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The coronavirus continues to expand 3:40
(CNN) - It is still quite what is unknown about the outbreak of Wuhan's coronavirus and health authorities ask to have a lot of vigilance.
That means that those who travel or travel the world should be aware of the virus, stay away from the most impacted areas and take some of the preventive measures they would use to avoid the flu and other diseases.
- READ: Airlines and countries that are suspending flights to China and countries that are denying entry to Chinese passengers for the coronavirus
This is all travelers should know about the outbreak of the coronavirus.
USA intensifies precautions to prevent the spread of the virus
The new travel restrictions to stop the spread of the coronarás took effect on Sunday night in the United States.
Any US citizen who has visited the Chinese province of Hubei during the last 14 days must undergo a mandatory quarantine of up to 14 days when he returns to the US, said Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar.
Now, Americans who have been in the rest of mainland China for the past 14 days have to go through a review at one of the 11 designated airports in the country for that purpose.
- LOOK: What to do if a case of coronavirus arrives in your city?
If the passengers are evaluated and show no symptoms, they will be relocated to their final destination and will be asked to place themselves in a quarantine for up to two weeks inside their home, the Health Department said.
The new rules also include being temporarily denied entry to the U.S. to foreigners who were recently in China, Secretary Azar completed.
Warnings discourage trips to China
The U.S. Department of State He increased his trip warning to China to the highest level. The entity's notice is in “Level 4: No trips”.
Along the same lines, the travel warning issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also at the highest level, urging travelers to avoid any non-essential transfer to China .
- LOOK: PHOTOS | Airports and train stations take steps to contain Wuhan's coronavirus
For its part, Britain and Canada are among the other nations that have issued travel warnings to China.
The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus an international public health emergency, after an emergency committee met again on January 30 in Geneva.
Not to mention that several foreign governments, including the United States, Britain, France and South Korea have evacuated their citizens from Wuhan, where the outbreak began.
The CDC is warning to avoid any non-essential trip to China. (Credit: Stringer / Getty Images)
Airlines are suspending flights to China
Airlines around the world are canceling their flights to China.
Delta Air Lines stopped its transfers between the United States and China last Sunday, four days earlier than it was initially scheduled. The suspension will extend at least until April 30, according to a company press release.
American Airlines also stopped flights between the US and China from January 31 until March 28. In addition, American canceled some flights to Hong Kong.
For its part, United Airlines will suspend US flights. to Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai from February 6.
- LOOK: Researchers fear that China will not report the total number of coronavirus affected
Other airlines, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, Air Asia, EgyptAir, Cathay Pacific, Air India and Finnair, have similarly reduced or suspended service to China.
Many flight companies offered exemptions on exchange rates or the option to cancel and obtain credit on a future flight.
Travelers with upcoming plans should check with their airlines and look for notices posted on the companies' websites.
Additionally, several cruise lines, including Azamara, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Silversea, have canceled scheduled trips to China.
Cruise companies have also modified travel programs to avoid some ports of call and have intensified passenger inspection procedures, including denied boarding to those who have been in China recently, according to CruiseCritic.com.
It is unlikely that most travel insurance will cover this situation.
Airlines are easing their cancellation policies and some of the major hotel chains are exempting their fares for the same reason, but recovering all costs associated with canceled trips due to fears of Wuhan's coronavirus is far from being a guarantee.
- MIRA: Coronavirus outbreak: is it covered by travel insurance plans?
An outbreak of a virus is not something that is covered by most standard travel cancellation insurance, according to TravelInsurance.com.
"For those who bought the optional Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) category, some protection measure may be available against trip cancellation," said Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com.
"In the case of those who have an existing travel policy, it is necessary to contact their travel insurance providers to find out if their plans have any coverage," Sandberg advised.
Tips for travelers who can't avoid going to China
Travelers who cannot delay their trip to China should apply more stringent precautions and avoid contact with sick people, animals and animal markets, as well as wash their hands frequently and thoroughly, as recommended by the CDC.
The CDC indicates that hands should be washed often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used when soap and water are not available.
- READ: How do doctors who care for people with coronaviruses care?
It is also important to discuss trips to China with health care providers, the CDC notes, explaining that older adults and travelers with underlying health problems may be at greater risk.
Now, travelers who have visited China during the past two weeks and have fever, cough or shortness of breath should seek treatment immediately and call medical providers in advance to inform them of recent trips to the Asian country and its symptoms.
The CDC also recommends that potentially infected travelers avoid contact with other people, do not travel while ill, and make sure to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve (not their hands) when coughing or sneezing.
Universal precautions to prevent infections apply to all travelers
Some of the precautionary measures mentioned above apply to all travelers, especially during the winter respiratory illness season.
Influenza, for example, is a major threat to global public health than the coronavirus at this time, notes Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of medicine in the infectious diseases division at Vanderbilt University.
- READ: A deadly virus spreads in the US and it has already infected 15 million people: it is not the coronavirus, it is the influenza
By the time the flu season ends, it "will have literally caused thousands of hospitalizations and unfortunately several thousand deaths," he adds.
"The coronavirus will be a weak point on the horizon when comparing the two diseases, but we have a small outbreak of anxiety about the coronavirus at this time because it is new, it is mysterious ...", he added.
In the United States alone, the CDC estimates more than 8,000 deaths so far this flu season.
Wuhan's coronavirus is not a major concern for Americans traveling within the country, says Schaffner.
Some US airports They have implemented health checks for travelers arriving from the affected areas of China. (Credit: David McNew / Getty Images North America / Getty Images)
However, in this era of global travel, you can never ensure that the risk of being exposed to something is zero, says Dr. Yoko Furuya, associate professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at the University Irving Medical Center from Columbia.
But most cases hitherto affect Wuhan and the surrounding cities in Hubei province. "While the risk will not be zero, in general there will be no particularly high danger" outside that area, he says.
Hand washing is a strong protective measure, facial masks are less effective
Schaffner has received many questions about whether people should wear masks to prevent infections.
He has realized that culturally it is something very common in Asia, but he clarifies that the CDC does not recommend its use for the general public because “the scientific basis that shows that people in the community who use the masks really have some benefit It is very limited and questionable. ”
- MIRA: Are the mask really good to protect against the coronavirus?
Tighter respiratory masks can be worn in medical settings, but in general they are not practical for the general public, Schaffner insists.
"Good hand hygiene is always a good idea to protect yourself from any virus and other pathogens in your environment," says Furuya.
Air travel is part of how viruses spread
In the case of places outside the region primarily affected by the coronavirus, air travel may be where there is more chance of risk, says Furuya, because it is quite likely to meet international travelers from areas with high incidence of the virus
"When it comes to the global spread of outbreaks, air travel is usually the way things are transmitted quickly from one country to another," he adds.
Schaffner says that the spread of winter respiratory diseases on airplanes is always a concern. "More than once, and I'm pretty sure, I've acquired a winter virus on the plane while traveling or working in crowded airports," he says.
Again, frequent and strong handwashing is vital to reduce viral transmissions.
Christina Maxouris, Betsy Klein, Jen Christensen, Michael Nedelman, Sherisse Pham and Hanna Ziady, all from CNN, contributed to this story.
coronavirus Wuhan corononavirus precautions