Chen Huai (left), director of the radiology department at First Affiliate Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, meets with medical staff members in Iraq. (Photo: China Daily)

The arrival in Iraq of Chinese medical teams about three weeks ago has significantly raised awareness among the Iraqi people about the need for self-protection against the coronavirus, experts said.

"Most residents, soldiers and officers now wear masks when they go out," said Chen Huai, director of the radiology department at First Affiliate Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University. "The number has greatly increased in recent weeks."

Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, has designated three hospitals, including a newly constructed one, to focus on treating the country's COVID-19 patients.

"Many measures that were effective in China — including construction of designated hospitals, wearing masks, nucleic acid tests and two-weeks of isolation for people suspected of being infected — have been introduced in Iraq as Chinese medical experts have been conducting exchanges and discussions with their Iraqi counterparts and government officials in recent weeks," Chen told media via remote video on Friday.