Expert says isolation has vital role in virus prevention

Isolation and quarantine measures should be prioritized once COVID-19 cases are detected and this will greatly assist in the battle against the contagion, said a prominent Chinese expert in respiratory diseases.

"Early detection of people infected with the novel coronavirus, then isolating them would be an effective way to prevent the disease from spreading," said Zhong Nanshan, who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Zhong was answering questions on Wednesday from a group of 19 foreigners who live in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province.

Sharing China's experience of prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhong said medical checkups also played an important role in prevention and control of the disease.

"Medical checkups and observation are part of important measures to prevent the disease from spreading at the community level," he added.

Exchanging experiences in fighting the disease would be very important in global cooperation, said Zhong.

"In addition to providing medical supplies such as face masks and protective clothing, we should attach great importance to sharing each country's effective measures in prevention and control of the novel coronavirus," he said.

Zhong also shared China's experience in fighting the disease with medical experts from India in a videoconference on Wednesday afternoon.

Measures should be shared globally if they are proven to be effective, he said.

"We live in one world, and we now have one fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," said Zhong.

The 19 foreigners, from Japan, Australia, Russia, Vietnam, Palestine and a number of African countries, also shared their views about tackling the disease.

Virginio Bibang Ndong, from Equatorial Guinea, said China's efforts in prevention and control of the COVID-19 pandemic should be learned by other countries.

"I told my parents that I would not go back home in February when China reported an increased number of confirmed cases of COVID-19," he said.

Ndong, who arrived in China in 2014, is studying medicine at Southern Medical University in Guangzhou.

"I was very confident that China would tackle the problem in an efficient way, and I have now told my family members in Africa how to prevent themselves from being infected," he said.

Sharing China's experiences in fighting COVID-19 would help to prevent the disease from spreading further globally, said Bindanda Mvuama Van Timothee, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"I like living in Guangzhou, especially at a time when the local government had introduced timely and efficient measures to prevent and control the novel coronavirus pandemic," he said.

"Sharing China's experience of fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic would help us better prevent and control the disease when we return to Africa."