China - The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) recommends all flight attendants to wear diapers on long-haul flights. It has a very important benefit in mind.

The 49-page document instructs flight attendants to wear disposable diapers during their stay on board and to avoid visiting the aircraft toilets.

These measures are intended to reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission on flights to and from countries currently classified as high-risk, i.e. in regions where there are more than 500 infections per million people.

What may sound strange and embarrassing to many could actually be a very sensible measure. After all, CNN reported evidence that at least one passenger may have been infected with the virus in an airplane lavatory.

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Other studies also demonstrate that infectious Covid-19 aerosols can pass through waste pipes in toilets in buildings and apartments.

By contrast, the other guidelines for in-flight safety seem comparatively normal: wearing personal protective equipment such as medical masks, two-layer disposable medical gloves, protective goggles, disposable hats, disposable protective clothing, and disposable shoe covers is also supposed to make infection more difficult.

Airplane cabins will be divided into cleaning area, buffer zone, passenger seating area, and quarantine area, separated by disposable curtains.

The last three rows should be designated as emergency quarantine areas, according to the CAAC.

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For passengers, the familiar rules still apply: social distancing, hygiene, and face masks. Regular handwashing and disinfection can also reduce the risk of infection.