Only 2% of patients infected with Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) are fatally affected, says doctors from Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

Speaking at a press conference held at the President's Office on Wednesday, Dr. Ahmed Shaheed stated that - according to statistics of the past two months - 80% of cases presented similar to common colds. Nevertheless, 15% of patients go into critical care with majority of the extreme cases being senior citizens and people suffering from pre-existing chronic illnesses, said Shaheed, adding that only 2% of patients are at risk from dying of the infection.

Highlighting that a vaccine or cure for the infection is still under development, Shaheed - an Internal Medicine specialist at the state-owned IGMH - further stated that there are individual safety precautions that can be taken against the infection.

As such, Shaheed urged senior citizens and people suffering from pre-existing chronic diseases to take precautionary measures and appealed against any citizen visiting a hospital or medical facility unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, he urged recent travelers to immediately seek medical attention if they experience flu symptoms within 14 days of returning to the country.