Travelling amidst a pandemic!
Apologies for triggering your anxiety with the title, but yes. I travelled internationally amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and I thought I should share my experience with the few of you who'd actually read the blog!
India was doing quite well in terms of the pandemic situation until January, 2021. COVID numbers reduced drastically and the country-wide numbers came down to about 150,000 active cases with the figure reducing slowly on a daily basis. People started moving freely, a little too freely in my honest opinion. Public transport at 100% capacity ( if you're a Mumbaikar, you know what I mean by 100% capacity, yes - 300% capacity), fully operational clubs and bars and what not. While all this was happening, I was still paranoid enough to be cooped up in my house and stepped out for nothing but groceries and essentials.
Towards the end of February, it's like the situation took a drastic u-turn. From an average of 15,000-20,000 cases per day in January to a whopping 315,000 cases as on 21st April, 2021. With the entire situation getting beyond control, I started feeling restless, suffocated and helpless which is why I decided to take a risk and travel to US to visit my brother. And within a span of 24 hours, I had my COVID negative test reports and tickets ready and my bags packed.
When I reached Mumbai airport, I was pleasantly surprised to see a relatively less crowded airport. To good to be true? Yep. As soon as I finished my check-in and headed towards the gate, I realised I was going to be a part of a flight operating at 100% capacity. The only 'precaution' they took was that they gave the passenger sitting in the middle seat a PPE kit. The sheer idea of about 200 people travelling in a cramped up flight for a span of 2 hours made my mind 'explode'. I panicked and decided to wear 2 masks (one just didn't feel enough). And I decided - there was no looking back.
I managed to reach Delhi and had to rush towards my next flight and had only 40 minutes to pass through immigration and security. I thought the number of people travelling internationally might be way lower and the flight was gonna be relatively empty. I managed to reach the flight and the 'final call' for passengers travelling to US was on. Relieved and relaxed that I made it to the flight and smiling as I told myself, "it's okay, you made it, the flight's gonna be good now." "Who's a naive dumbass?", said my brain to me once I entered the flight.
People from different states of India, travelling in the same flight, the flight being bigger than the previous one, with 100% capacity of about 500-550 people, and last but not the least, no PPE kits provided to ANY passengers. If you know me well, you probably know what my mental state was like. If you don't, I'll put it simply - my anxiety levels were off the charts. If there was a device called an anxiet-o-meter that could measure anxiety, it'd probably explode. But, once we were all settled in, the calmness of the people and the cabin crew in the United airlines flight just calmed me down a bit.
With 2 masks on, a blanket all over my head, not touching ANY surfaces, eating my food ridiculously cautiously and keeping my liquid in-take to an absolute minimum to avoid trips to the washroom and a 15 hour flight later, I managed to reach Newark. 10 days of quarantine was compulsory, but I didn't mind it. I was just happy to be out of the flight and happy about the fact that I didn't have to travel for the next 60 days. THANK GOD.
All I can hope for right now is that the situation in India and the rest of the world improves by the time its time for me to go back. I hope this gives you an idea of what it is like to travel during the pandemic. If you can avoid it, please do. If you have to, be extra-EXTRA cautious and take ALL the precautions you possibly can. And for the rest of you, please stay at home as much as possible. And mask up when you go out for groceries, essentials or for work.
Until next time, ciao!
Hope there's a miracle and the pandemic disappears!
MIRACLES 💯🤞