Do DIY 'Hazmat Suits' Made From Garbage Bags Protect You From COVID-19?

The Centers for Disease Control continues to warn against unnecessary travel due to a risk of contracting COVID-19 on a crowded flight if an infected passenger is on board. People who do travel are terrified, and they're taking extraordinary steps to protect themselves.

Sarah Lewitan taped two trash bags together to create a do-it-yourself hazmat suit before boarding a flight from New York to Los Angeles.

"This plane is packed. I am not into this," Lewitan said as she boarded.

Inside Edition found that many other passengers were wearing the same type of gear at JFK International Airport. Masks were everywhere, some covered their heads and donned see-thru plastic rain gear. At LAX, passengers moving through the concourse on their way to board a flight to Asia were covered head to toe in protective gear.

But public health expert Jack Caravanos says the hazmat suits are overkill.

"You can't get [coronavirus] through your skin," he said. "It only gets in through your mouth and nose."

RELATED STORIES