MNA � The Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif congratulated the Chinese New Year and praised Beijing for timely measures in the fight against coronavirus.

�In the fight against the spread of Coronavirus in China, the Chinese government reacted timely and decisively, and the Chinese people united throughout the country and were confident that China would succeed in preventing, controlling, and combating the virus,� Zarif wrote in Chinese in a tweet on Thursday.

He also congratulated the Chinese New Year, saying that Iran has always been with the Chinese people.

On December 31, the Chinese authorities informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a new type of pneumonia in the city of Wuhan in central China. On January 7, Chinese specialists determined the virus behind the infection � coronavirus 2019-nCoV. Doctors say that the symptoms of the new coronavirus include running nose, cough, sore throat and chest tightness. Migraines and fever are also possible, and they can last for several days. The risk group includes people with a compromised immune system, such as seniors and children. They present with symptoms similar to those of pneumonia and bronchitis.