Six Flu-Fighting Tips + Gear Sets for the Winter/Spring Travel Season from Sustainable Travel Store

2020-01-29

With a couple months yet to go of peak flu season, while kicking off what the U.S. Travel Association predicts will be over 2.3 billion domestic (one-way) trips we’ll take, plus welcoming 80.7 million international visitors in 2020, staying healthy is staying top of mind for travelers. Sustainable Travel Store, an ecommerce site offering a first-of-its-kind collection of eco-friendly gear and education for responsible travelers, offers these tips and gear on sale for a healthy new year.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) website notes peak flu activity is between December and February and can last as late as May. According to Dr. Grace Greist MD FACP, an Internal Medicine Faculty member at Ascension St. Vincent’s Primary Care Center in Indianapolis, they recommend flu vaccinations through March and usually see the flu hit the worst when the weather is driest and coldest, which perhaps is yet to come for the 2019/2020 winter season.

“We’re in the middle of high influenza activity right now and seeing it all across the country, which puts travelers at a higher risk” said Dr. Greist. “It’s definitely not too late to get a flu shot, which I highly recommend getting every year because the flu virus evolves quickly, and you want to latest vaccine to fight what viruses are expected for the season.”

Dr. Greist also offered these six tips for travelers:

  1. When to get your flu shot: Aim for at least two weeks before travel. Peak effectiveness is about six weeks after vaccination; but getting it at any point could still be beneficial. Even if traveling to another country where the influenza may be different, it can offer cross-protection.
  2. How to steer clear of germs: Avoid close contact with people who are sick, wash your hands frequently, avoid frequently touching your face and mouth, and disinfect shared surfaces. Wearing a mask may help, but most don’t effectively block all the small viruses in the air.
  3. What to do if you catch the bad kind of travel bug: Rest, drink plenty of fluids and take over the counter meds as needed. Try to avoid close contact with other people and public spaces; be especially careful around very young children, the elderly or people who do not have strong immune systems. Seek medical care if you run high fevers, have difficulty breathing or you have such severe vomiting and diarrhea that you get dehydrated.
  4. When to consult with your doctor: If you have underlying medical problems or are at high risk for flu complications, talk to your doctor before you travel about whether you should bring anti-flu medications. And of course, if traveling out of the country, get medical guidance on other vaccinations you should have.
  5. What to pack: When traveling bring plenty of hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes. Consider bringing common over the counter medications with you, including Vitamin C and E.
  6. What to skip: Lastly, avoid taking antibiotics for simple colds. This is not effective and can lead to antibiotic resistance.

 

To help travelers gear up against the almost 40% of us who will still travel when sick and other winter forces, Sustainable Travel Store is offering a Winter Self-Care Sale, with 20% off a set of eco-conscious favorites from Jan. 20 – Feb. 10, 2020.* Gear featured in the sale and recommended by Sustainable Travel Store Founder and frequent traveler, Lauren Smith, include:

Guard yourself against germs with our travel-size 100% certified organic hand sanitizer, great for hands and wiping down tray tables and armrests with these unpaper towels, and wallet-sized plant-based paper soap sheets.

 

 

Keep your face happy with our favorite, plastic-free pair, the eucalyptus & peppermint sniffle stick in cardboard tube and vegan, unscented lip balm.

 

 


Cozy up with this fleece air filtration Bioscarf, a better-looking alternative to masks that has been tested to effectively filter airborne particles and also supports giving scarves to people at risk of illness from air pollution around the world.

 

Pack your own super-soft organic bamboo travel sheet that’s breathable, moisture-wicking and antimicrobial, plus Oeko-Tex® certified for sustainable manufacturing.

 

 

Fight flu and single-use plastics with a high-quality, reusable stainless steel water bottle with everyday purifier plus easy, drop-and-rinse bottle cleaning tablets.

 

 

Try to fight jetlag by getting on your flight rested and using these No-Jet-Lag supplements. Outside the store, if you feel sickness coming on, Lauren swears by Wellness Formula® vitamins and in the unfortunate situation of flu or stomach issues, this Ceralyte Hydration Powder.

 

 

“With busy schedules and limited vacation time, there’s nothing worse than getting sick while traveling. Unfortunately, studies have shown if we’re within 11 seats of a sick airline passenger, we have an 80% greater likelihood of getting sick,” said Smith. “For flights, I’ve learned to take more vitamins like C and B12 and drink less alcohol; try and control stress and jetlag; avoid or wipe down high-touch areas like the seatbelts, lavatories, call buttons, tray tables, seatback pockets and magazines; and finally to use the overhead air vent, which I’ve read can actually filter out airborne bacteria and help keep fresher air around you.”

About Sustainable Travel Store

SustainableTravelStore.com was founded in 2019 by travel industry executive and certified sustainability practitioner, Lauren Smith, and is managed by a passionate team of wanderlust warriors. The site offers a first-of-its-kind collection of over 300 low-waste, non-toxic, made-from-recycled and other eco-friendly gear, plus education for responsible travelers. Shopping categories include personal care, travel gear and wearables and include carefully-vetted products great for everyday life on the go to the big adventures alike. www.sustainabletravelstore.com

*Save an extra 20% on select gear as displayed on ‘Winter Self-Care’ sale page; valid Jan. 20 – Feb. 10, 2020 on in-stock items at time of purchase, excluding shipping and taxes. Limit one (1) discount code per purchase applied at check out; no cash value. Not combinable with other current promo codes or for use on purchase of gift cards. May be withdrawn at any time; other terms and conditions apply. See our full Promotion Terms here.