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Coronavirus pandemic

Putin hopes measures to combat coronavirus outbreak will be successful

Putin reminded that Russia has many qualified epidemiologists who developed a drug against Ebola

© EPA-EFE/ALEX PLAVEVSKI

CHEREPOVETS, February 4. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin hopes that the measures taken to combat the spread of a novel coronavirus will be effective, reminding that Russia has many qualified epidemiologists who developed a drug against Ebola.

"I hope that our Chinese friends will find an appropriate solution to this difficult situation. It is in the interest of all of us that the results of the measures taken to combat the new virus are as effective as possible, and that they are achieved as soon as possible," Putin said during the meeting with members of the public in Russia’s Cherepovets.

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The Russian leader noted that Russia counts on the help of many qualified specialists, who have already proven their worth in the fight against Ebola. "On the outcomes of their work, a drug against the Ebola fever was developed; and it turned out to be the most effective one," Putin said.

A Russian-made vaccine against Ebola was officially presented to the World Health Organization (WHO) on February 15, 2016. In June 2017, first cases of vaccination with the use of the Russian-developed drug took place in Guinea.

On December 31, 2019, Chinese authorities informed WHO about an outbreak of a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the city of Wuhan - a large trade and industrial center in central China populated by 11 million people. The city has since been closed off for entry and exit. Foreign states are evacuating their citizens from Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province.

According to recent data, the number of people infected with 2019-nCoV in China has exceeded 20,400, with 420 recorded deaths. There have been two cases of death from coronavirus outside mainland China - in Hong Kong and in the Philippines.

Cases of coronavirus have been detected in 24 countries outside of China, including Russia. On January 30, WHO declared an international public health emergency over the outbreak of 2019-nCoV.

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