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SARS: What Should I Do? By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
April 8, 2003
For the first time in its history the World Health Organization issued an advisory urging the traveling public to postpone non-essential travel to affected areas: specifically that of Guandong Province in China and Hong Kong. They are working in conjunction with the Center for Disease Control to develop a successful diagnosis and containment strategy for SARS.
Still, you're probably asking yourself what you should do if you were planning to travel to a region contending with SARS?
Helping you make informed decisions about travel is what this column is all about. Sometimes I've got first-hand knowledge, other times the best I can do is direct you to the other experts. You want to be sure you make an informed judgment--get all the facts. Since I’m no medical expert and am not qualified to make this decision, I suggest that you visit some Web sites to obtain more detailed information. (Remember, this situation is changing daily so you have to monitor it closely while deciding about your travel.)
If you've already purchased your travel you'll need to investigate your options for cancellation or changes. Begin by checking with your airline, hotelier, cruise line, or travel supplier directly. You may even be contacted by them first. Not surprisingly, travel to Asia is down and airlines are cutting some flights. You may find your cruise line has rerouted the sailing or changed some ports of call due to SARS. Even some hoteliers have more extended cancellation policies these days.
In some cases, the decision may be as simple as postponing your trip. But whatever your plan of action is, gather all the information so that you may make an informed decision about your travel plans. Most of all, remember that there is an important reason there is a lot of talk about SARS right now. This is a worldwide alert system, set up to make people aware of what is happening. The good news is, if you're thinking about this issue it's working exactly as it should.
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