While the whole world is sitting on tenterhooks with some praying and taking stringent measures to stay safe from the dreaded Coronavirus, some people thought it was funny to fake contracting it.

Five Abuja residents have been reportedly arrested and paraded by the police in the Federal Capital Territory for invading the Wuse General Hospital with false claims of having contracted Coronavirus.

Peggy Shandi (M), Abayomi Adedoyin (M), David Gold Enemigin (M) Priscilla AJesola (F) and Jacob Oji (M) were arrested by officers of the Abuja police command.

Public Relations Officer, DSP Anjuguri Manza told newsmen that the suspects claimed to be playing out a script about the virus without the knowledge or authorization of the relevant authorities of the FCTA.

Vanguard reports that the alleged pranksters had gone to the Wuse District Hospital claiming that one of them had been infected with the Coronavirus, an action which led to panic and confusion as well as a disruption of normal health service delivery at the hospital.

The Coronavirus broke up in China’s Wuhan province a couple of weeks ago and has since been wreaking havoc in the world’s most populous country and has spread to other countries.

Currently, there are more than 17,000 confirmed cases of the virus in China and 361 deaths recorded.

Reports say there are more than 150 confirmed cases of the virus outside China - and one death, in the Philippines.