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COVID And Hotels: What You Need To Know For A Safe Stay

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It’s the peak of summer, and normally you might be on vacation with friends and family. But not this year: COVID-19 infections are rampant in much of the United States, and new hotspots seem to be emerging daily.

Amid it all, you’re worried about dear old mom and dad - you haven’t seen them since Christmas and sure could use a (physically distant) check-in to make sure they’re OK. Or maybe after four months of stay-at-home you and your family just. Can’t. Take. It. Anymore. And you need a dose of fresh air, sunshine and the open road.

Experts pretty much all still agree that you’re safest at home.

But if you do head out, a road trip staying in hotels is a relatively safe option, provided you take precautions. According to rankings published last week by the Texas Medical Association, a typical two-night hotel stay carries low-moderate risk, riskier than grocery shopping or going for a walk, run or bike ride, yet safer than going to a beach, mall or backyard barbecue.

Dr. John Carlo, CEO of Prism Health North Texas, was part of the team that created the chart above. He says hotels are low-moderate risk because of “the relatively high ability [to] easily maintain 6 feet of distance from others, avoid high-touch surfaces, and have a relatively low density of people inside a building.”

I took a trip recently and stayed in hotels, and the majority of lodgings I visited were quite vigilant about safety. The experience began outside, with posted regulations and policies before you even enter...

Once indoors, staff were diligent about wearing masks, and most hotels had installed clear plastic barriers at the front desk between guests and staff, with easily accessible hand sanitizer nearby. I also observed staff regularly disinfecting surfaces such as counters, and many front desks featured separate containers for sterilized and used pens.

Yet all those precautions don’t let guests off the hook. The message from health experts remains clear: everyone needs to take personal responsibility to protect themselves and others, especially while traveling, given that transmission might happen at any point.

Dr. Dean Blumberg, Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UC Davis Children’s Hospital says that “the vast majority of transmission takes place indoors where air volume is limited.”

With that in mind, here are some useful tips:

  • Go with the (low) flow. “The lower the occupancy the better,” says Dr. Carlo. He recommends contacting the hotel in advance about how busy it will be during your stay.
  • Ask about safety precautions. While on that call, ask proactive questions. “Make sure that the standard is for all employees and guests to be wearing masks in public areas,” says Dr. Blumberg. Dr. Carlo adds other precautions including “diligent cleaning of rooms using typical disinfectant practices, as well as meticulous employment policies to make sure employees are not sick while at work.” When I called hotels, staff were very forthcoming with - even proud of - their safety measures. Also check out the lodgings’ websites, where major hotel chains and many smaller lodgings post their safety procedures. Simply put, making guests feel safe is good for business.
  • Use apps to minimize contact. Some big hotel chains let guests manage their entire stay virtually. I’m most familiar with Hilton’s app, which I’ve used to bypass the front desk entirely, from reserving and choosing a room, through checking in, receiving a gee-whiz digital key and checking out. Although I normally prefer human-to-human contact, it’s a good solution for these times.
  • Consider motels. Even if you normally prefer a fancier stay, Dr. Carlo says, “a motel room that exits directly outside, uses its own ventilation, and does not require the use of an elevator or common space would be lower risk than a multi-floor facility full of other hotel guests.”
  • Once you arrive, check out your surroundings. “If the lobby or check-in area does not allow for appropriate social distancing,” says Dr. Blumberg, “then it’s not a safe place to stay.”

  • Stay on the ground floor. “Elevators may also be crowded and generally have poor ventilation,” Dr. Blumberg says, so “opt to stay on the ground floor, or use the stairs, or enter elevators only with your roommates.”
  • Clean it yourself. Even after confirming the hotels’ safety practices, on my trip for peace of mind I used my own wipes to clean hard surfaces (door handles, desks, counters, light switches, electronics, etc.) upon entering any new hotel room.
  • Avoid crowded spaces. This means minimizing your time in lobbies, fitness centers and meeting rooms, or avoiding them altogether. If you want to lounge around, try outdoors. It’s summer, after all.
  • Strategize breakfast. “The new normal is no buffets,” says Dr. Blumberg. On my trip, most hotels that normally include breakfast had switched to grab-and-go breakfast bags or boxes. The quality and quantity of the offerings varied widely (the ones in the picture were the most generous), so on my trip, I traveled with some staples and stored basics like fruit and milk for cereal in the in-room fridge, so I could have or add to breakfast safely in my room. In-room coffee makers were also key. Other hotels offered restaurant-style breakfasts with physically distant seating, but since indoor dining is classified as moderate-high risk, Dr. Blumberg suggests to “opt for outdoor seating [low-moderate risk] if comfortable.”

  • Remember the basics. For goodness sake, don’t neglect the guidelines you’ve been practicing since March, especially on the road: physical distancing of at least 6 feet, masks, washing or sanitizing your hands constantly - especially after touching with high-contact public surfaces like door handles and counters - and not touching your face. Dr. Blumberg emphasizes masks as especially key to stopping transmission.

Still not comfortable with hotels? There are other alternatives, each carrying their own risks and benefits:

  • Camping. “Camping would be considered low risk according to the TMA’s risk chart,” says Dr. Carlo. “However, campgrounds with centralized restroom and shower facilities could increase one’s risk.” A recreational vehicle might be a good solution, though as a practical matter I’ve heard from friends that RV rental rates have soared this summer.
  • Private home rentals. A stay in a private home through Airbnb and other services “will avoid potentially crowded public areas such as lobbies in hotels and motels, so this may be an advantage,” says Dr. Blumberg. “Plus, if you prepare your meals in the home, then you avoid potentially crowded restaurants.”
  • Staying with relatives. Even if you and your hosts are out of the presumed risk category (elderly or pre-existing conditions), Dr. Carlo says, “many states are now requiring quarantining for up to 14 days, and during that time you would need to be able to remain completely separated from your hosts.” Of course, by then, it would probably be time to head home anyway.

Lastly about those emerging hotspots: “Best to avoid traveling to areas with moderate to high rates of transmission,” says Dr. Blumberg. “The risk varies by state, and within a state.”

That said, Dr. Carlo adds, “I don’t think trying to find ‘low spot’ travel locations is necessarily an effective way to lower risk.” Reporting delays can mean “a low spot could actually be a hotspot, but the data has yet to be collected and reported,” especially in rural areas.

Both doctors suggest the Coronavirus Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University for current infection information.

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