- 30 April 2009
- 11:28am
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Swine flu: the traveller's view
VivekWLonely Planet author
UPDATE 5 (12 June 2009): The WHO has now declared swine flu a ‘pandemic’. What does this mean? My colleague Adam explains it all in this post.
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UPDATE 4 (29 May 2009): The initial panic over swine flu has now subsided. While the flu will continue spreading, its effects are limited. An Australian who contracted the flu in the USA has claimed that he has ‘had worse paper cuts’.
As of today, almost 14,000 cases of the flu have been confirmed around the world. The death total is at 95: 83 in Mexico, 10 in the USA, 1 in Canada and 1 in Costa Rica.
Travellers should note the following:
* the combined total of swine-flu cases in South and Central America is relatively tiny. So don’t let fear put you off travelling to those regions.
* China has been quarantining anyone suspected of swine flu. If you’ve come from North America, you might wish to consider the timing of your trip to avoid hassles.
The Thorn Tree thread in this post continues to be the best source of up-to-date information.
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UPDATE 3 (6 May 2009): As the world regains its calm, attention is turning to how Mexico plans to restart its economy post-swine flu. The WHO has kept its alert level unchanged.
Sadly, the flu has claimed a victim in the United States whose health was compromised by preexisting medical conditions. Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families and loved ones of all the victims.
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UPDATE 2 (5 May 2009): CNN quotes Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano as saying that ‘the severity of the flu – how sick you get – is not stronger than regular seasonal flu‘. Meanwhile, Mexican towns are beginning to reopen, according to our Thorn Tree community and news reports.
Keep travelling, and stay informed. If you’ve recently travelled and feel sick, consider seeing a doctor. Check back with us. We’ll keep updating the resources below.
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UPDATE (4 May 2009): The BBC is now reporting that swine flu is in decline, according to Mexican officials. However, this doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the winds. The WHO maintains that the threat may have peaked, but it hasn’t disappeared entirely. Do your homework before arranging travel to Mexico. The resources listed on this page should help.
More substantially, the WHO has emphasised that there is no need to restrict international travel. They note that limiting travel would cause much more disruption to the global community than any limited good it might do.
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It’s tough to escape swine flu headlines these days. You may be wondering what this flu outbreak means for travel. Here’s what you need to know.
First, we urge travellers to remain calm and to stay informed. Learn what the various alerts and warnings mean for you. For example, the WHO’s alert status is now at level 5. This means simply that human-to-human transmission has occurred in more than one country. Level 6, the ‘pandemic’ phase, means that human-to-human transmission has occurred in more than one global region. It does not imply anything like universal transmission.
Similarly, many people have been concerned about the state of emergency declared in the USA and some US states. It’s important to note that a state of emergency is a legal term that defines what the government can and cannot do in specific situations. Nations declare states of emergency in order to access funds and other resources to respond to risks. A state of emergency is not an invitation to panic.
We don’t think that fear and panic are particularly helpful – but we certainly do advise prudence and caution. The WHO continues to emphasise that no restrictions on travel are necessary. However, the Centers for Disease Control advise reconsidering nonessential travel to Mexico.
Our Thorn Tree community is doing a fantastic job providing up-to-date information and resources. Check the dedicated swine-flu thread for regular updates from our staff and community.
In sum, we believe that travellers who stay informed and exercise proper caution can still roam the globe. If the situation changes, we will let you know.
As always, if you have concerns or questions, ask us.
Congratulations LP: this post is not only very clear and objective but also very rational and may help less informed fellow travelleres to keep focus and ignore a lot of media-drama going on.
Thank you so much for this information. I suspected it was just a lot of hype, I’m glad it’s still ok to take my son on his first os trip.
keep up the good work
Hi LP, about in a week i am going to travel to Bangkok, Macau, Hongkong & Kuala Lumpur.
do you have any suggestion on this regarding the swine flu, i.e. what will the immigration do about this, city situation, or any other concern that might related a lot with this.
I would love to hear from u.
Thanks.
Regards, Indah.
Thank you for your calm and measured statement on the swine flu outbreak. It is a nice change from the panicked speculations popping up of a massive epidemic a la Stephen King’s “The Stand.”
Hi Indah,
You shouldn’t have any problems. If you are coming from Mexico, you may be more carefully screened for symptoms of illness.
If you are travelling with a cold or any other sickness, you may be pulled aside and tested – especially in Hong Kong. In this case, it might be worth delaying flying until you feel better.
We have folks on the ground in these locations posting in the Thorn Tree (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree). They might have more up-to-the-minute information.
Hope this helps.
vivek
You may all wanna read this latest post from CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/04/swine.flu.main/index.html
Greetings from Mexico City,
Joao
well that a good news for those who wants to go to Mexico. hope everybody will cooperate to lessen the incidents that involve death because of this virus.
Hi
I was planning on doing a yoga teacher training course this summer in southern Baja between Cabos and La Paz and then traveling around Central or South America. I am not too concerned about my health while in Baja, but I was wondering if I will have difficulty getting into other countries after visiting Mexico. Does anyone have any information about this? I would be flying out of Cabos San Lucas into either Costa Rica or Ecuador (my plans are all scattered now!)
Thank you for the help,
Rachel
Hi Rachel,
If you are showing symptoms, you’ll probably get a fair bit of attention. However, no one is closing their borders, and traffic within Latin America seems to be flowing fine.
You should also post this question in the Thorn Tree thread (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?newPost=true&messageID=15655914 – sorry for the long link!), where folks on the ground will have more information.
vivek
hi vivek,
my question is similar to rachel’s but my destination is entirely different. i’m supposed to be going into the yucatan in june to visit some mayan ruins. then, in july, i’m visiting mainland china, entering through shanghai. i know that china has been giving some mexican passport holders a hard time from what i’ve read in the news, but are the chinese giving trouble to anyone with recent visa stamps from mexico in their american passports???
thanks,
roger
Hi Roger,
Right now, we haven’t heard any reports of China denying entry to those who have passed through Mexico. However, according to the Thorn Tree thread, Ecuador has begun restricting entry to such folks.
Knowing that China is traditionally conservative around immigration and customs, I’d advise you to keep on top of the situation (maybe even post in the thread) to make sure there are no unpleasant surprises.
vivek
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I am travelling to Mexico (Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara) on Saturday for a week. I get back to the UK on Sunday 29th June. On Saturday 4th July I fly to China for a 2 week holiday (arriving Beijing, departing Hong Kong).
Should I expect any hassle at the Chinese border having been to Mexico so recently? Anyone had any recent experiences?
Thanks
Adam
Hi Adam,
You might experience some hassles coming into China. It may be best to post this question on the Thorn Tree (link in the original post), and folks who are on the ground will be able to give you updated information.
vivek
Thank you for information
Thank you for information
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