Coronavirus outbreak hits close to home for SUNY Oswego student
The novel coronavirus has killed more than 2,000 people worldwide since December, and as of Friday, the number of confirmed cases worldwide has exceeded 76,000.
The outbreak has been on the minds of many, including Central New Yorkers who have family living in China.
A SUNY Oswego student from China said his family has been deeply affected by the outbreak.
A SUNY Oswego student who moved from Southern China to the United States in 2012 asked Oswego Now to protect his anonymity. He told us he feared the Chinese government would retaliate against his family if he made his name known. The Chinese student said his dad owns a business in China and has fallen on hard times since more travel restrictions have been put into place.
“My dad he works for himself. He fixes household appliances for people, and he has his own business. Ever since the virus broke out, he has not been able to go to work and he is like away from everyone,” the student said.
Nearly half of China’s population is living under travel restrictions, ranging from self-quarantines to limits on who can come and go from neighborhoods.
According to economists, the effects from the coronavirus could shave down the global GDP by $400 billion if it expands beyond Asia.
