This webinar session discussed an airlines tale of repatriation from the epicentre of COVID-19.

In January 2020 a new novel coronavirus now known as COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China a city in Hubei Provence. It was Chinese New Year and summer school holidays in Australia. Hundreds of Australians including many small children and their families became locked in when the City closed its airport and doors to the world in an effort to contain the virus.

Qantas at the request of the Australian Government undertook two repatriation flights into the epicentre to bring home Australians. Whitney Hughes was the Qantas clinical lead on these missions and was instrumental in developing the onboard protocols, training and management of crew and passengers on these flights. Whitney will take you through what it took to plan these missions and how they brought Australians home safe and well.

Whitney is an experienced aviation medicine and prehospital care paramedic who has over 25 years in working in the aviation industry. She holds both Paramedicine and Aviation Medicine qualifications and sits on the Impaired Registrants Panel for AHPRA.