5 Myths About Travel That Can Get You Sick If You Aren’t Careful
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After months of preparing, booking, and excitedly waiting for your vacation, there’s nothing worse than getting sick while you’re in paradise. It’s even more upsetting when you follow all the advice you’ve heard from others or social media. The problem is there are tons of myths about travel floating around that can give you the wrong impression about what is and isn’t safe.
Luckily for you, we talked to medical experts and looked at research to debunk common myths about travel so that you can head into your next vacation armed with knowledge. Whether you are traveling to the beach, exploring one of the most underrated U.S. cities, going on a scenic road trip, or visiting a foreign country as a solo traveler, your health is always a top priority.
Read on to learn what myths you may unknowingly believe in, pack your bag with your travel accessories and essentials, and get ready for an amazing—and safe, vacation.
If you are wondering what common myths about travel you may unknowingly believe in, read on to see them debunked and learn some pieces of advice to stay healthy during your vacation.
Myth #1: It’s just Murphy’s Law that you always get sick on vacation.
There may be some bad luck involved, but there is an identifiable reason you often get sick when you finally get away: “You’re more likely to indulge or overindulge, undertake a variety of strenuous activities you might not have the physical fitness for, and stay up late and not get enough sleep,” says William Schaffner, M.D., a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. And if you’re traveling to an area with poor public sanitation and hygiene, you might eat or drink something that makes you sick. “That, of course, can result in an unhappy two or three days when you have to stay in your hotel room,” he says. Travel also means more exposure to people, ergo more germs. To cut your exposure, wash your hands, wear a high-quality mask in public places, drink bottled water, and, if you’re unsure about food safety, try to eat only food that can be cooked or peeled, Dr. Schaffner says. “Travel should be fun and rewarding. So do it, enjoy it, and just don’t overdo it.”
Myth #2: Airplane ventilation is so good that you don’t need a mask.
Airplane ventilation is very good (better than in just about any other indoor space, research shows). Still, by wearing a mask you can reduce your risk of catching COVID-19 on a flight by as much as 54%, a Journal of Air Transport Management study found. That’s because the ventilation system is not even on during seemingly endless boarding and disembarking, and it doesn’t reach its peak until you’re in the air, research shows. Plus, ventilation isn’t perfect—your chances of being infected go up based on how close you’re sitting to a sick person, with the biggest risk being sitting in the same row or a row away. “Even if you’re young, healthy, and strong, while in the airport or on planes, wear your mask. And before you go, get an updated COVID booster and your influenza vaccine,” says Dr. Schaffner. There’s a good chance you’ll be on a flight with an infected person: A recent Malaysian study found COVID-19 in the wastewater of 96% of tested flights between June and December of 2022.
Myth #3: It’s fine to drink tap water in a foreign country if you’re at a fancy resort.
Not necessarily. Take Mexico, the top foreign tourist destination for Americans. While many Mexican resorts serve purified water on-site, use purified water to prepare food, and use ice cubes made from purified water, the water coming out of the taps in your room may be a different story. The CDC recommends against drinking tap water in many countries, including places such as Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and French Polynesia. If you’re not sure about the status of your resort’s drinking water, stick to bottled water. “You should also never allow someone to pour water or another beverage into your glass unless you can see them opening the bottle,” Dr. Schaffner says.
Myth #4: Airplane water is OK to drink.
It’s not great. A 2019 airline water study ranked the water quality of 23 airlines based on criteria such as number of Aircraft Drinking Water Rule violations and water samples positive for E. coli or coliform bacteria. A score above 3.0 means “the airline has relatively safe, clean water,” lead researcher Charles Platkin, Ph.D., founder of the Center for Food as Medicine, wrote in his report. Just four airlines—Alaska Airlines, Allegiant, Hawaiian Airlines, and Piedmont Airlines—met that standard. The study’s authors recommended that to be safe, passengers bring their own water or drink only from sealed water bottles, avoid onboard tea and coffee, and use hand sanitizer rather than water when washing up.
Myth #5: Taking aspirin before flying is the best way to prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Aspirin can be great for helping prevent certain blood clots in certain situations, but not when it comes to travel-related DVT clots, research shows. A major risk factor for DVT clots, which usually develop in the deep veins of the leg and can travel up to the lungs, is poor circulation, for which your risk goes up when you’ve been sitting still for four or more hours, the CDC says. An easy way to lower your risk is to get up and move every one or two hours or do leg exercises like flexing your calf muscles, says Cheryl Mensah, M.D., a hematology and oncology expert and an assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. And don’t forget to “hydrate, hydrate, hydrate,” Dr. Mensah says. “If you’re dehydrated, your muscles can contract, and that can make you more prone to developing blood clots.” She also recommends wearing compression stockings on long trips, especially if you’re at higher risk (you are over 40, overweight, pregnant, or taking hormones, or you recently had cancer or surgery), just in case. “Research shows that compression stockings can reduce risk of superficial blood clots; more research is needed regarding deep ones,” she adds.
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