Some flights are grounded, there are varying travel restrictions across the world, and after three months of mandatory staycation, cabin fever is at an all-time high. You need to get out of the house, we get it. But is it safe to travel this summer? Where can you travel to? And what do you need to know before hitting the open highway? Here’s a guide to the great road trip of 2020 including what you need to pack and the best places for a pee break.  

What if I just want to hit the open road and see where the wind takes me?
With all due respect, summer 2020 is probably not the best time to live out your Jack Kerouac fantasy. Planning in advance is essential, and that includes a pandemic-specific packing list. Dr. Robyn Lee, an assistant professor in the epidemiology department at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, lists masks, Lysol wipes, sanitizer, and toilet paper as the new road trip essentials. Make sure to stock up your COVID kit before departure: These items are in high demand and may be out of stock.

Is it safer to travel to the country than the city?
That depends on where you’re coming from. Generally speaking, big cities have been COVID-19 hotspots. If you live in a rural community, coming into more densely populated urban environments means upping your chances of exposure. Definitely avoid tourists traps, and overcrowded parks, beaches, and other destination landmarks. A lot of popular tourist spots still aren’t open, so check in advance.

For city dwellers craving country comforts, it’s important to be aware that *you* present a significant risk. Back in curve-flattening days, some places even outlawed visits to secondary residences. At this point, “it’s less about rules and more about social obligation,” says Dr. Lee. Translation: You don’t want to be the jerk who infects an uninfected region and/or puts a strain on limited medical resources.

How can I avoid being that jerk?
Well for starters, if you have even the slightest symptoms, stay home. Normally a slight sniffle is no reason to cancel travel plans, but there is nothing normal about Summer 2020. Depending on your timeline, the best way to make sure you’re not a carrier is two weeks of self-isolation before departure. If that’s not doable, BYO everything — groceries, firewood, lake floaties, etc. — to avoid exposing local business owners.

Is camping a better option than staying in a hotel or renting a cottage?
Camping is definitely COVID-friendly since it involves zero time indoors and minimal interaction with other people outside of your bubble. But beware the communal campground bathroom (more on that below). With hotels, Dr. Lee advises checking the website in advance to see what staff has posted regarding updated safety and hygiene policies. (Things to look for include room disinfection and air purification.)

“Hypothetically, if you checked into a room right after someone who had the virus and the surfaces hadn’t been properly disinfected, that would be risky,” says Dr. Lee. (Initial research suggests the virus can survive on stainless steel and plastic for up to 72 hours. “It’s always a good idea to wipe down high-touch surfaces like door handles, light switches, sink and toilet handles, and any electronic remotes.” All while keeping in mind that infected people present a far bigger danger than contaminated surfaces: “Avoid communal areas as much as possible, wash your hands immediately after check-in, and avoid crowded elevators.”

What about an Airbnb? How can I be sure the hosts are providing a safe environment?
Airbnb recently introduced new COVID hygiene protocol. It’s not mandatory, but it’s a way for hosts to demonstrate that they’re serious about cleanliness and safety, so look out for the designation when considering a rental.

I’ve heard RVs are making a comeback. Is that a good call?
It’s true, travel industry insiders are calling RVs the new cruise ships and a lot of people — including Rachel McAdams — are experimenting with mobile shelter. (Like, a lot. One Ottawa-based company has seen sales spike 800% from last summer). Traveling by RV means avoiding a lot of contact with the germ-baring public while also ticking off a box on your bucket list. Just remember to seek out rental companies with responsible hygiene protocol and then wipe everything down again anyway.

Can I hit the road with someone from another household?
Given that a car is a relatively small and enclosed space, and that you may be on the road for several hours, you definitely want to avoid driving with a sick person; the problem, of course, being that you may not know who’s sick. Wear a mask, keep the windows open, and ideally have your travel squad avoid social contact in the period before departure. Use your Lysol wipes to keep surfaces germ free (they’re in your COVID kit, silly). And make sure whoever you’re with shares your taste in music. Which has nothing to do with COVID, but everything to do with an enjoyable roadie.  

What about pee breaks? Gas station bathrooms are horrible at the best of times...
It’s true that gas station bathrooms were pretty puke-tastic even in the Before Time, but also true that “holding it” is not a permanent solution. A lot of service centers have introduced anti-germ upgrades like sanitizer stations and more frequent disinfecting, but just in case, bring along those Lysol wipes and wipe down all surfaces. Remember that a washroom doesn’t have to look heinous to be harmful (clean is not the same as disinfected) and also that the biggest risk in a washroom setting is still other people, so maintain social distance. Same goes for pit stops that don’t relate to nature’s callings. Always mask up, wipe down, and wash after. (Wait, did we just invent a solid bumper sticker slogan?)

It’s hot and we’ve arrived at our destination. Is it safe to go for a swim?
You don’t need to worry about COVID in the water — whether it’s a pool, lake or ocean. (“The amount of the virus would be so diluted,” says Dr. Lee.) But swimming is not without its issues. “The risk would be if there are too many people…such that distancing can’t be maintained.” Crowded beaches should be avoided if you don’t want to get a life-endangering virus. Which brings us to the final and maybe most important item in your road trip COVID kit: common sense.

