Dubbed "a mini-United Nations", Changning district's Ronghua neighborhood is home to expats from more than 50 countries and regions. More than half of the 32,000 residents are from overseas.

Sheng Hong, director of the Ronghua neighborhood community, said that when the first confirmed infection of the novel coronavirus was announced, they raced against time to issue a public notice in English on how to prevent its spread.

Foreign volunteers in the community helped with the translation, providing special care for expats under medical observation and quarantine.

A male resident was quarantined at home for 14 days after traveling to Wuhan on business. Doctors from the district's center for disease control and prevention went to his home twice a day to take his temperature, and Sheng's team brought him food and books.

"I don't feel nervous and the epidemic prevention and control measures here are fairly standard. Being subject to 14 days of mandatory quarantine is the same as what we have in Japan," the Japanese man, who declined to be named, was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.

His quarantine period expired on Jan 28. "Although 14 days seemed a little bit long, he and his family cooperated very well. They fully understand that community safety is top priority at this moment," said Sheng, adding that an Australian family of four is still under quarantine.

Some expats have joined the battle against the virus. Thomas Derksen, from Germany, who makes comedy videos in Shanghai, uploaded a clip on Jan 26 in which he talked with a medical expert from Germany to give people more information about preventing the spread of the virus. The clip, with Chinese subtitles, has been viewed millions of times on Sina Weibo.

Derksen, a former student at Fudan University in Shanghai, is fluent in Mandarin.

On Saturday, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government and the Shanghai People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries said they had received letters from diplomats and heads of international organizations, paying tribute to China for its determination and courage in fighting the epidemic and offering their support for the Chinese people in the battle.

"We are good friends with the lovely people of China and will stand with you in this difficult time with our hearts close together," Ramazan Parvaz, consul general of Iran in Shanghai, wrote in a letter.

On Wednesday, the Foreign Affairs Office and the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission jointly held a meeting with 105 officials from 66 consular agencies to update them on the situation in the municipality, on the measures taken to battle the coronavirus and to supply them with information about the supply of protective items, including facemasks.

After the meeting, Leisbeth Coromoto Berrios Leon, consul general of Venezuela in Shanghai, wrote in Chinese on a piece of paper, "Stay strong China."