Chinese aviation authority CAAC recommends cabin crew to wear disposable diapers for COVID-19 protection

Cabin crew members working for Chinese airlines are recommended to wear disposable diapers. Lavatory usage should be avoided as well. This guideline was introduced by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for special transport missions (charter flights) to and from pandemic countries/regions exceeding 500 infected cases per every million people. 

Next to the recommendation to wear disposable diapers, CAAC tells cabin crew members to wear the following Personal Protection Equipment (PPE): medical protective masks, double-layer disposable medical rubber gloves, goggles, disposable caps, disposable protective clothing, and disposable shoe covers.

This information was published in the sixth edition of the guideline for airlines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, published by the CAAC. In the intro, CAAC writes: “In order to do a good job in normalized disease prevention and control, strictly implement various measures that guard against “disease importation and domestic resurgence”, intensify measures against “virus spread via humans and cargo”, and effectively prevent the spread of the COVID-19 through air transport, the sixth edition of Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Guideline for Airlines is developed.”

An excerpt from the sixth edition of the Preventing the Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Guideline for Airlines:

8. Prevention and Control Measures for Special Transport Missions (Charter Flights) to/from Pandemic Countries/Regions

Infection control measures should be put in place as follows for special transport missions to/from pandemic countries/regions (with the number of infected cases in every one million
people at the point of origin exceeding 500).

8.4 Prevention and Control Measures for Crew Members

8.4.1 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

8.4.1.1 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for cabin crew members: medical protective
masks, double-layer disposable medical rubber gloves, goggles, disposable caps,
disposable protective clothing, and disposable shoe covers. It’s recommended that cabin
crew wear disposable diapers and avoid using lavatory unless in special circumstances to
reduce the risk of infection.

8.4.1.2 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for flight crew members: medical protective
masks and goggles. Disposable protective clothing and/or disposable shoe covers can also
be donned if so required by a specific task.

8.4.2 Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) wearing/removing procedures
Please refer to appendix 4 for the specific procedures.

8.4.3 Dinning Considerations
Cabin crew members should be divided into different groups while having simple meals in different hours of the day. To reduce the risk of exposure, others should refrain from walking around.