Editor’s Note: The new deadly coronavirus originated in the city Wuhan in China and caused a global scare. Over 6,000 people were diagnosed with it, and more than 100 people died of it, all of them in China. Ukraine’s healthcare authorities have been on high alert, and direct flights to China stopped. The Kyiv Post asked people in Kyiv whether they are scared of the Wuhan virus coming to Ukraine.
Yuriy Shevchenko,
works in advertising
“Scared of what? No, I’m not scared of the new coronavirus. At the moment, there hasn’t been a problem with the virus, so it’s not an issue yet. No, I don’t think it will come here to Kyiv. I think we shouldn’t overthink it.”
Olga Romanyuk,
teacher
“It’s obviously causing a lot of damage in China and what’s going on over there is horrible. However, I think that most of these infections are found in places that are very far away from Ukraine and I think, well I hope that it won’t make its way over here. I really hope it doesn’t. I think it is possible, you know, anything really is possible. But, at the moment, I don’t think it will happen. I think it’s possible, because a lot of people have gotten the infection and it’s easy to get. But, I hope, I think if it will get to us, at least people will at least know how to, more or less, deal with it and treat people.”
Alina Chislo,
student
“No, I’m not worried at all. It’s a problem that’s happening over there, not over here. At the moment, nobody has been infected. I heard about how they’re taking temperatures at Boryspil Airport to see if someone has brought the infection but no, I’m not worried.”
Natalia Zakordonets,
retiree
“No, because I think it depends on the immune system of the person. Yes, of course it can come to Ukraine. You know, I think every person should really take care of themselves, develop their own immune system, and the main thing is to not be afraid of anything because fear, as a rule, makes people frightened of illnesses that might not even exist.”
Andriy Savkin,
partnership manager
“I think that this is a very dangerous thing, and we need to be aware of it. What to do, I don’t know. Above all, it’s really the Chinese that need to think of something, because, I don’t really believe that the virus all of a sudden came out of food. I still think that it was maybe the development of weapons, something didn’t go quite right and the Chinese themselves said that they need 2-3 months to produce a vaccine… So, being scared is worth it, but to undertake some sort of action is more important.”
Polina Gouzyn,
chemistry student
“There are a lot of illnesses that kill too many people, our society tolerates other viruses or illnesses easily, for instance the flu kills thousands of people every year, and (the number of deaths) from this coronavirus doesn’t compare. I think, with time, even with this virus, they’ll find a vaccine, but for now it doesn’t really concern me. Yes, of course, the government has to be looking for a vaccine, but I don’t consider it to be a very big problem, that is worth making such a noise.”
Andriy Reshetnev,
university professor
“Well, of course! It’s a deadly thing, of course. I work in the clinic at the university where I’m carrying out very intense work about our opportunities with the immunization related to the chance of this virus making its way to Ukraine. In the family of coronaviruses, where there are 60 coronaviruses, this one is completely new, absolutely new. It has an interesting incubation period. It could take from two days to two weeks. This is really awful! Because a person flies in, they don’t have a high temperature and then in two weeks, after socializing with a large number of people, and then, like that! Mobilization is very important. Now, all of the cities will be discussing our response if, God forbid, this virus comes.”
Maria Melnyk,
sales in FMCG
“No, I think that it’s just exaggerated. It’s scary, yes, I’m not denying this. But people are saying: ‘Don’t collect parcels from the post office!’ Too much panic has come out of the situation. Yes, of course it’s possible that the virus might come here through tourists, or through Ukrainians who recently were there. We definitely need to be careful.”
