One health professional says 100,000 could already have the virus.
A Chinese student based in Waterford has been given the all clear from the coronavirus.
He had recently travelled from Wuhan, which is the epicentre of the virus, which has now killed over 100 people.
Home to 11 million people, the city of Wuhan has been likened to a ghost town as people isolate themselves for fear of getting the coronavirus.
Six Irish people are currently in the city, one of them is Ben Kavanagh who is in lock down.
''I went out and did a big shop on Sunday and so I'm alright for 10 days or two weeks, then I'll have to go back out again,'' he said.
''When you do see people everyone just keeps to themselves, because your suspicious.''
Dr. Jack Lambert from the Mater Hospital says up to 100,000 could already have the virus.
Some cases of the coronavirus have been reported in Europe but Ireland so far has none.
