Health and Safety advise for Travel to India

India is one exotic destination that every one craves to explore once in a lifetime. However, in your excitement to visit this enchanting country, do not let health and safety take a backseat. To minimize the impact of any unfortunate eventuality, remember to buy travel insurance.
The airplane is a breeding ground for air borne infections as the air you breathe in is re-circulated. Protect yourself with a face mask and ignore those smirks. Although airlines have set stringent health checks at the international airports in view of the recent strike of the deadly swine flu virus which resulted in a tremendous loss of life across the globe, the face masks are highly recommended.
Travelling soon after surgery is not advisable as the atmospheric pressure changes onboard the flight can disturb the healing process. Cabin pressure also worsens symptoms of flu, sinus infection, or head cold. Apply petroleum jelly to your nasal region. It reduces extra tenderness.
It is advisable to inform the cabin crew of any health conditions that you may have. They would know what to do if some emergency arises. Carry a bag load of your prescription medicines. You may not get them anywhere else in the world.
Skip alcohol on a flight as the diuretic effect of alcohol along with the dry recycled airplane air make for a lethally potent combination. In fact, try to carry your own food. Airline food is often known to be very high on sugar and calorie content.

H1N1 and Travelers Insurance

Many travel insurance companies are changing their policies due to the H1N1 global pandemic. 

According to the World Health Organization:

“A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine. The disease spreads easily person-to-person, causes serious illness, and can sweep across the country and around the world in very short time.”

Travel agencies are covering any travelers who become sick due to H1N1, but will not cover any travelers because they are afraid of the flu, quarantine of healthy travelers or any other government restriction placed because of the flu. 

Any persons who have or will purchase travelers insurance in 2009 and 2010 should be covered for any benefits from H1N1 coverage. Benefits typically include: trip cancellation and interruption, emergency medical, dental and medical transportation, travel delay and trip inconvenience caused by the flu. The trip inconvenience benefit is one-time deal and usually works if you are admitted to a hospital.

You cannot get H1N1 benefits if you contract the disease before you get a travel insurance policy, so make sure you purchase the policy before you travel or get the flu.  Also if you contact your travel supplier because you want to change the dates of your travel plans, your policy will cover it and change according to the dates you want to travel but not if you are afraid of the flu.