Becky Hart | Feb 16, 2023
You don't need us to tell you about contagious diseases. Thanks to COVID-19, we’re all well aware of the dangers of germs and how some simple precautions can reduce your risk of getting sick. It’s important to continue following these precautions. It’s also important to know what to do when you get sick while traveling, and that includes how travel insurance can help if you need to quarantine. So while you don’t need Seven Corners to tell you to sing the birthday song twice while washing your hands, we can give you some more advanced tips to help you travel safely.
International travelers have a 50% chance of contracting a travel-related illness, according to the Australian government-sponsored resource, Better Health Channel. Additionally, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that as many as 43-79% of travelers to low- and middle-income countries contract a travel-related illness. In most cases, the illnesses contracted are mild. However, there is always a chance that a traveler could contract a serious illness overseas.
While the illnesses below are considered among the most commonly contracted during international travel, their inclusion on this list is not an indication of their severity or ability to be transmitted from person to person. Contact your health care provider for more information. You can also reference the CDC’s list of communicable diseases that are subject to federal isolation and quarantine.
There is plenty we can do to reduce the risk of getting sick while traveling.
Stay home. This isn’t the international travel advice you were hoping for, but sometimes your best decision is to cancel or reschedule your trip. If infection rates at your destination reach unsafe levels, or if you’re feeling sick before departure, be a responsible traveler and stay home. Fear of travel, whether for health reasons or otherwise, is not covered in trip protection plans. However, you can add optional Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage, which allows you to cancel your trip for any reason not otherwise covered, including fear of travel.
Despite our best efforts, we sometimes still get sick while traveling. And in instances like COVID, malaria, and measles, we could be required to follow quarantine guidelines before continuing our trip or returning home. In a survey conducted by Seven Corners in spring 2022, 13% of those planning to travel internationally said their biggest concern is getting stuck in another country if they test positive for COVID.
When you’re already on your trip and need to quarantine*, there are a few benefits included in Seven Corner’s RoundTrip protection plans that can help.
One benefit is trip delay coverage. Quarantine is a covered reason for trip delay. You can be reimbursed for accommodations, meals, and local transportation expenses if you’re delayed six hours** or more en route to or from your trip as well as during your trip.
The second benefit is trip interruption coverage, which provides protection if you must start your trip late or are unable to complete your trip due to covered reasons. Again, one of the covered reasons is if you or your traveling companion are quarantined.
With trip interruption coverage, you can be reimbursed a percentage of your unused prepaid, non-refundable trip costs plus additional transportation cost paid to:
The amount of reimbursement, triggers, and coverage can vary depending on the plan you choose. We recommend you review your plan document carefully and talk to a licensed travel insurance agent if you have any questions.
Find more information about how travel insurance can protect you if you need to quarantine on the Seven Corners RoundTrip page or contact us to purchase the right coverage today.
Email sales@sevencorners.com or call the numbers below.
Toll free 1-800-335-0611
Worldwide +1-317-575-2652
Collect +1-317-818-2809
WhatsApp +1-317-430-1140
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* A quarantine is a strict medical isolation imposed by a recognized government authority, their authorized deputies, a medical examiner or a physician to prevent the spread of a disease due to you or (in most – but not all –Plans) a Traveling Companion (as defined by your Plan) either having, or being suspected of having, a contagious disease, infection or contamination. An order is not considered to impose a strict medical isolation unless the order requires the relevant person to be confined twenty-four hours per day, seven days a week throughout its duration.
**This time limit varies by state and plan. Review your plan document for details.
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