13:16, 2 April, 2020

YEREVAN, APRIL 2, ARMENPRESS. Esmeralda Dallakyan, who currently lives in China and studies at the Tsinghua University, is more than confident that Chinese people manage to overcome the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) thanks to self-quarantine.

The Armenian student introduced the current situation in China to ARMENPRESS and informed that students currently are under quarantine and only go out in extreme cases.

“When the virus outbreak started, we were only allowed to go out for buying some food, but the restrictions were further tightened due to the increase in the number of confirmed cases. We were not allowed to go outside, cafes were banning two or more people sitting together, the social distance was mandatory. Disinfection works are carried out everywhere several times a day, all are wearing face masks. Going out from the room without a mask is not allowed. I am more than confident that here people manage to overcome the virus firstly with the self-isolation. We even didn’t contact with our classmates for weeks”, she said.

The student said the situation in Beijing is gradually improving as cafes, restaurants start their operations, and almost no cases of the disease are being reported in the city.

Esmeralda Dallakyan says when the disease started spreading she got sick, but not due to the coronavirus. However, she was locked in the room and was not allowed to go outside for a week. “The specialists were trying to understand what kind of a virus it was. I didn’t tell my family about my situation in order not to get them worry. My friends were also not here, I felt very alone. One day we received a call from the Armenian Embassy in China to get information whether we have received a scholarship or not, whether we have financial difficulties or not. I told them that I got sick. And every day they were calling me and asking how I feel. I would really go crazy alone if there wasn’t their attention and support. No matter how mature you are and made a decision to study abroad, in such situations you feel very lonely, but it turns out your home country stands by you. Armenia’s Ambassador to China Sergey Manasaryan personally telephoned me. He was holding phone talks with the local Armenians, giving respective advice and support. I am very grateful to him and the Embassy’s whole staff for supporting us”, the student said.

Esmeralda, together with her Armenian, Chinese and other foreign classmates, is under quarantine till now.

“Being in isolation in a foreign country is twice as difficult, but it is the only way to fight the novel coronavirus. Will, strength for several weeks and everything will end”, she said, urging all her compatriots in Armenia to stay at home.

In late December 2019, Chinese authorities notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, central China. WHO declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus a global pandemic and named the virus COVID-19. Cases of coronavirus were confirmed in more than 200 countries.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan