The coronavirus is spreading heavily in Iran. Today the Ministry of Health announced new figures: more than 5800 Iranians are infected, 145 people have died from the virus. This makes Iran the country with the highest number of infections after China and South Korea. That is, if the official figures are correct.
Because there is a suspicion that the situation is much worse than the regime suggests. According to Amir Afkhami, associate professor of Healthcare in Washington and from Iran, the government has trivialized the outbreak for fear that panic will break out in the country if the real extent becomes clear.
“They also try to protect the economy that is already suffering from sanctions and also to maintain relations with the largest trading partner, that is China,” says Afkhami. “As a result, the government has not acted quickly and firmly enough and the disease has spread.”
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Export of mouth caps to China
The first official report of the corona virus in Iran was on February 19. Five days later, the Deputy Minister of Health announced that he saw nothing in the establishment of quarantines. “These are measures that were taken before the First World War against outbreaks of the plague and such diseases,” he said then.
The same day the man himself was tested positive for the corona virus and went into quarantine. At least 23 parliamentarians are also infected. A female member of parliament died today. An advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei is also infected, but according to the spiritual leader, Iran has experienced greater disasters.
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From the holy city of Qom, the disease has spread to almost every province in Iran.
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Iran’s response is striking, because the country has dealt with epidemics well in the past, Afkhami says. He wrote the book about this A Modern Contagion. “In 2008 there was an outbreak of cholera. Iran then quickly got the disease under control, while other neighboring countries in the region were not doing so well.”
Iran also acted quickly when the world was faced with another type of cholera bacterium: El Tor. “That was in 1965. Iran then introduced quarantines in the east, where the disease entered the country, and quickly developed a vaccine that was also twice as effective as the American variant.”
But with the corona virus outbreak, Iran is not acting so decisively. Particularly because the government gives greater weight to ideology, political and economic interests, says Afkhami. “For example, Iran sold face masks to China in February, which means the country is now suffering from a shortage.”
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Pilgrims from all over the world
In Iran the outbreak of the virus started in Qom. “That city is sacred to Shiite Muslims and attracts pilgrims from all over the world. From there, the disease has spread to almost every province in Iran,” says Afkhami. “But also internationally, Iran is a major exporter of the disease.”
The holy city is not closed, but restrictions do apply. According to Afkhami, the government should considerably limit the arrival of pilgrims to Qom in order to control the outbreak of the corona virus. “But the regime has not wanted to do so far.”
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Iran is trying to fight the corona virus with street disinfection
EPA
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In the meantime, the country has taken other drastic measures. For example, buildings where many people gather such as mosques are disinfected. Taxis, footpaths and traffic bids are also dealt with with disinfectants. And schools and universities remain closed for the time being.
“There is still a chance to get the virus under control if strong action is taken now,” says Afkhami. “Quarantines must be established, infected persons and their contacts must be monitored and testing must be rapid. In any case, we can stop the further spread.”
