Coronavirus infection can cause an illness of varying severity, as is well known. This would affect driving, even more so if there was a pre-existing illness. For this reason, the rentrée to the wheel needs to be well prepared.
This spring, in the midst of the state of alarm, we looked at what driving during the coronavirus pandemic was like. On the one hand, we found traffic that was somewhat unreal but logical (it had fallen by 91%), given the restrictions on freedom of movement. On the other hand, the work of essential services, starting with our own sector—roadside assistance—was being put to the test, day after day, in difficult situations… the product of reality itself. A very difficult reality.
Dr Enrique Mirabet Lis, of the Spanish Society of Traffic Medicine (SEMT), gave an interview last July to Tráfico y Seguridad Vial, the magazine of the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT). The expert addressed the question of those who are considering returning to driving during the new normal.
This physician and surgeon, a specialist in road safety education and traffic medicine, talked about preventing risk situations, urging drivers to return to driving “gradually”. In fact this applies to everyone: including those who have only been through lockdown, since in many cases they have gone a long time without using any vehicle.
Mirabet also referred to the economic, employment and family problems that the pandemic has caused, and continues to cause. In this state of affairs, attention and the ability to concentrate can be affected, thus making it harder to handle a car. That is why “it is very important to set those problems aside and concentrate on driving,” the doctor said.
Driving after COVID-19
Can you drive while taking medication for COVID-19? When would you be fit to drive? It seems reasonable that we should drive once we have overcome the illness and recovered our abilities, leaving the effects of the illness behind. These can range from weakness to respiratory failure, hypoglycaemia (if we are diabetic), vision problems or neurological symptoms (dizziness, tremors…).
As well as having completed the recovery process, we must bear in mind the time of day when we take the vehicle, avoiding the middle of the day (the heat, in general) and long journeys. We should also be cautious about driving if we are professionals or use the vehicle as a work tool; in any case, we will need to consult our primary care doctor before getting back behind the wheel.