Flying During COVID

So I wore a hazmat suit one time to see if I thought it helped, because any barrier is good. But it just-- when it came to going to the bathroom and stuff like that, it became more of a hassle. So I don't really recommend it.

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I believe that I caught COVID at the very end of February. I Speaking at a conference in Denver and most likely got it on my flight back, because I got symptoms about a week later. It is my job to travel for work. So being grounded means that I can't work.

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I was definitely scared to get on a plane for the first time. Once I was on the plane, I had a big goofy grin under my mask. But I prepared by having an N95 mask and a face shield and gloves, tons of hand sanitizer, and anything that I could do to protect myself. But it was definitely really nerve racking to go into a place with a lot of people after being alone, literally alone, because I live alone for 10 weeks.

Some of the things that I do to stay safe on the plane, I always try to wipe down the seat, the armrest, the tray table. Another great tip is to just be really mindful of the bins at security. They're very dirty. It's one of the dirtiest things at an airport, so just be mindful of-- if you're putting stuff in there or you're touching the bins, make sure you're washing and sanitizing your hands after.

You also want to take a look at the seating chart leading up to your flight, because sometimes certain parts of the aircrafts are crowded and other parts are empty. You want to make sure that you move to an emptier part of the aircraft.

If your flight happens to be serving food and beverages, everybody's kind of taking their masks off at the same time to eat. That's a great time to remember to keep your mask on. And then wait until everybody else puts their mask back on before you get a sip of water or a bite of food.

The nozzles above you when you fly, that nozzle is producing fresh air that's coming through a HEPA filter. It's clean air. So that's what I want blowing on me, so I know there's clean air on me. And it's kind of blowing other particles out of my direction.

I wear a face shield because one, it helps protect you from touching your face, which is something you do without even realizing it. And also it helps prevent your mask from even really getting any particles on it. So it's just an extra layer. And anything that I can do to give myself an extra barrier and an extra shot to stay safe, I'm going to do.

People, for the most part, are following the recommended guidelines and being pretty respectable. If you-- if somebody gets too close and you kind of tell them, excuse me, I'm social distancing, can you please step away, most people are pretty great, if you ask nicely. So that's been really wonderful.

I strongly believe that you can be a part of the problem and a part of the spread at home if you're not doing the right things and you're gathering with friends. And you can be a safe traveler. So it's all about personal responsibility.

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