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Swine Flu / H1N1 / Travel News / Travel Health / → All Tags

Is Swine Flu Still a Threat To Travelers?

When we roundly mocked H1N1 hysteria last year, we insinuated that it was a conspiracy being waged by US tourism companies. While probably true, that picture was also likely incomplete. Turns out, big pharmaceutical companies were also at least partly to blame. All the rest of what we said—especially the parts about how swine flu is less dangerous than ordinary flu—that turns out to be absolutely true. Seriously. You can check out the newest findings. Absolutely true.

We really don't mean to sound Pollyannaish about this. Swine flu killed a bunch of people. But the sheer panic—from China quarantining travelers to Mexico calling off Cinco de Mayo—was just silly. Business travelers, who have a stake in evaluating the risk of infection vs. the risk of missing a deal, never paid it much attention. But many tourism destinations were devastated, and they didn't have to be.

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Travel Health / H1N1 / Swine Flu / Travel News / → All Tags

What Are the Odds You'll Catch Swine Flu on Your Next Flight?

We just wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a happy National Influenza Vaccination Week. To celebrate, we’re letting you know about the latest findings from smarty-pants scientists. They have figured out some kind of formula to determine how exactly the H1N1 virus can spread in a plane during a transatlantic flight. Everything really depends on the length of the flight, but for the most part, two to 17 people could be infected from just one sick passenger.

In case you want to run your own test studies, researchers at UCLA used the Wells-Riley equation. Apparently this is the standard when it comes to figuring out the extent of outbreaks in enclosed environments. It considers the number of people exposed, respiratory rates, and the concentration of the virus over time. Interesting information, but we’re probably going to leave all the calculations up to the experts.

Why coach passengers are doomed, after the jump.

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Theme Parks / Disney / Walt Disney World / Florida Travel / Amusement Park Travel / Swine Flu / H1N1 / → All Tags

Disney Installs 200,000 Hand Sanitizers To Preempt Spread Of Swine Flu

The holidays are a big time for Walt Disney World. The parks are transformed into a winter wonderland—well, a fake one as they are in Florida after all—and the guests pour in through the turnstiles. Some days the park has to limit guest access because there are just too many tourists dreaming of a holiday photo with Mickey and friends. All these people are starting to worry some, especially if these people are coughing, sneezing, and leaving their germs all over Space Mountain.

Thankfully, Disney is ready to combat the spread of germs, and is hoping that their efforts will be enough to convince people that their park is safe. After all, the threat of catching that pesky H1N1 flu is kind of a downer and not the stuff dreams are made of. Thus, Disney World has ordered about 200,000 hand sanitizers—although we're wondering why they haven’t always had some.

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Open Threads / Swine Flu / Travel Health / H1N1 / → All Tags

Have You Encountered Swine Flu In Your Travels This Year?

'Tis the year of the Swine Flu and things just haven't died down like we'd hoped they would. Now that the intense and occasionally fatal flu has affected everyone from D-List celebs to former All-You-Can-Jetters, it's apparent that it's not going anywhere anytime soon—or rather, it's going everywhere.

So we want to know: what's been your experience with Swine Flu this year? Have you taken to wearing face masks on flights and in subways or do you scrunch up your nose at those who do? Have you gotten and survived Swine Flu? Has anyone you know been under the weather with it, and if so, where do you think they go it? We're just wondering exactly how prevalent it is in places of travel, versus say at restaurants and in your local bowling alley. Or has your bowling alley had its balls sanitized? Hmm??

Let us know your travel Swine Flu experience in the comments!

Related Stories:
· Swine Fly Now Attacking D-List Celebs In Addition To Air Travelers [Jaunted]
· Is Swine Fly Hysteria A US Tourism Conspiracy? [Jaunted]
· Swine Fly Has A Grip On Every Country Except Antarctica [Jaunted]
· Travel Health coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: OhLaLa Mag]

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Swine Flu Now Attacking D-List Celebs In Addition To Air Travelers

The silent menace is still out there, and it's attacking our celebrities; it's Swine Flu, and so far it's stuck with D-list celebs like Lisa Rinna, Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley of Harry Potter fame), and now Marilyn Manson.

The announcement from the rocker came via his MySpace blog, and here is all of it, short and sweet:

So I have officially been diagnosed, by a real doctor, with THE SWINE FLU. I know everyone will suggest that f***ing a pig is how this disease was obtained. However, the doctor said, my past choices in women have, in 'no way' contributed to... me acquiring this mysterious sickness. Unfortunately, I am going to survive.

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Swine Flu / Travel Health / France Travel / Romance Travel / Travel News / H1N1 / Germ Travel / → All Tags

French Discourage Kissing In Order To Curb Swine Flu Spread

We were going to use a photo of people kissing cheeks, but come on; kitties!

Just when we were coming around to the idea of being rude by not returning handshakes and thereby steering clear of Swine Flu, the French had to go and ruin all our fun. You see, they've reminded us that the traditional double-cheek-kiss—called la bise—is also pretty unsanitary if you don't want to catch the H1N1 virus, especially if you're greeting someone who has just traveled and may be exposed.

We can't shake hands and we can't cheek-kiss; what will we will do? Thank heavens there's still the good old rump-pat, and the "hey-yo" wave. We do feel badly for the Frenchies though:

In schools, teachers are telling their young charges to forgo the bise, and instead capture their displays of affection in heart-shaped greetings to slip into 'bise boxes.' It is restraint that is easier to sell to young students than their older brothers and sisters. Some things, however, are finding an accepting audience: masks—which do a pretty good job of discouraging just about any sort of kissing.

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