Dress right, don’t let the bed bugs bite.
Amid the biblical bed bug infestations sweeping Europe, travelers are resorting to extreme measures to keep these pesky bloodsuckers at bay.
Recently, a train passenger went viral after donning a full hazmat suit like an Ebola worker to ride the rails around the continent, as seen in a video with 1.4 million views on TikTok.
“Eurostar bed bugs are not going to get me,” declared user @mv.tiangue in a caption to the clip, which was posted shortly after bedbugs were spotted on transit systems in the UK.
Accompanying footage showed her decked out head to toe in a white hazmat suit aboard said train, which travels between London and France — the epicenter of the outbreak — as well as other parts of Europe.
The TikTokker’s getup evokes something out of the 2,000 zombie apocalypse flick “28 Days Later” or one of the MacGyvered anti-COVID apparatuses that cropped up during the pandemic.
In a follow-up clip, MV can be seen purchasing the “Breaking Bad” ensemble before sitting on the bullet train in her bite-proof suit.
While her outfit seemed outlandish, many viewers were on board with the measure with one writing, “Omg that is smart.”
Others compared her bedbug-proof suit to the anti-coronavirus costume supermodel Naomi Campbell rocked while flying between New York and Los Angeles.
However, some pointed out that she didn’t put a hazmat suit on her luggage, which can prove as much a haven for the critters as the clothes on her back.
This comes amid the ongoing apocalyptic bed bug scourge, which began in Paris, France and has gotten so severe that it’s been labeled a public health crisis.
The French government created a global action plan extending until 2024 to fight against the massive spread of the bloodsucking insects in France’s housing.
Meanwhile, hotels are reportedly discarding mattresses by the truckload in a manner reminiscent of the Scarlet Fever days — which is inadvisable as this can spread their eggs.
Not to mention that, contrary to what their name might suggest, bed bugs don’t only reside where we sleep.
As multiple videos show, the parasites colonize gyms, movie theaters, public transport and other places frequented by warm bodies.
Experts have blamed the travel boom for facilitating this pestilence.
“This year is a unique year because we’re seeing such a huge surge and resurgence in travel activity,” said Michael Bentley, director of training and education at the National Pest Management Association. “Bed bugs are incredibly effective travelers just like we are. As we evolved to travel around the world, bed bugs evolved to travel with us.”
