Chinese expert warns Europeans: Going outside is not quarantine

(Patria) – More than 200,000 people are currently infected worldwide, and more than 8,000 have died, according to a report by Johns Hopkins University.

The new virus first appeared in China, which suffered the largest number of cases for months until the epicenter shifted to Europe.

The head of the Chinese crisis medical group, Zhong Nanshang, is appealing to Europe to take stricter measures without delay – 'don't wait until it's too late!'

European countries have raised their crisis response to the highest level now that the pandemic has already taken on dramatic proportions. The EU has closed its borders for 30 days, and a large number of cities and regions are closed.

However, Nanshang warns that European citizens are still going out to cafes, maintaining social contact outside... 'This quarantine doesn't work like that,' he emphasizes, recommending more proactive measures for faster identification of infection, more effective implementation of restrictive measures, and faster activation of quarantine.  

Italy now accounts for almost a third of the total number of deaths worldwide, and Rome registered 345 new fatal outcomes of the disease on Tuesday alone, bringing the total number to 2,500.