't have to touch in the first place, at least with your bare hands.
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow or a tissue, and then immediately throw away the tissue and wash your hands.
• Keep your distance. Formerly 1–2 m was recommended: Could you touch the other person's hand without taking a step towards that person? If the answer is yes, then you're too close. Now the recommendation is 2 m, which would be more like your full length with stretched arms.
• Don't stand or sit near people who might be sick.

Other actions include:

• Clean objects and surfaces that a lot of people touch, such as doorknobs, phones, and television remotes with regular household cleaner. Disinfect the surfaces with a suitable disinfectant, such as diluted household bleach.
• Stay home when you are sick, and avoid contact with other people until your symptoms are gone. In many cases you should book a test at once, but avoid putting others at risk when going to the test site.
• Do not share personal items that come into contact with saliva, such as toothbrushes, eating utensils, drinks, water bottles, and towels.
• The practice of serving yourself from a common plate with your own chopsticks, common in China, should be avoided. Instead, you should use communal chopsticks to prevent contact with saliva.
• Greet people without touching them. Avoid hugs, kisses, handshakes, fist bumps, and any other contact. If it's impossible to avoid contact, then wash your hands both before and after.
• Take a note of the locations you visit and make sure you complete the location's contact tracing register (if they have one). If someone catches COVID-19, public health officials can use the information to identify those at risk of catching the virus through close contact and requiring them to self-isolate and get tested. Ultimately, the aim of contact tracing is to identify chains of transmission, allowing public health officials to get ahead of the chain and stopping further spread.

Avoid crowded areas, especially enclosed areas without much air circulation, such as conferences, performances, shopping malls, public transportation, and religious services. Events which involve a large scale gathering of people, from religious pilgrimages to music concerts, have been canceled around the world, in an effort to contain the spread of the virus. Tourist attractions, businesses, and transportation may be closed. Some canceled events, especially performances, sporting events, and classes, are being moved online, which means you can experience them without traveling.

At petrol/gas stations, use gloves or wipe down the handle with a disinfectant wipe if you can. After filling up, clean your hands with hand sanitizer.

Infections can spread easily on cruise ships, and on-ship medical care is limited. Amid a cruise ship outbreak, quarantines and docking are challenging partly due to the large numbers of people aboard. Even cruise ships without confirmed cases have been denied permission to dock due to virus fears, and in the high-profile case of the Diamond Princess in Japan, hundreds of people were infected on the ship.

See also: Flight and health

On a plane, follow the same hygiene practices as anywhere else: wash hands frequently, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if it's not convenient to leave your seat, wear a mask, and avoid touching your face.

Researchers have found that passengers in window seats have less risk of contact with sick people. Avoid moving around the cabin during the flight.

After washing your hands and before sitting down, use disinfectant wipes to wipe down the area around your seat. Wipe hard surfaces, and if your seat is leather you can wipe that too. Don't wipe a cloth seat, as the moisture can make transmission easier. When using disinfectant wipes, follow the instructions on the packaging. And remember, viruses enter through your mouth, nose, and eyes – wiping down the area doesn't hurt, but it's not a substitute for proper hygiene. Wash your hands and avoid touching your face. And use a tissue to touch the touch screen or other controls.

When using the lavatory, use paper towels to turn off the faucet and open the door, then throw them away.

Airlines are taking steps to reduce transmission and keep passengers safe. For instance, these may include cleaning facilities more frequently, allowing or requiring flight attendants to wear masks, and serving prepackaged instead of freshly heated meals. Some airlines require passengers to wear masks and may remove you from the flight if you refuse. If a group of passengers is connecting from an area with a severe outbreak, the flight attendants may be able to seat them away from the rest of the passengers (and if you were recently in a high-risk area, consider telling the flight attendants for this reason). If possible, flights may keep middle seats or alternating rows empty to increase distance between passengers. Some airlines are allowing passengers to cancel if the flight gets above 70% capacity.

You may be prohibited from changing seats on the flight. This is so that, if someone on the flight turns out to be infected, the authorities can track down the people who were sitting near them for testing or quarantine.

Some countries and regions, especially severely affected ones, have implemented emergency lockdowns and restrictions on people's movements and activities, even for those who haven't recently been abroad. These include the temporary reintroduction of some border controls, restrictions on travel within the country (for instance, mandatory registration or quarantine upon arrival in some states or provinces), closing or limiting service at restaurants and other establishments, banning large public events, and in the most severe cases prohibiting people from leaving their home except for essential purposes. Beyond government restrictions, individual establishments have shut their doors and cancelled events to try to reduce the spread of the virus.

In an attempt to contain domestic outbreak and track down infected patients, various countries have developed contact tracing mobile apps, such as China's Health Code and New Zealand's COVID Tracer. You should download and register (if necessary) for these apps before your travel. In some countries their use may still be mandatory, and using fake ones may attract criminal liability.

Penalties for violating restrictions vary by location: in some places they are not enforced much, but in others authorities take the rules very seriously and issue large fines along with imprisonment and deportation for violations.

With lots of flights cancelled, warnings issued, and restrictions imposed, flying in the time of coronavirus can be a challenge. Some routes are not possible. Others will require more inconvenient connections than usual—multiple stops and long waits between flights. In some cases that means more expensive tickets.

Build in extra time for your connections, especially if transferring from an international flight to a domestic flight and especially if your itinerary involves a country that has stringent restrictions. Screenings, temperature checks, extra paperwork, and the associated waiting around can add minutes or hours before you're allowed to continue on your journey.

Connecting flights can be a problem in some cases. Although international-international transit passengers generally face fewer restrictions than arriving passengers, the risk of getting stuck in the connection city is higher than usual right now, due to delays for screening and testing as well as extensive cancellations. Connecting in an affected area may lead to entry restrictions later on, and if you've been in an affected area recently some countries won't even let you change planes. On certain itineraries there is a risk of getting quarantined somewhere along the way. So book a non-stop flight if you can, and if not, think carefully about where to connect. Avoid short layovers.

Once your ticket is booked, monitor the reservation in case your flight gets cancelled. Airlines are drastically cutting back flights, and flight cancellations have become common. If your flight is cancelled, contact your airline or travel agency. Depending on the route, another flight the same day may not be available, or not in the same price range, so you may have to reschedule for a different day. No small number of travellers have been stranded by widespread cancellations.

In uncertain times, plans can change. Consider buying refundable tickets.

Many embassies and consulates have evacuated nonessential staff, and some have shut down operations completely. Emergency assistance should still be available, though it's possible you may have to contact a further-away consulate if your local one has shut down. If you have been stranded due to the pandemic, your nearest consulate may be able to help you find a flight home, arrange an emergency loan so you can buy a ticket, or provide an emergency passport. At the very least they can keep you informed about the local situation and notify you about recently introduced travel requirements and restrictions.

Ordinary consular services such as visa and passport processing may be suspended or restricted to urgent need, depending on the location and the consulate.

If you are traveling or living abroad, now is an excellent time to register with your embassy or consulate for updates on restrictions, flight availability, and other developments.

As a result of the pandemic, xenophobia has risen in many countries, primarily but not exclusively targeting people perceived to be Chinese. There has been a worldwide spike in racist incidents targeting people of East Asian origin, including physical assaults, and including in major cities such as New York, London and San Francisco.

Levels of xenophobia have also risen in Asia, with some restaurants, hotels, and other businesses in China, Japan, and India refusing service to foreign customers. In China, discrimination is particularly severe against black people, with some having been evicted by their landlords.