From grapefruit and cabbage masks to plastic bottles and even bras, people in China are using whatever they can get their hands on to reduce the risk of contracting the disease. Although most of these creative solutions won’t be as effective as proper medical equipment, any protection might be better than none.
However, remember that grapefruit is not a valid alternative for a professional mask.
It’s no secret that the coronavirus is spreading further and further every day. The gravity of the situation can be understood from the decision The World Health Organization took to declare the coronavirus situation a global emergency. There are now around 10,000 cases of people infected with the virus in China, at least 213 have died due to the illness, and the sickness has now spread to 19 countries around the globe.
Prominent web magazine Bored Panda talked to a member of flight staff from a major Middle-Eastern airline based in Dubai, who wanted to remain anonymous, about the situation regarding the spread of the coronavirus. According to her, a family of 4 that traveled to Dubai from Wuhan has been quarantined until they are healthy.
She also told Bored Panda that the airline that she works for hasn’t stopped its flights to China. This concerned her for her health. That’s why she’s come up with her protocol about how to protect herself from the virus.
“After every flight, I immediately wash my clothes and take a shower as soon as I get back home,” she said. “While I’m on a flight, I wear a medical mask and I only eat the food that I prepared myself.”
She revealed that it’s highly likely that she’ll be on at least several flights to China in February. In her opinion, not all countries in the world are equally vulnerable to the virus and call Dubai one of the “gateways” that is at risk.
The flight attendant revealed to Bored Panda that a large number of people are now flying with masks on and are disinfecting their hands when they can. According to her, people have been advised to touch their faces less and avoid large crowds.
The majority of people with the coronavirus abroad are those who’d been to Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease. However, the BBC writes that in 8 cases (in Germany, Japan, Vietnam, and the US), people were infected by those who’d traveled to China. Today, the first cases of the virus reaching the UK have also been documented.
There are widespread panic and countries are reacting in various ways to contain coronavirus by closing borders, canceling flights, and quarantining people returning from Wuhan. It has also been noted that big companies like Starbucks, Google, Tesla, and IKEA closed some of their shops and partially suspended their operations. However, the WHO is sure that China can control the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
China locked down the province of Hubei (with 60 million people) from where the virus spread. What’s more, China’s advising its citizens abroad to stop non-essential travel back home.
You can view a constantly-updated model of how much the virus has spread globally right here.