Airlines are turning to some of the world's hardest-hitting disinfectants, capable of stopping everything from sexually transmitted diseases to the MRSA superbug, in the fight against the coronavirus.

Qantas Airways, Korean Air Lines and Singapore Airlines's carrier Scoot are among airlines that helped evacuate people from the outbreak's epicentre, the Chinese city of Wuhan, and from a cruise ship off Japan.

They've stepped up aircraft-cleaning efforts as a result, trying to ensure that planes used in rescue missions are safe to be put back into commercial use.

Qantas used the same plane for all evacuation flights, and said it cleaned it for 36 hours after. Credit:Qantas

The standard vacuum-and-wipe clean-up on board has turned into hospital-grade sterilisations. How was this done? And are there any risks for passengers using the planes when they return to service? Here are some answers: