An Ounce of Coronavirus Prevention

London in Springtime? Not So Fast By Sue Frause

My husband and I were invited to attend a global PR celebration in London in early May of this year. London in springtime? But of course! I booked our flights to Heathrow, flying in early for a five-day tour of Wales, a country that has long been on my travel list.

And then coronavirus erupted in China and was soon spreading across Europe and the USA.

Early on, I wasn't too concerned, as London wasn't hit all that hard. But as the weeks rolled by and the number of coronavirus cases grew, I started having doubts whether it was wise to travel internationally. I was especially concerned since we'd be flying out of Seattle, a region hit hard by the virus, with our state's death toll numbering almost 40 as of this writing.

Although organizers of the PR gathering had not yet announced whether the celebration was still a go, I decided that for us, it was a definite no. I canceled our flights on both United and Icelandair, along with our tour of Wales and four nights in London. Fortunately, there were no cancellation fees or penalties involved. For the most part, I'm a fairly relaxed, fly-by-the-seat-of-my pants traveler. But both my husband and I are prime targets for the coronavirus, he being 74 and me 69. It didn't seem wise to go.

As far as future travel, it's on hold. Wales will have to wait until we get the 'all clear.'