For the past few days, our country and the whole world have been thrust into a fight against an acute respiratory infection caused by a novel coronavirus – nicknamed “Ms. Vy” by us.
For the aviation industry, VNA, and particularly us flight attendants serving as frontline staff, Ms. Vy is a worrisome foe. We need to be courageous in our fight against it… and win!
Working during these days, we often need to comfort ourselves and uplift each other’s spirits. We overcame deadly diseases like SARS, MERS, EBOLA, H5N1, in that past, so surely Ms. Vy can’t scare us!
But that doesn’t mean we won’t take precautions and be deeply wary of Ms. Vy!
If you arrive at the airport on the days right before or right after Tet, you will notice the huge traveling demand of passengers despite the coronavirus outbreak! Tan Son Nhat and Noi Bai airports, as well as airports in Beijing, Shanghai, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Sydney, etc., were packed. If pilots and flight attendants refused to fly for fear of Ms. Vy, who would operate the flights? Who would serve passengers in need of traveling for their work or personal reasons?
A few days ago, our group of flight attendants needed to work on a flight to Frankfurt (Germany). We had a briefing prior to the flight, but the discussion at that time revolved around Ms. Vy. Flight attendants received medical masks and gloves. We were armed like warriors, only without swords, shields and armor!
Then, we shared with one another information from official updates on the epidemic, how to wear masks and gloves properly to ensure hygiene and safety, what needs to be paid particular attention to when serving passengers and taking care of their health, and what steps need to be taken if passengers encounter health problems, etc.
As a Chief Purser, I reminded my fellow members that during this tough time, every flight is special! We can no longer simply rely on a soft, warm, and polite tone of voice to communicate with customers while wearing face masks. Therefore, eye contact and nonverbal communication (body language) prove to be particularly important. Just smile with your eyes and from your heart, and the passengers will understand and sympathize!
I did not forget to remind them to go out less, to dress warmly, and to take care of themselves when arriving in Germany. Had someone in the team been sick, we and also the passengers would likely have to be isolated in Germany or Vietnam. That is how dangerous Ms. Vy is!
On the flight, all of us seemed to be more careful with what we were doing. We served passengers wholeheartedly and considerately. We kept the cabin and toilet perfectly clean. We wore new masks if the old ones were dirty and frequently washed our hands with soap and antiseptic liquid.
“On the flight, all of us seem to be more careful with what we are doing.” (Cre: Bui Le Uyen).
Watching us working hard, passengers became more understanding and sympathetic. German and Western passengers did not wear protective masks much. Those masks may have been not necessary for them, although they were aware of the dangers of the virus. They continually gave us big smiles, which warmed our hearts! Flying and putting the masks on for 12 hours was hard for us as the masks tended to hinder our breathing. However, we had to cope with this nuisance to protect ourselves, to show our responsibility towards our families, coworkers, and the community, and to assure passengers.
Once we landed at Noi Bai Airport, a flood of news came in. It was news on the epidemic from the Cabin Crew, VNA’ cancelation of all flights to and from China, advice on how to avoid Ms. Vy from friends and relatives, the encouraging letter from President & CEO Duong Tri Thanh, etc. Upon reading those, we experienced mixed feelings. On the one hand, we were touched by the attention paid to us by our families, coworkers, and the community. On the other hand, we were sad knowing that Ms. Vy hadn’t stopped bedeviling us, that some people were raising the price of face masks for personal gain, and that many flights would be scaled-back down the road – meaning the economy of the nation and many families would be negatively impacted!
While bidding farewell, we reminded each other to protect our health, to prepare for the next flights, and to carefully administer our personal hygiene before meeting and hugging our loved ones!
After a long and crowded flight with risks of infection, we were all worn out but still felt proud as we had just accomplished a profound mission!
We are the “Lotusmiles warriors,” Ms. Vy cannot drag us down!
Bui Le Uyen -Crew
