In what under normal circumstances would have appeared as bizarre advice, China’s Civil Aviation Administration has suggested that flight attendants wear disposable diapers. This is to enable them to avoid using in-flight toilets amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Al Arabiya reports that while China had resumed most of its flights in August, the new advice is an indication of the less than favorable conditions under which cabin crew now work. Some countries have even put in place strict rules to govern the behavior of international flight crews, expecting them to remain inside their hotel room for the entire period between arrival and departure. This rule applies to all cabin crew, including pilots. These are some of the strictest regulations being faced by crew today.

The recommendation to use diapers to avoid in-flight bathrooms altogether, reportedly applies on flights involving countries where infection rates exceed 500 cases per million people. Another recommendation is that crew on less risky flights have access to a private bathroom, and that it be sanitized before and after each use.

In the guidelines document released by the CAAC on preventing the spread of the virus on planes, diapers have been listed under “personal protective equipment”, along with surgical masks, double-layer disposable gloves, disposable shoe covers., and other protective gear.

Plane cabins have been classified as “lower-risk” environments. Nevertheless, doctors have maintained that toilets on long distance flights face a significant risk of being contaminated with  the coronavirus.

Umm Muhammed Umar