How does Coronavirus affect business travel?

Business travel

The world has entered a global health emergency, as stated by the World Health Organization about a month ago, on January 30, 2020, and panic continues to grow.

The distressing effects of this outbreak are increasing rapidly and alarmingly. Since cases worldwide have been confirmed in more than two dozen countries, ranging from Asian countries neighboring Europe to the United States.

The new strain of coronavirus that originated in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan is getting a lot of attention because it raises many unknowns. And it has been infecting multitudes of people at an astonishing rate. Because, in addition to the 80,000 people infected and the nearly 3,000 deaths from this recent epidemic in China alone, there are also thousands of unidentified but suspected cases around the world.

With this global emergency, recently, an official from the U.S. Center for Disease Control commented on the issue, saying that The question should not be about whether the virus would become a global pandemic, but rather when... Because it comes with a large number of threats, both in terms of human health and in terms of the impact on the fragile global economy that we have today. Since this would cause the economy to potentially paralyze; as well as paranoid travelers and restrictions on movement between countries.

This article analyzes how the coronavirus could impact the world of business travel and reports on the precautions they could take while crossing borders over the next few days, weeks and months.

First things first... What is coronavirus?

The coronavirus is a member of a large family of viruses, which cause diseases in both humans and animals. For humans, the threat
What the coronavirus puts on the respiratory systems has the potential to be quite large. It may be asymptomatic or simply appearing as a common cold...

Although there are more critical cases in which there will be symptoms similar to those of more serious diseases such as pneumonia or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). This virus, also called COVID-19, is the most infectious recently discovered, with typical symptoms such as fever, cough, trouble breathing, and aches or pains. Contracting through contact with an infected person. And in particular, through the respiratory droplets of someone who starts to cough. Doing so, it spreads very quickly.

How does it affect business travel?

Due to the coronavirus, the travel and tourism industries are being hit hard. And, above all, airlines. Because business travelers from all over the world are finding it difficult if their flights involve an Asian country, either as a final destination or as a stopover.

Due to the hysteria surrounding the disease, there has been a significant decrease in the number of flights booked anywhere near China. In addition, airlines are trying to help stop the spread of the disease by reducing the number of passengers who fly each
day.

So far, around 200,000 flights have been canceled and at least seventy-three airlines have canceled flights to China. As a result, from January 23 to February 13, the number of daily departures and arrivals of domestic and international flights in China has greatly decreased. Starting with 15,072 and ending in 2,004, according to Flightradar24, a company that collects data from this sector. Many airlines are suspending flights to China until mid-April. And so many others, including some of the major airlines in the United States— American, United, and
Delta, are also suspending all flights to Hong Kong.

From now on, the suspension is supposed to last less than two months, but depending on the progression of the epidemic, it could be extended.

As for business travel, it will be difficult and more expensive for companies to find flights to attend international conferences and meetings in the
desired place and time until the spread of the virus is greatly slowed down.

Not only are flights heavily affected by this outbreak, but, according to Forbes, large companies such as McDonalds, Starbucks and Disney have already suspended their business in China, along with brands such as H&M, which is closing several thousand of its stores located in the country. Facebook and Microsoft have already restricted employee travel to and from China, severely limiting business travel. As a result, meeting and convention organizers are struggling with the decision whether or not to go ahead with scheduled events that include global attendees, and corporations are weighing their attendance.

Those who have been traveling can't help but notice the panic and caution that this virus and the media coverage of it has instilled in global society.

Executive Travel founder and president, Steve Glenn, said that “people were wearing face masks everywhere” at a convention he attended in Frankfurt earlier this month. “Not many people in Europe have yet been infected by the coronavirus, but its effect can already be seen in many ways here,” he said. “Attendance was reduced by 25 percent by some exhibitors. I think the global economy will be heavily affected by the virus during the first half of 2020.”

Economic experts agree that the new coronavirus is not just a cause for concern due to the rapid spread of the disease. The economic impact that the disease is causing could be felt around the world.

Diane Swonk, Grant Thornton's chief economist, commented on the topic: “It may not yet be called a health pandemic, but it's an economic pandemic.” There is a risk of significant damage to economies that are growing at a slow pace or, as in the case of countries such as Italy, Germany and Japan, which are already at risk of a recession, outbreaks of COVID-19 could push them to the limit, throwing them into economic turmoil. Because, in the event of a recession, businesses are threatened. And the spread of the coronavirus has already started to affect companies. Above all, automotive and technology companies, which have been particularly affected.

When companies have a breakup as tough as this one, they'll start cutting back on unnecessary expenses. Unfortunately, this can include layoffs or reduced business travel. Those who normally travel with their company may find themselves more unemployed than usual during the spread of the virus.

Unfortunately, the explosion of social media has dramatically accelerated the spread of news, especially in times of panic. And COVID-19 is no exception to this. Unless the news report comes from a credible source, such as the World Health Organization or the Center for Disease Control, it is recommended that information found on the Internet be double-checked, as many sources tend to exaggerate. This misinformation can cause unnecessary fear and uncertainty for many, which can be particularly dangerous for business leaders who make erroneous decisions based on misleading information. So business travelers should make sure they stay informed by facts and not by rumors, and not worry every time they board a plane.

So is business travel safe?

Without a doubt, business travelers traveling the world should be aware of the virus and avoid heavily populated areas. For now, countries such as Canada, the United States and Australia have warned citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to China and Hubei province due to very strict travel and movement restrictions.

Those who have visited China after February 1, 2020, are subject to quarantine upon arrival in several nations.

It is necessary to understand that the possibility of acquiring this infection outside of China or specifically from the epicenter of the epidemic, Hubei province, is low unless virus activity continues to increase in other countries. There are few cases still present in European countries such as Italy, France and Germany, as citizens have recently visited China or have been in contact with an infected person. Every day, the number of cases outside China is growing. The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) has said that the sudden increase in cases in countries outside China is “deeply worrying”. The best thing for companies and business travelers to do is to keep an eye on their destination and decide whether or not traveling there is a high risk. For the time being, it is imperative to update the travel prohibitions and regulations of each country and airline, as the virus and its long-term effects pose many unknowns to health officials around the world.

To avoid contracting COVID-19 through business travel, people should practice regularly Precautionary measures for respiratory diseases. This includes proper hand hygiene, either with warm water and soap to kill any virus that may be on your hands, or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Sneezing and coughing should be directed to the elbow so that there are no drops of liquid left in the air. Since your hands touch many surfaces during the day, be careful not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth to prevent viruses from entering the body. Stay three feet away from those infected, according to Dr. Carmen Dolea, Chief of the IHR Secretariat at the World Health Organization. As for masks, they are very useful for the sick and prevent the virus from continuing to spread.

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