By Mark Hodson, Editor, 101 Holidays
I have just spent a weekend in Disneyland Paris recovering from swine flu. I wouldn’t recommend it: Mickey and his mates can be tiring at the best of times, but when your energy levels are depleted, all those queues and parades can be positively exhausting.
I wouldn’t recommend catching swine flu, either – but you might not get much of a choice about that one. According to the government, the H1N1 virus is spreading at near epidemic proportions in areas such as London – where I live – and the West Midlands.
It arrived in our house 9 days ago. My 5-year-old daughter was the first to fall ill. We phoned our GP’s surgery and an emergency doctor called, wearing a mask and plastic gloves (not a good sign). He didn’t carry out any tests. “Anyone with flu-like symptoms in London now is presumed to have swine flu,” he explained, writing a prescription for Tamiflu.
As I showed him out, I asked the doctor if we were all likely to catch the virus. He smiled grimly.
Next morning, my 13-year-old son also felt unwell. By this time the doctors were no longer making house calls. Our GP simply faxed a prescription to a local chemist.
Over the next two days my wife and I both went down with the virus – despite taking common-sense precautions, such as regularly washing our hands and not sharing towels. We phoned our GP, who sounded unsurprised. He faxed further prescriptions for Tamiflu. By Wednesday, new callers to the surgery reporting flu symptoms were simply told to phone NHS Direct.
Friends confirmed the rapid spread of the virus. At least 2 other children in my daughter’s class had it. Another 3 people had fallen ill after returning from Glastonbury.
All 4 members of my family experienced similar symptoms. The onset was marked by light-headedness and aching limbs followed by a fever, sore throat and loss of appetite. We were each bed-ridden for about 24 hours, after which recovery was swift. We all completed a course of Tamiflu.
By the time our long-planned trip to Disneyland came around none of us was displaying symptoms so we were no longer considered a risk to the health of others, and cleared to travel.
But other families may not be so lucky this summer. If the spread of swine flu spreads as predicted by the government, it seems inevitable that some people will wish to cancel their holidays. Some may do so at the last minute as they wait to see if stricken friends or family members recover in time.
Others risk contracting swine flu on holiday. If your travel plans include airports, ferries, cruise ships, camp sites, holiday parks or any other places where large numbers of people from different parts of the country find themselves in close proximity, your chances of catching the virus may increase.
Most people will take the risk (after all, you could catch it if you stay at home), but the decision becomes tricky if one of your party is pregnant or elderly and frail.
The media will be watching developments closely. With the “silly season” approaching and everybody’s minds turning to their summer holidays, news editors will be looking for flu-related stories.
The first outbreak reported on a cruise ship? The first camp site evacuated? Package holidaymakers on charter flights refusing to fly home unless “sick” passengers are offloaded? The travel industry should be braced for bad news.
So what should you do? I suggest you first check your travel insurance. If you don’t have adequate cover, buy some immediately, ideally an annual policy.
Even if you are insured, study the cancellation section of your policy document so you know exactly what’s covered. What would be the response of insurers if, for instance, one member of your family falls ill the day before you plan to travel? Abta concedes that some insurers are using exemption clauses.
If you’re travelling in the EU or Switzerland, make sure you’re carrying a European Health Insurance Card. They’re free and you can apply for one at a Post Office, online or by phone (0845 606 2030). Each member of your party should have one.
Abta and the Federation of Tour Operators today publish their own guide, How to Have a Safe and Healthy Holiday, which can be downloaded here (although the words “swine” and “flu” are curiously absent).
A better source of advice is the government’s own website.
Finally, don’t panic. Like any flu, the H1N1 virus is unpleasant, but in the vast majority of cases victims recover quickly. And catching it now could mean your family has immunity if – as experts predict – the virus mutates into something much nastier in the autumn.
* WHAT do you think? How will swine flu affect travel this summer? Please leave a comment.
