Insurers should not need to provide coverage for voluntary cancellations because of fears over virus
Insurers may not have to make payouts to policyholders who voluntarily cancel their travel plans due to the Zika virus, according to reports.
That’s because health officials have stated that they cannot yet prove a direct link between the Zika virus and brain deformities in babies.
During the last five months, 4,000 babies in Brazil have been born with microcephaly – which leaves babies with unusually small heads. The condition has been linked to the Zika virus, which comes from mosquitoes.
However, the wording “linked to” is the key: it has not yet been shown that the virus is a true cause of the problem.
According to Dr Shirley Crawshaw, the deputy director of public health, there has been no evidence found by the World Health Organisation to distinctly prove that it is a cause of the problem.
Nevertheless, advice has still been issued to those who are pregnant, or attempting to get pregnant, to stay away from countries where the virus is being actively transmitted.
Currently, there are 23 countries which have been listed as a potential risk – they are primarily located in South and Central America, with Samoa also on the list.
Generally speaking, around 80 per cent of people who contract the virus will only suffer from a mild infection, however – the equivalent of a transient cold.
That’s because health officials have stated that they cannot yet prove a direct link between the Zika virus and brain deformities in babies.
During the last five months, 4,000 babies in Brazil have been born with microcephaly – which leaves babies with unusually small heads. The condition has been linked to the Zika virus, which comes from mosquitoes.
However, the wording “linked to” is the key: it has not yet been shown that the virus is a true cause of the problem.
According to Dr Shirley Crawshaw, the deputy director of public health, there has been no evidence found by the World Health Organisation to distinctly prove that it is a cause of the problem.
Nevertheless, advice has still been issued to those who are pregnant, or attempting to get pregnant, to stay away from countries where the virus is being actively transmitted.
Currently, there are 23 countries which have been listed as a potential risk – they are primarily located in South and Central America, with Samoa also on the list.
Generally speaking, around 80 per cent of people who contract the virus will only suffer from a mild infection, however – the equivalent of a transient cold.