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COVID-19 is changing the way we handle everything from work to play to fresh produce and other groceries. With so much uncertainty and anxiety in the air, it’s only natural to wonder whether that perfectly ripe avocado could be a potentially deadly weapon. But what are the actual facts around food safety? Is now a good time to go vegan, and do I really need to be washing my vegetables in soap and water?

We consulted the experts. Some useful best practices and myth-busting below. 

Do I need to wash fruit and vegetables with soap?

The debate around giving your fruits and veggies a bubble bath blew up last week following a viral video in which a family doctor from Michigan said soap and water was a good way to keep veggies COVID-19 free, which sounds like it makes sense (treat your honeydew melon as you would your hands). Since then a whole bunch of experts have refuted this advice, many pointing out that of the 1-million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, not a single one has come from contaminated food. Still not convinced? 

Okay, there is also this from the FDA: “Washing fruits and vegetables with soap, detergent, or commercial produce wash is not recommended.” 

Jodi Koberinski, a food safety researcher at the University of Waterloo, agrees, noting that dish soap is likely to cause more problems than it solves including nausea, diarrhea, and cramping. “It is not made for and not safe for human consumption,” she explains. 

But what if I rinse everything really well?, you may be thinking. The problem is that fruits and vegetables are porous and may absorb harmful chemicals that won’t come out with even the most rigorous rinse. 

Okay, but isn’t a little diarrhea better than contracting COVID-19? First off, nobody said anything about a little diarrhea — you can get really sick, and so can your kids, if you have them. Secondly, that question is based on exactly the kind of false equivalency we need to be avoiding right now (along with bars, playgrounds, and IRL hangs). “Technically, it may be possible to contract COVID-19 from the surface of a piece of fruit,” says Koberinsk, noting that is not the threat that people should be focused on. And also that there’s no evidence that soap and water kills the COVID-19 virus on fruits and vegetables anyway. (Ditto for lemon juice, baking soda, and bleach — whatever you do, please don’t wash your edibles in Clorox.) 

In other words, contracting COVID-19 through produce isn’t something you need to stress about. So chill out. And then do the same for your produce, washing them in cold (wan-wan) water, which will remove between 90% and 99% of germs and bacteria. For items with tough skin (avocados, potatoes) you can also use a scrub brush. It’s okay to wash that with soap. Same goes for your hands before and after you handle food of any kind. 

Should I quarantine my groceries before I bring them inside? 

This one is a little more straight forward: No, there is absolutely no reason to leave groceries outside or in the garage or the car, despite what you may have read on that fountain of misinformation known as the Internet. “This is absolutely not a good idea,” says Koberinski. And, in fact, the potential risks of ignoring best practices around refrigeration (ie, putting things that need to be in the fridge in the fridge) make this behavior not just excessive but dangerous. 

“It’s really important to remember basic food safety,” says Koberinski. “Both because best practices haven’t actually changed much. And also because any kind of sickness may weaken the body’s ability to withstand a truly virulent illness.” (Cough, cough, COVID-19.)  

By all means, she says, bring groceries inside when you come home from the store. Place your bags and do your unloading on a surface that you can wipe down — with any alcohol-based cleaning spray — once everything has been put away. 

Should I disinfect all the grocery packaging too? 

Paranoia around packaging spiked last month after a new study showed that the COVID-19 virus can survive longer on certain surfaces (24-hours on cardboard, up to three days on plastic and stainless steel). So you can go to the hypothetical scenario where an infected grocery shopper has contaminated your box of Cheerios, and use this as justification for sanitizing every bit of packaging that passes your threshold. 

Or, you can simplify by washing your hands and surfaces before and after all eating. If that doesn’t feel like enough, Koberinski suggests discarding packages rather than disinfecting. A lot of groceries (like cereal and crackers) have a bag within the box. Others can be stored in homemade jars of Tupperware. That way you’re feeling protected without wasting valuable cleaning products, which is probably the more relevant safety concern, Koberinski says. 

What about using a UV light to kill the virus on groceries? That wouldn’t waste cleaning products. 

UV lights don’t work, either. In short, because the level of UV required to kill COVID-19 is extremely unsafe.  

Is now a good time to go vegetarian? I’ve heard meat holds particular threats.

There are plenty of reasons to consider a plant-based diet, but COVID-19 safety is not one of them. Particular worries around meat may come from the fact that the virus is believed to have originated with animals. But as far as food safety goes, that has zero baring. “Heating meat to the recommended temperature is the recommendation, same as always,” says Koberinski.

What about reheating takeout just to make sure it’s coronavirus-free?

Obviously you want to be careful about all food that is coming into your home, and if you don’t feel secure about food safety practices of a particular restaurant maybe just stick to home cooking, since repeated reheating isn’t safe either. 

Is there a problem with being extra cautious?

If by that you mean upping safety measures, and erring on the side of caution, then no. Obviously people have every reason to feel scared and since the grocery store is pretty much the only place anyone’s allowed to go these days (as infrequently as possible), concerns around food safety are something we’re all talking about. That’s a good thing, and if COVID-19 gets us to think more seriously about food safety in the long term, that’s good too, says Koberinski. At the same time, she says, “We don’t want everyone turning into a cartoon version of a germaphobe or shelling out big bucks for bogus miracle cures.” Safety is important, but so are the facts. 

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