The Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Nigeria, Mr. Zhou Pingjian, has said his country had not found a solution to the Coronavirus epidemic.

He said there was no basis for panic because the fatality rate had remained much less than a “normal” epidemic.

The ambassador said another 1,500-bed hospital will open today in Wuhan, where the epidemic’s first case was recorded.

But latest statistics revealed that about 839 fatalities had been recorded and over 632 patients cured.

Pingjian, who addressed reporters on Tuesday in Abuja, said China was “looking into a two-week window to curtail the virus”.

He added: “No solution has been found to Coronavirus yet. For the 632 patients that have been cured, we did that by boosting their immunity. For the confirmed cases of those who are under 50 years, there was no death. Most of those affected are the aged people.

“The scientists tentatively tend to identify the cause from bats and maybe some humans, but not 100 per cent sure. There is a lot of conspiracy theory about Coronavirus, but we don’t have proof.

“We have already built 1,000-bed capacity but by Wednesday (today), another 1,500-bed hospital will come on stream to deal with the epidemic.

“We have taken every possible means to curb it. This epidemic is preventable, curable and controllable. There is no basis for panic. The fatality rate is below three per cent.”

On the effects of the epidemic on China’s economy, Pingjian said: “In the short term, it is going to affect the economy. But according to experience, the fundamentals of China’s economy cannot be changed by this epidemic. I think the economy will pick up after Coronavirus has been curtailed.”