Open AccessExperiences and Views of Domestic Summer Travelers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a National Survey
Author(s) -
Gillian K. SteelFisher,
Caitlin L. McMurtry,
Hannah Caporello,
Ericka McGowan,
Thomas J Schafer,
Keri Lubell,
Allison Friedman,
J Allen,
Caitlin Shockey,
A. Grady,
Eran N. BenPorath
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
health security
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.705
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 2326-5108
pISSN - 2326-5094
DOI - 10.1089/hs.2020.0212
Subject(s) - outreach , pandemic , social distance , covid-19 , quarter (canadian coin) , medicine , social media , distancing , environmental health , business , family medicine , medical emergency , psychology , geography , disease , political science , infectious disease (medical specialty) , pathology , archaeology , law
Domestic travel creates a serious risk of spreading COVID-19, including novel strains of the virus. Motivating potential travelers to take precautions is critical, especially for those at higher risk for severe illness. To provide an evidence base for communication efforts, we examined the experiences and views of travelers during the summer of 2020 through a telephone survey of 1,968 US adults, conducted in English and Spanish, July 2 through July 16, 2020. The survey found that more than one-quarter (28%) of adults had traveled domestically in the prior 30 days, most commonly for "vacation" (43%), and less than half wore masks (46%) or practiced social distancing (47%) "all of the time." Although high-risk adults were significantly less likely to travel than non-high-risk adults (23% vs 31%; P < .001), they were no more likely to take precautions. Many travelers did not wear a mask or practice social distancing because they felt such actions were unnecessary (eg, they were outside or with friends and family). Although a substantial share of travelers (43% to 53%) trusted public health agencies "a great deal" for information about reducing risks while traveling, more travelers (73%) trusted their own healthcare providers. Findings suggest that outreach may be improved by partnering with providers to emphasize the benefits of layering precautions and provide targeted education to high-risk individuals. Messages that are empathetic to the need to reduce stress and convey how precautions can protect loved ones may be particularly resonant after more than a year of pandemic-related restrictions.