Sensible opinions please! (Sorry another Coronavirus one)

[TravelBump]

So much scaremongering going on alongside some sensible cautionary advice. With the greatest of respect, if you are a prepper, or someone who is particularly hyper-anxious about things, please don't post. Each to their own and all that but I am looking for a broad view from the balanced and sensible majority (I will probably get flamed for suggesting preppers aren't sensible but hey).

Am I BU to think that as long as sensible precautions are taken it is okay for a pregnant women to book a holiday for mid March?? (2nd trimester) Certain sensible precautions must be:
Obviously not travelling to areas the UK gov are advising not to travel to (China, Korea, Italy etc).
Obviously:

• having good expensive insurance policy
• choosing a less crowded area to holiday in
• avoiding Corona hotspots (as well as Zika)
• adhering to NHS / Gov advice on handwashing, hand gel, not touching face and eyes etc
• avoiding sitting in close proximity to people sneezing / coughing where possible
• checking FO travel advice updates regularly
• ensuring holiday is refundable just in case advice changes

According to the advice, airplane air is less dangerous than air on a bus or tube train because it is filtered. Viruses and bacteria are filtered out and the air is mixed with fresh air every 2 mins. The main way you catch a virus is by being in close proximity to someone who is ill and droplets getting into your system through unprotected coughing, sneezing and touching of fluids.

So, sensible people, I am interested in the general consensus here. For context, I should add that this will be a long-awaited and yearned for holiday after a very difficult year or so, and due to husband's annual leave logistics it will be the last opportunity for at least the rest of this year. However, I don't want to go if it really is stupid to consider it.

AIBU?
YABU - Do not consider a holiday
YANBU - Book the holiday following sensible precautions

I would go, after taking the precautions you suggested and checking with a Dr. No one wants to put themselves at risk but life carries a certain amount of risk every day. Obviously if Gov information changes then you should react to that but as things stand today I would go.

Sorry, I think booking a holiday abroad for Mid March is madness. That is only 2 weeks away. I would want to wait a month or so to see how things pan out. It is not getting I'll I'd be worried about specifically but the potential for disruption to your holiday if certain areas become more difficult to travel in and out of .

However, I may be being too cautious so if you do want to book anyway, check the insurance pays out if foreign office advice to not travel somewhere comes into effect before you leave. Be aware no insurance will pay out if you just decide not to go unless official advice is to not go.

Personally I don’t think the main risk is catching the virus (many of us will get it IMO) but rather getting ‘stuck’ somewhere in quarantine. Just my opinion, but that’s why I’d stay put.

FWIW I’m not much of a worrier, I’m fairly independent and adventurous, but I like my independence and my own bed!

I'd go if already booked. But would not book any holidays for Easter or May half term. But i am busy booking for summer as the virus will have hopefully peaked within Europe by then.

Sounds to me like you’ve made sure you are fully informed and are taking sensible precautions. Go for it!!

It seems very likely that the virus is going to spread into most of Europe and we will have to take precautions, like in Italy, of not travelling and cancelling public meetings

The question is mostly timing. I personally wouldn't chance it.

I wouldn't. Not because I'd fear actually getting Coronavirus, but because if you are a worrier, every sniffle, sneeze, cough or bead of sweat on a neighbouring passenger might cause you huge anxiety and spoil what is supposed to be a relaxing holiday. Imagine being in, say, Corsica and you start a sore throat. Normally you'd think, "Blast. Some bugger gave that to me in the airport." In the current climate I would think anyone , worrier or not, would be thinking, "Heeeeelp! It's Coronavirus!"

I know you want some sunshine, but given that you are pregnant I'd go for a nice relaxing break in a luxury UK hotel. The Nare in Cornwall is v nice (old-fashioned charm; I went there for a pre-baby break some years ago) - that sort of place.

Most insurers won't cover if it has been declared a pandemic (I've read an article about this the other day), so very important to be sure what your insurance covers or not.
I'll check with my GP if I were in your situation to be honest, not sure what I would do myself, who knows how the situation is like in two weeks time...

Not sure which category I'm in as I am a prepper but I am also going on holiday in two weeks AND am pregnant! Ffs haha so I would obvs go if I were you

Yeah, I checked with the GP today, and they said to check the FO office advice, don't travel anywhere on the no-go list and take precautions. Then told me to enjoy my holiday!

Most insurers won't cover if it has been declared a pandemic

Is that won't insure it if you book after a pandemic has been declared or won't insure it if you've already booked and a pandemic is declared before you travel?

I wouldn't book something now, I can't imagine insurance would cover it. And the idea of being trapped in a quarantined hotel without the option to choose my own food and drink while pregnant brings me out in a cold sweat.

Go somewhere in the UK and take baby to the Canaries this time next year.

And I would totally go in the conditions you've described

You only want opinions from people who agree with you, do not prep and people who you consider "sensible"?

I wouldn’t be worried about Coronavirus and would go

But even in my second trimester, I felt a bit weird about being too far away from home and didn’t particularly feel like I was in a holiday mood. I did go away and it was nice but definitely wouldn’t be missing out if you stayed closer to home.

So as an additional point, go somewhere with decent healthcare just in case anything should happen to you (incredibly unlikely but best to be prepared)

How are you going to know where the hotspots are in mid-March? It’s a changing situation.

I think you’ll be quite lucky to find a travel insurer that will cover all your costs or a refundable holiday at this point.

I wouldn't

As trilbydoll says, you might be quarantined abroad or upon return, depending on where the next outbreak hits. Some might think an extra two weeks in a hotel might be good fun; if I were pregnant I'd be having kittens (as well as a baby).

How about booking a break nearer to home? A cabin with a jacuzzi, a hotel with a spa?

I'm wishing my holiday mid April wasn't already booked, so I don't have to worry about whether it will happen or not!

I’m off to the US for work on Sunday. Long and short haul holidays booked from Easter onwards. I get the Tube every day. Not changing any plans unless the FCO states it is unsafe to travel.

I would go, the way it's going it'll be all around the UK anyway.

That's right CrustyCrab - see my op for my views on prepping. I also predicted someone would come on and flame me about it.

I agree with the points IrmaFayLear made. I would find somewhere really nice/luxurious to visit in the UK/Ireland.

@picklemewalnuts unfortunately pregnant women are advised not to use jacuzzis, hot tubs, saunas and the like. Otherwise sounds blissful.