Hit the Road
MEDICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH UPDATE
I’ve always been a fan of potty humor. It just doesn’t seem to get old! (One of my faves: If you’re American in the living room, what are you in the bathroom? European.) But I digress.
Today is about car travel—and toilets.
It’s summertime and time for the great American road trip. Many of us are hitting the highway because of the relative safety of our own car over more public forms of transportation like planes and trains.
But how to survive the rest stops, gas stations, public bathrooms, and—God forbid—a flat tire? As if it’s not hard enough inhaling the aroma of dirty socks, arguing over who gets the front seat, and agreeing on a fast food establishment to please all tastes.
While the safest thing to do is stay at home, you can make your car trip as safe as possible by following some basic tips:
Know where you are going. For example, know that Texas, Arizona, and Florida are seeing a significant rise in cases. However, if you are going to the home of a family who has been playing by the rules—and not hanging out at the state fair—you are likely much better off.
Plan ahead. Map out your drive and try to limit the number of food, gas, and bathroom breaks you will need.
Fill up your gas tank before departure. This sounds like an obvious one, but with teenage drivers in my family, I feel compelled to remind you.
Pack snacks. A cooler full of sandwiches can be lunch AND dinner. But it’s perfectly fine to stop at a McD’s if you make it quick, wear a mask, socially distance, and sanitize hands on the way out.
When nature calls, consider the following options:
Nature’s bathroom. It’s certainly safer to be outdoors, away from high-touch surfaces, and fully alone. Don’t be shy about cozying up to a bountiful shrub!
Public bathrooms. These are higher risk, but you can mitigate risk if you choose a pit stop that is likely to be less crowded (think: Starbucks bathroom that may be less high-traffic than a rest stop), avoid crowding into a waiting area with other patrons, wear a mask, and wash your hands thoroughly. And THIS JUST IN TODAY: scientists have found that droplets from a toilet bowl can spread and hang in the air enough to be inhaled and transmit virus—ewwww. Solution? Close the lid before you flush.
Forget wearing gloves. Unless you are performing surgery on someone during your trip, in my opinion gloves don’t add value. They can give us a false sense of security, and logistically it doesn’t make sense: the glove that has touched the door handle will touch the toilet paper. And we human beings (for some odd reason!) have a very hard time NOT touching our faces, so you are better off simply washing your hands.
If you normally would stop overnight in a hotel to break up the trip, consider making it one long day of driving, sharing the driving responsibilities among adults to avoid fatigue. But if you DO need to stay in a hotel along the way, don’t panic but do exercise caution:
Coronavirus doesn’t live long on fabric, so the likelihood of catching the virus from linens is extremely low. That said, I think it’s common knowledge that hotels don’t typically launder the heavy bedspreads. I might consider bringing a travel-friendly blanket with me, simply to not lie awake imagining the throngs of people who cuddled up to the hotel blanket before me.
Bring Clorox wipes to clean all high-touch and hard surfaces in the room like the night stand, door knobs, sink handles, and the TV remote control.
Wash any glassware before using. There is no guarantee that these have been washed with soap and water.
Avoid self-service buffets.
Take the stairs over the elevator when possible.
Don’t expect a bellhop, valet service, or spa treatment (probably something you wouldn’t opt for anyway at a Motel 6).
UPSHOT:
Take your trip! You need a vacation, and there’s nothing like a family road trip to create lasting memories—and stiff lower backs.
Don’t panic. (Or try not to.) Anxiety only makes us miss the highway exit, unnecessarily fiddle with our mask, and get lost in the woods looking for the proper shrubbery. YOU CAN DO THIS!
At the end of the day, you are mitigating risk as best as you possibly can if you adhere to the MOSH PIT rules. (My husband and son will be driving to Maine in a day next week, and I have full confidence that they will be fine because MOSH PIT has become a household word.)
Happy trails! (Pictured here are my sons Henry and George driving the family truckster.)
Tomorrow we will discuss the new research on a drug called Dexamethasone that has shown to save lives in certain COVID-19 patients.
In the meantime, note that TOMORROW on Facebook Live at 2 pm ET you can find me and NYC pediatrician Kelly Fradin, MD, discussing COVID-19 and kids, parenting, and managing the summer.