Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/1481873
DREAMSCAPES FALL/ WINTER 2022 50 W ith Canadian airports and passport renewal offices struggling to keep up with an unprecedented surge in global travel following the lifting of pandemic restrictions, travel health clinics across the country are expe- riencing what may be an even greater uptick in demand. At the Medcan clinic in downtown Toronto, for instance, travel medicine director Dr. Aisha Khatib says patient visits began surpassing pre-COVID levels in early July. While this surge is partially due to international vacations being put on hold for more than two years, the nature of Canadians' travel health concerns has also changed. "People are more worried about underlying medical conditions, and whether they predispose them to being at higher risk while travelling," Khatib says. After COVID-19 exposed the fragility of health- care systems around the world, travellers have also become more aware of the importance of mitigating preventable health-related risks, says Ajit Johal, director of the TravelRx Clinic in Vancouver. "There is limited healthcare capacity, especially in devel- oping countries, and we should take measures to reduce our chances of needing hospital care in those destinations. For example, if we can reduce our chances of having severe traveller's diarrhea, then it is less likely that we will require hospitaliza- tion and IV fluids. Every travel itinerary is unique, and it brings unique health risks that could be pre- vented with vaccination or education." S P E C I A L F E A T U R E HOW TO PREP FOR SAFE AND HEALTHY WINTER VACATIONS Sun and Sand BY ADAM BISBY PHOTOS BY ILONA KAUREMSZKY & STEPHEN SMITH IN THE PHOTO: TOA HEFTIBA/UNSPLASH