Were they contaminated? While waiting for all suspicion to be lifted, an Air France crew of 19 people was repatriated to France after traveling to Shanghai on January 27 with a passenger affected by the coronavirus, although wearing a mask.
Contacted by Le Parisien, Air France ensures that the "flight program for the crew has been arranged", that is to say that its members will no longer fly until further notice. The crew is medically monitored and the management of Air France awaits news from the Directorate General of Health (DGS) to eventually reintegrate them.
The presence on board flight AF116 of 27 January connecting Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle airport to Shanghai-Pudong airport, "of a client suffering from coronavirus has been confirmed by the Chinese medical authorities", said indicated the company.
Low risk of contamination
"The sick passenger having worn a mask during the entire flight, the risk of contamination is considered to be very low," said Air France. As for the crew, it is made up of 3 pilots and 16 hostesses and stewards who "have been informed of the measures to be taken in the event of the appearance of symptoms".
The crew "should have been quarantined upon their return to Paris," said a union source, who said the company was "struggling to make provisional arrangements" in the face of the coronavirus epidemic.
Health authorities do not plan a systematic quarantine for people who have been in contact with a patient infected with the coronavirus, the measures to be followed depend on an individual risk assessment.
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
Since January 30, Air France has announced that it will suspend all of its connections with China until further notice.