'Act responsibly, protect yourself and others'

By Baris Seckin

ROME (AA) - A Turkish doctor working in Italy has advised Turks to act responsibly, and follow the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health in the battle against coronavirus.

"If we act carefully and responsibly, we can protect both ourselves and those around us," Dr. Oguz Oksuz, who has been living in the European country for 10 years, told Anadolu Agency.

He asked the citizens not to touch their faces with their hands, eat well, drink plenty of fluids and sleep well.

Oksuz emphasized to comply with the government's social distancing measures else the situation could worsen, the way it happened in Italy.

"At first Italians continued to go out, taking an opportunity of the good weather, despite warnings," he said, advising people to stay home because virus symptoms do not always show.

"You may have been infected, but not yet showing symptoms," he said."So you should go out as little as possible to avoid spreading to those around you. It may be helpful to distance yourself and wear a mask when you are outside."

- Late response

Oksuz criticized the "late response" of Italian authorities, saying the virus spread so rapidly that the measures were always one step behind.

"It was thought that the epidemic could be restricted... looking at it today, I can say that while there was a quarantine zone 50 kilometers away, it was a huge mistake not to take precautions," he said.

"If harsh preventive measures were taken 7-10 days earlier, the disaster would not have reached this extent."

The doctor added: "After one point, the situation was under control. But ultimately, Italy fell victim to the epidemic. At least it is a warning sign for other countries... they can learn a lot from here."

- Global snapshot

After emerging in Wuhan, China last December, the virus has spread to at least 184 countries and regions, infecting nearly 1.4 million people, according to U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. At least 76,420 people have died and nearly 293,000 people have recovered.

While the crisis abates in China, the rest of the world remains firmly in the grip of the disease.

The number of infections in the U.S., over 369,000, are higher than any other country. The most number of deaths, however, have occurred in Italy and Spain.

*Writing by Busra Nur Bilgic Cakmak