As the holiday travel season kicks off, so does the cold and flu season. Soliant Health conducted a study analyzing which cities Americans are most likely to catch a cold or the flu while on vacation.
Researchers considered current cold and flu activity, air quality, asthma rates, allergies and germs in public transportation.
Bakersfield, California, ranked as the top city where people are most likely to get sick. Two more Golden State cities, Fresno and San Diego, followed as illness hotspots.
New York City and Jackson, Mississippi, also rank among the top five cities in which Americans are likely to get sick.
Honolulu, Hawaii, ranked at the bottom of the illness hotspot list for Americans looking to travel to cities where they are least likely to get sick.
According to the study, Omaha, Nebraska; Boise, Idaho; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Provo, Utah, are among the five places where people are least likely to catch a cold or the flu.
Soliant Health researchers urged traveling Americans to have a plan in case they do get sick on vacation. Researchers recommended knowing where reliable health care is located in case medical treatment is necessary.
Researchers also recommended “staying vigilant,” meaning that Americans should keep up with health habits.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed tips for reducing the risk of getting sick. Washing hands, avoiding close contact and staying home when sick are all ways to prevent the spread of illness during this flu season.
