I’m on a very short overnight trip to a neighbouring country and with the A(H1N1) flu scare going around, I did not want to take chances in crowded areas. So, I packed a little “beat the bug” kit slightly modified from my usual hygiene travel kit.
I usually carry the soluble Vitamin C and always take one every single day I’m on vacation. I believe it helps boost my immunity because when you’re on vacation or travelling, you tend to be tired and your body immunity is lowered. I use the soluble sort because it absorbs more quickly into your bloodstream. So, pump it up with Vitamin C! This time I’m taking 2 a day – I’m not taking chances!
Another regular item I carry is wet wipes. Its very useful for when you are hot – cools you right down as you wipe away sweat – or when you get your hands sticky with street food 😀 Also, its useful for when you don’t have access to running water to wash hands before eating or when you don’t quite trust the water supply.
2 new additions are the hand sanitizer and disposable face mask.
The hand sanitizer is a strange disappearing item. Many years ago, it was quite common under the brand Cuticura – I carried it on my first trip to Vietnam 10 years ago but when I got back, I couldn’t find it at all – not even when bird flu was the order of the day! Not surprisingly, when the A (H1N1) pandemic flared up, Dettol appeared on the scene with their version of the hand sanitizer.
I use it to clean hands before and after eating and if I’ve touched anything dirty. Sometimes you have no access to water or don’t want to use the local water supply so this comes in handy. It gets oil off my hands a treat so I use it more after I’ve eaten and then wipe off with the wet wipes.
The disposable face mask is something I have not worn here in Malaysia despite all the fears. I’ve read that the virus is so tiny it can easily penetrate the mask anyway and besides surgical masks are to protect others from you, if you’re sick, not the other way around. However, I needed it for the look of the thing – just in case.
The best part about this kit is that everything can be carried on board the plane with no worries about liquid restraints. The hand sanitizer is only 50ml 🙂
Are you taking extra precautions when you travel? I am this time. I wasn’t even this cautious when I travelled to Hong Kong right after the SARS outbreak. I guess with age comes a little extra caution to stay alive 😛
Stay healthy,
Paris B
Alexis says
August 26, 2009 at 9:42 amGood advise! I been using Hand Sanitiser alot recently, especially weekend when I am out shopping / dining at public area. Now, I am facing another problem – my palm tend to be very dry, skin peeling. I try to use more hand cream now to resolve this problem.
Jamilla Camel says
August 26, 2009 at 10:15 amI do all of the above, except the face mask, but I still picked up Campophylobacter on my 10th trip to India. Was in bed for a week. Bad luck, I guess!
Tine says
August 26, 2009 at 10:17 amGood on you to be careful about this. It’s just being sensible, really. You could take effervescent tablets to boost your immune system too, especially if you’re traveling in crowds.
Re. wet wipes, unless they contain alcohol, they wouldn’t be much use other than to wipe dirt off surfaces. I have the ones from Guardian and Watsons too, stocked up on packets of them when I was in M’sia. Came back only to realise they were nothing more than wet towels. Gah.
I’m so anal these days, I’d use the hand sanitiser after washing my hands and exiting the loo. Can’t be too careful; they’re still a lot of people who do not wash their hands when they leave the loo, hence placing their germy hands on door handles which you’d have to use too 🙁
Jessie says
August 26, 2009 at 10:21 amPerfect timing. Going on a trip nearby soon and have thought of face mask but not the vitamin C. Children’s chewables, does it work too? hehe (have abundance of these at home)
Nikki says
August 26, 2009 at 10:52 amHave a safe trip! 🙂 I love how you take care of yourself and you’re for safety! go PB!!!
Tracy says
August 26, 2009 at 12:52 pmReally a good advice. I will travelling next month. I will pre-pack the “Beat the bug” travelling kit with me. 🙂
Jenn says
August 26, 2009 at 4:40 pmGreat tips Paris!! I’ll remember to pack them soluble vitamin Cs the next time i travel!! 😀
AnT says
August 26, 2009 at 7:50 pmGlad you are taking some precautionary measures! 🙂
I do carry a hand sanitizer with me ALL the time because hand washing may not always be feasible.
People do look at me with a statement “She must be a health freak or Kiasee” whenever I sanitize my hands before removing the surgical mask to eat at the restaurant! Also sanitize again when I put on another new piece of surgical mask!
Anyways, apologies if I sound bad. It’s always better be safe than sorry tho’
However, do have a safe trip yea?
Cheers 😉
Indira says
August 26, 2009 at 10:50 pmI bring hand sanitizer all the time. I put them in mini bottle, so it’s cute and fit the tinies handbag.
KittyCat says
August 28, 2009 at 3:15 amOh yes, the hand sanitizer is the ONE thing I carry around with us in China where hand soap isn’t available everywhere. Btw, Hovid’s slightly cheaper than Dettol even though it’s supposedly produced by the same manufacturer 😉
ParisB says
August 28, 2009 at 9:51 amHi KittyCat
Thanks for the tip! I don’t think we get Hovid here
aoibhealfae says
June 21, 2010 at 4:21 pmIts good that you are practising proper hygiene but its really ironic that even someone like me who handled biohazard materials seldom get flu since I’m so used to handling these infectious stuff that im used with hand scrubbing.
I don’t bother with all these wipes and sanitizer because I’m very concerned with the ingredients left on the hand which can be drying and can get into our mouth. I’m very concerned with about of ethylene glycol in hand sanitizer in a society where its normal to use our hand to eat. Ethylene glycol can cause heart, lung and kidney failure and brain damage in large quantities and even bioaccumulated.
Plus, a single vit c tablet for adult are 1000mg and since its soluble, the absorption rate is higher hence a large percentage of the dosage will be excreted by the kidney. Vitamin C are not known for its acute side effects since it have a relatively wide therapeutic range but no one knew much the chronic effects of taking megadosage of vit C.
There are some cases when vitamin C can erode cavity, increasing the chances getting rheumatoid athritis, kidney stones, copper deficiency and even inducing abortion.
Its recommended if you are healthy to get 500mg per day or twice a day around day and then night.
But I don’t really believe in the hype of supplements and the vit C efficacies in preventing and curing cold is so clinically insignificant that I usually don’t bother with it since I usually eat fruits and vegetables which are more effective than pills.
Get a regular health check before, during and after you get in or out of country. Don’t trust what fashion magazines told you on health, because I usually found most of them very misleading.
When I’m in diagnostic labs. I only use masks on these occasions; doing urinalysis, watching bone marrow aspiration and when standing nearby anything with formalin.
Its all about preventing you from spreading water droplets to and from patients. And to avoid smelling bad odours. Basically, its useless unless you are dealing with body fluids which you can inhale the splattering droplets.
Its really basic knowledge but most are unaware of it.