Winter Travel Reminders
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/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2021

Winter Travel Reminders

Winter weather is upon us, and with it increased risks involved in daily travel as well as long-distance road trips for holiday getaways. Many are not prepared to properly prevent and handle travel accidents. Now is an excellent time to review the steps that can prevent travel mishaps and the appropriate measures to take, should an untimely accident arise.

Keep your car equipped and in good repair. As winter approaches, equip your car with an ice scraper, a snowbrush, jumper cables, and snow tires. Abide by regular maintenance recommendations, and have a mechanic check the car before long trips for any mechanical issues. Also, ensure that the tires are properly inflated, that wipers thoroughly clear the windshield, that fluids are topped off, and that you have plenty of gas.  

Equip your car with a winter first aid kit.  Gathering an emergency kit of items you would need is well worth the time and expense. It would even make a great gift for those people in your life who are tough to buy for. Ensure your car is equipped with a jack and lug wrench to change a tire. Older vehicles do not always have their originally supplied equipment. For emergencies at any time of year, you would likely want to have several other items on hand. Pack a cell phone charger or rechargeable battery pack; a flashlight, hand-cranked or with extra batteries; a first aid kit, including band-aides, adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, gauze pads, antiseptic ointment, and medical wrap; bottled water; and road flares or reflective triangles.

For winter travel emergencies, include windshield washing fluid, a bag of sand to be used for extra traction, a collapsible snow shovel, emergency blanket, work gloves, safety whistle, and hand warmers. Those who are traveling outside cell reception, could also include a car fire extinguisher; tire gauge; a multi-tool; baby wipes; duct tape; blankets; non-perishable, high-energy foods, like energy bars or trail mix; a battery-powered radio; matches in a water-proof container; cord and scissors; and a compass.

Know your route. Plan your route in advance. Be sure to prepare with both electronic means of navigation and paper directions, and let a friend or family member know which way you intend to go and when you expect to arrive. Check in with them once you get there.   

Check the conditions. Pay attention to the weather forecast for the time you will be traveling. Also, ensure that you, yourself, are in good health. Viral illnesses, like the flu or COVID-19, can slow response times significantly. If you are feeling unwell or the weather looks treacherous, cancel the trip.

Dress for the worst. Be sure to have clothes that would protect you from the cold, if your car could no longer be used as a source of heat or if you had to be outside for a while. Also have an extra pair of clothes to change into, should the ones you are wearing become wet. Wear or carry boots, a hat, warm gloves, scarf, and coat.

Leave extra time. Give yourself more time for travel. You may need to slow your speed and increase following distance. Do not be in a rush. Budget time to brush off car entirely, including the roof, bumpers, and all of the lights. Snow can slide off the roof of the car and impair visibility for you and other drivers. Clean the windshield and wipers of all snow and ice.

In case of an accident, leave your car only to place flares or reflective triangles at the front and rear. Don’t try to push your vehicle out of the snow. Make sure the exhaust pipe is free of snow, mud, or other objects, and keep the car running with the heat on, if possible. Call for help.

While we can’t prevent every instance of trouble, we can be prudent and prepare in ways that will improve our ability to keep ourselves and our passengers safe.

Crystal Labbe-Hasty, PA-C, is a physician assistant at SVMC ExpressCare in Bennington. It is part of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Southwestern Vermont Health Care.  

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COVID-19 Scams

Scams are almost as old as time. They always take advantage of our vulnerabilities and fears. So in times of mass panic, like has been caused by COVID-19, opportunities for scammers increase, said Southwestern Vermont Health Care's Information Technology Security Engineer Geoffrey Mazanec.

IT experts noted a 667 percent increase in malicious phishing e-mails as of the end of last month. Security firm Barracuda Networks identified 137 coronavirus-related phishing emails in January, 1,188 in February, and more than 9,000 in March. 

There are most likely several reasons for the increase.

  • First, many scams exploit our fears. As fear increases, so to opportunities for scammers. Many scams have been tweaked to include a reference to COVID-19, which may cause people to react more quickly and without thinking.
  • Scammers also exploit our desires to be good people—to pay our bills on time and follow directions—which could also be heightened during a crisis.
  • During COVID-19, everyone is conducting more business remotely. In the effort to keep all of our online activities straight, we may lose track of who is on the other end of the phone line or e-mail.
  • Mazanec notes that, with so many people out of work, scammers may have taken what had been a part-time swindling gig full time.

These startling statistics and our increased vulnerability make it a great time for a refresher about how scammers attack and how to avoid getting caught in a scheme.

Phishing. The most common way scammers operate is by phishing. They call or e-mail, usually posing to be a company or organization that you trust: the IRS, Medicare or Medicaid, or a company that you have done business with before. And they are crafty. They can even make it look as if they are calling from a business you recognize. They are counting on your thinking that they are the real thing.

"Lots of people, looking for protective equipment, for instance, are purchasing from companies that they have not dealt with in the past," Mazanec said. "Scammers want you to believe that you have purchased from them, when you have not."

They might send you an "invoice due" message with a .pdf attachment, or they might provide a link for you to click and log in. They want you to do one of two things: (1) Give up your personal information, either over the phone or by logging in to a fake sign-in page or (2) click on a .pdf or website that will infect your system.

So what can you do? Mazanec recommends not clicking. "If you don’t recognize it, don't open it. Instead, always question whether it is legitimate. And, no matter who it is, don't give anyone usernames or passwords."

Disconnect the call or delete the e-mail and call the company directly. If you don't have their number on hand, you can find it using a Google search. If you ask them whether they just called or e-mailed you, you will likely find that they have not. Congratulations. You’ve just avoided a scam.

Too good to be true. Some scammers are also selling fake products. For instance, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued warnings to seven companies selling fraudulent products that claim to test for, prevent, or treat COVID-19. Some even claimed to be approved by the FDA! Other companies are taking personal information in exchange for being added to a fake list for early access to the COVID-19 vaccine.

There is no valid at-home test for COVID-19 and no viable at-home treatments, unless you count rest and plenty of fluids for mild cases. Consult with your local healthcare provider before taking any testing or treatment action, as some can be harmful or even deadly.

To avoid scams like this one, read, watch, and listen to reputable news sources. If there is a legitimate at-home test, treatment, or vaccine, you will hear reports about it from your state's department of health and other official organizations.

More information about scams related to COVID-19 can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/media/phishing.html and https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice.

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