Story By: Lee Bullen,Sub Editor: Joseph Golder,Agency: Asia Wire Report

A quick-thinking Chinese woman scared off an intruder who grabbed her by the neck while she was asleep by faking a coughing fit and pretending she was infected with the coronavirus.

The incident took place when the 25-year-old suspect, who lives in the township of Pingba in the southern Chinese city of Chongqing, reportedly ran away from home after a row with relatives.

The man had no money on him so he decided to rob someone and broke into a woman’s house in the same area, according to local media.

The female victim was asleep when the intruder reportedly entered her home and walked into her bedroom.

The woman woke up and screamed loudly, prompting the intruder to grab her neck, cover her mouth and attempt to molest her, according to reports.

The quick-thinking victim then reportedly faked a coughing fit and told the man: “I just came back from Wuhan and I already have symptoms of an infection so I stayed home and isolated myself.”

The frightened intruder quickly grabbed the woman’s smartphone from her bedside table and around 80 RMB (9 GBP) from her purse before running out of the house, according to local media.

The female victim reported the incident to the police who immediately started an investigation.

According to reports, the police have managed to track down the suspect and he is currently placed on administrative detention.

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