As most countries are now open – for business and leisure- there may be times you’ll want to play it safe. Even if you’ve been fully vaccinated, it’s possible to be reinfected. This makes it important to know what to do while traveling, especially outside of your home country.

The CDC has recently announced new guidelines for what to do should you either be exposed to Covid or test positive. With the right procedures, you can get back to normal sooner rather than later. 

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, (HHS), “isolation and quarantine are public health practices used to protect the public by preventing exposure to people who have or may have a contagious disease”. But what is the difference?

Isolation

• Isolation separates people who have a contagious disease away from others who are not sick and have not been, to their knowledge, exposed. 
• It involves staying completely away from others who are not sick, whether in your home or in a separate hotel room while traveling.

Quarantine

• To quarantine means to restrict your activities and/or separate yourself from other people to see if you become sick. 
• Quarantining in this manner is for those who have been exposed and don’t know it, or for those who may have the disease but haven’t shown any symptoms. (If a member of your group gets sick, you’ve likely been exposed, and should follow this plan.)

We’ve created a chart based on CDC guidelines to give you an idea of what procedure you should follow based on your exposure, vaccination status and testing results. *Please note, however, that for the most up-to-date information you’ll want to refer directly to the CDC or other public health authorities.

Travel Health Insurance and Infectious Diseases

There are other infectious diseases that you could come in contact with, besides Covid, while traveling internationally. Other countries deal with diseases that Americans or other international travelers have not been exposed to and if there is no government warning about these diseases your travel medical insurance may cover any costs for them. 

• Meningitis – usually affecting the sub-Saharan Africa belt, in part related to its climatic features, with outbreaks occurring mainly in the hot, dry season.
• Yellow Fever – a disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. The “yellow” in the name refers to the jaundice that affects some patients. The tropical areas are most affected such as the Caribbean, Africa and Central and South America
• Typhoid – may occur anywhere in the world, but is most prevalent in developing countries. 80% of cases come from Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Pakistan, or Vietnam. Within those countries, typhoid fever is most common in underdeveloped areas where there may be unsafe water supplies and/or poor sanitation..

Should you need medical attention for one of these, or any other medical emergency, illness or injury, a travel medical health insurance policy can be a relief knowing your trip costs may cover your medical expenses. Plans may also cover emergency medical evacuation and repatriation in case you need to return home. 

Travel Medical Plans for a Stress-Free Vacation

At VisitorsCoverage, we strive to help find the best type of coverage for all your travel insurance needs. Whether domestic or international, we have plans that can help with many unforeseen situations that may arise. We’ve seen it all! 

From Travel Medical Insurance for international travelers, Trip Insurance for domestic or international from the US, for US residents  to Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR), we have several options to get you traveling with ease. Plans that have coverage specific to Covid are available as well. For those traveling to the U.S. who have pre-existing medical conditions, we have a new option: USVisit-Pro. 

Whether traveling to a foreign country or staying home, short term or annual business trips, our assistance services can help. Our Customer Service Team is happy to assist with any questions before you buy a travel insurance plan.