Regions: Infection comes from vacation

In the Västra Götaland region, you can see how coronavirus infection accompanies travelers who have gone out and traveled in Europe. The number of cases in the region is currently low, but many of them could be linked to holiday travel.

– Among the cases we see now, a fairly large proportion of travelers who went to southern Europe return home sick. In the cases where we know the country of infection, which is not all, about 11-12 percent of them are infected in Spain now. This applies to all cases. That’s a very large percentage, says Leif Doteval, deputy infection control doctor in the Västra Götaland region.

“a challenge”

He adds that it is the young and unvaccinated people who return home with the infection.

We also receive reports that you lived together as many of them got sick and that you are traveling home sick. This means that there is a risk of spreading the infection on the plane and also when returning home. This is a big challenge now.

The Stockholm region also notes the same trend. Of the positive cases of MERS-CoV in which a person can be identified, a third can be linked to infection abroad.

– Two thirds of this number of people who visited Spain. The rest are spread between different countries, says Elda Sparled, chief medical officer of the Stockholm region.

TT: Are you worried about travelers returning for infection to Sweden?

Every infection poses a risk of infecting other people and it is important to limit the spread of infection as much as possible. It is definitely a risk.

can change quickly

Because the infection situation can change quickly, it’s important to carefully plan your trip and stay informed of what applies to where you’re going, says Elda Sparled.

– It is important to think about when you travel, to follow the recommendations and also to think about whether the trip is necessary. There is currently a prevalence of infection in many other countries in Europe much more than here.

Leif Dotevall also stresses the importance of staying well informed about what applies where you’re going. He says whether or not one should travel is something that every individual should take responsibility for.

No matter where you travel, it is your responsibility to make decisions and take considerations and know that you risk getting sick if you are unprotected, he says and continues:

– And you are ready for big changes. It’s about thinking that in every plane you’re sitting in, there’s likely to be an infectious person.

More book

Tour operators such as Ving and Tui, who have destinations in several parts of Europe, try to ensure that their customers have all the necessary information before the trip.

We report on what we do as a company. We also report what’s needed to get a flight and also try to report what’s needed in the country you’re traveling to, if it’s a negative test or if you have to fill out a document, says Adam Georke, communications manager at Tui and continues:

We are not an official source for information on infection spread or restrictions. We always refer to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Swedish Public Health Agency, or local restrictions.

Like Tui, Ving has received many questions from travelers about the rules that apply to different destinations. Every day we try to provide up-to-date information about what travelers need to know in order to travel.

According to the company, you can now see how more people are choosing to book a vacation trip.

– With the arrival of the Covid certification, we have seen how more people are booking their flights in the near future. Previously, it was more near the end of summer, but now we’re seeing more people booking in July, says Fredrik Henrikson, Ving’s director of communications and sustainability.