My Journey Home in the Middle of a Pandemic
The covid-19 pandemic soon became no exception for the UK. With cases soon reaching high numbers, many international students decided to return to their home country while some decide to stay. I decided to go home before the lockdown was applied across the UK and flights banned. I want to share with you my story about my journey home in the middle of a global pandemic! I hope this can give you insight on how to stay safe, in the middle of inevitable crowd, for almost 24 hours.
To begin, I booked to return to Indonesia on the 20th March when the cases in the UK were still around 4,000 and the lockdown was not yet applied. The classes at Leeds had moved online since Tuesday of that week, and that finalised my decision to go home. I bought the ticket on that Thursday for the Friday. Because of the pandemic, the flight tickets were actually surprisingly cheap, considering I bought the ticket very close to the departure date. Usually I buy the ticket at least a month before departure to get close to the same price.
A few hours later after the purchase, I was notified by a new policy from the Indonesian government: entry to the country is closed for all foreigners- every citizen that arrives from an infected area (UK included) must quarantine themselves for 14 days. Even with this news, I decided to still go as I would rather quarantine in my own home with my family than alone in my student accommodation. I also had a feeling that the UK lockdown would be applied soon. Hence, flights would be banned. So, it is now or never I thought.
One thing I failed at getting was hand sanitiser, they always ran out in nearby stores and the wait was long if I wanted to purchase it online. But I did have antibacterial surface wipes, mask, gloves, and glasses.
Before my journey began, I wiped all my belongings with antibacterial wipes and put all my essential belongings (such as passport, phone and wallet) in my pocket. So, I don’t have to open my backpack and touch everything inside it with my dirty hands. Although I have gloves, I found that it was not really useful as it would be inconvenient if I have to remove my gloves every time I want to use my personal belongings, especially phone because I have my boarding pass there and...lets be real...I am always on my phone! So, I just washed my hands as often as possible and wiped the most touched things including phone, passport and suitcase’s handrail. I also try to not to touch anything unless required and not to touch my face at all.
Back then, wearing mask was optional for a healthy person. But I wore a mask along with glasses throughout my journey, as it also prevented me from touching my face. Almost all people also wore masks in the airport, while some even wore full body protection (a disposable jumpsuit similar to the one being used by doctors). However, I felt that a mask and glasses were enough for self-protection as long as we washed our hand often, did not touch our face and practice physical distancing. In my opinion, it is better if we donate those jumpsuits and vital medical protection equipment to hospitals and those on the frontline.
In the aeroplane, I wiped everything before I relaxed to enjoy my flight. This included: the window, the windows’ blind, the ‘wall’ besides me, foldable table (inside & out), TV screen, remote control, headphones, seat belt and of course the armrest. I also once again wipe my phone and other personal belongings that I previously touched. For the blanket, I believe they washed them before the flight and pack them in a sealed plastic bag... so, it is supposed to be clean. When using the lavatory, I also wipe every surface in there (don’t forget the door lock) and washed my hands afterwards (as always!).
There are some people that suggested not taking off our masks under any circumstances when in public. This included avoiding the meals throughout the flight. I did see some people not eating the whole flight, but since the flight was 17 hours, it would have been impossible for me to not eat at all. So, I ate like usual and washed my hands before and after.
When I arrived in Indonesia, there was a mandatory health check which examined my temperature, heart pressure and blood oxygen level. Although I am healthy, I still decided to self-quarantine for 14 days. As there is no a designated place for self-quarantine by the government, I was quarantined in a hotel room before going home. I did not go out from that room the whole 14 days and did not allow any visitors.
Although it may sound depressing to be locked in a room for 2 weeks, I found it as a chance for me to catch up with my studies. Besides, thanks to technology, I could still talk with my family and friends. After 14 days, I was still healthy and excited to go home and see my family.
The bottom line here is to practice physical/social distancing at all time and keep the hygiene of your surroundings and yourself! Do this by disinfecting touched surfaces and washing your hands as frequently as possible. Wearing mask and glasses are important as well as they can act as a preventative measure to touching your face. They can also act as a self-protection in an aeroplane where physical distancing is un-applicable.
Gloves, in my opinion, are not necessary as it is the same as your barehands (once you put them on, you still touch things). Wash your hand instead and reduce waste. Finally, do not be afraid to go to the lavatory and eat during the flight. Eating hot food should not be a problem and besides, food provides important nutrients to keep your immune system strong- trust me! It is my degree 😉