Ole Miss Spring Breakers Consider Coronavirus Impact on Travel

Story contributed by Annie Sharp (agsharp@go.olemiss.edu) and Denver Haggard (cdjhaggar@go.olemiss.edu). 

With spring break quickly approaching, many Ole Miss students are watching the news to stay updated on the coronavirus.

For example, when a Miami-based cruise ship was denied access to the Cayman Islands because of fears about the virus, that caught the attention of Ole Miss student Anna Bresette. She’s getting ready to go to the Caymans for spring break, but as excited as she is, she is also worried.

“I am more nervous about traveling and being in airports because I feel like that’s where all the germs are gonna be,” Bressett said. 

To prepare, Bresette said she has been trying to stay as healthy as she can by washing her hands and taking her vitamins, for example. 

“Bringing hand sanitizer, maybe get a mask, I don’t know, but just take my vitamins and try to be as healthy as possible,” she said.

American Airlines pilot Pete Demers is based in Dallas. He said he has not seen much in the way of impact from the virus on air travel, at least in the domestic airports. 

“I have not seen a whole lot of change. Yesterday I heard concern from one flight attendant and that was the first person I heard from that I work with about coronavirus,” Demers said. 

He said American is passing out antibacterial masks to those passengers in the cabin who want them, but he does not see a reason for any travelers to panic.

Right now the coronavirus threat has the Centers for Disease Control warning against travel to 5 countries — travel to China and Iran has been suspended, South Korea and Italy are to be avoided and Japan is not deemed safe for older people or those with chronic medical conditions.