The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria Dr Zhou Pingjiang has urged Nigerians not to panic over the outbreak of the coronavirus, noting that the virus was Preventable, curable and controllable.
The coronavirus was last week declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation, WHO, as a result of the rapid spread of the previously unknown virus. The virus has so far spread to more than 20 countries. In China, about 20,000 people have been infected by the new virus with 425 now known to have died. Most of the death are in Wuhan and the rest of surrounding Hubei province, which has largely been under lockdown for almost two weeks.
The envoy who spoke with senior journalists in Abuja, however, assured Nigerians that his government was doing everything necessary to bring the situation under control working in concert with the World Health Organisation, whom he noted has praised the speed and transparency China has handled the outbreak.
He said that a total of 60 Nigerians were living in Wuhan city where the virus broke out from, adding that no Nigerian in Wuhan or any other part of China is known to have been infected.
Pingjiang said that although Wuhan was in a lockdown the authorities were maintaining regular communication with the residents in case of any need for assistance.
He noted that the Chinese government has taken all necessary preventive measures to curtail the spread of the disease including the total shut down of several cities around the epicentre of the virus so as to check further spread of the disease.
In addition to this, Pingjiang said the “Chinese Lunar New Year festivities have been extended so that people can stay at home while we monitor the situation”
He said that the reason people should not panic was because the fatality rate of the coronavirus was very minimal compared to the SARS outbreak of 2006,
“The fatality rate of the disease is just a little over 2%, this is very minimal compared to the SARS outbreak of 2006, we believe it is a situation which is under control. Also, a significant number of people have been treated and are now free of the infection, out of 365 death, 475 people have been treated and are now fully free of the virus”
He said the next two weeks were critical as the outbreak would have peaked and health workers monitoring the situation can then be able to access the situation to bring it under total control.
