Sheet-scared: Airline passengers wrap themselves in full-body plastic sheets to fend off coronavirus during Australian flight
- A fellow passenger filmed the two flyers wrapped head-to-toe in plastic foil
- They were on a flight from Sydney to Hamilton Island off Australia’s coast
- Australia has confirmed 15 cases of the virus, all linked to ground zero Wuhan
Two air passengers took virus prevention to new extremes by wrapping themselves completely in plastic foil during a flight.
A fellow flyer filmed the two passengers sitting in their seats with masks, gloves and makeshift full-body suits.
The passenger filmed the video on a flight from Sydney to Hamilton Island off the coast of Australia.
She shared it on social media with the caption: ‘Currently behind me on the plane. When [you’re] super scared of coronavirus.’
Australia has confirmed 15 cases of the virus, all of them with a ‘direct or indirect link’ to the city of Wuhan at the centre of the outbreak.
Five of them are in Queensland, where the flight in the video was heading.
One of the passengers had covered himself in translucent plastic sheets, while his companion was wearing a pink protective suit.
Like many countries, Australia has barred entry to visitors who have been to mainland China in the last 14 days, regardless of nationality.
Australian nationals are allowed to enter the country but required to enter a 14-day quarantine if they have recently been to China.
The travel ban has left almost 100,000 Chinese students unable to fly Down Under to start the academic year.
Two air passengers took virus prevention to new extremes by wrapping themselves completely in plastic foil during a flight
Shops and restaurants in Melbourne’s Chinatown have also suffered, with some putting up signs to reassure customers that they disinfect their premises.
‘Our main customers are from China… it’s very difficult,’ said Su Yin, whose pancake store sits downstairs from a Melbourne college with a large Chinese student base.
The country is also arranging a rescue flight for Australians on the Diamond Princess, the quarantined cruise ship where more than 600 cases have been confirmed.
Medics are usually seen wearing protective suits while testing or treating suspected virus patients.
The World Health Organisation says that healthy people do not generally need to wear masks, but supplies have dwindled in many countries amid virus fears.
The WHO says people should start wearing masks if they are coughing or sneezing, or taking care of a suspected patient.