Iran rejects BBC Persian claim of under-reporting COVID-19 mortality

TEHRAN – The Ministry of Health has rejected a BBC Persian’s claim about under-reporting daily COVID-19 deaths and new cases in Iran, suggesting the British Broadcasting Corporation to reveal the doubtful coronavirus statistics reported by the UK government.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Building Back Better: UN supports Iran’s socio-economic response to COVID-19

TEHRAN – The United Nations System in Iran has launched a ‘Program on Socio-Economic Response to COVID-19’ which focuses on three particular areas of intervention, including combined employment generation, social protection, and strengthening the health system.

COVID-19 responsible for one-fifth of daily deaths in Iran

TEHRAN – One fifth of the daily deaths in the country are related to coronavirus, which is alarming and worrisome, deputy minister of health has said.

COVID-19 rings alarm bells in Iran as daily deaths surge to 200

TEHRAN – The number of daily COVID-19 mortalities in the country hit a new record high of 200 on Tuesday and the total number of deaths reached 11,931, as officials warn of an alarming situation in the days ahead.

IRGC at full capacity in fight against coronavirus

TEHRAN – The deputy chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) for health Brigadier General Ahmad Abdollahi said on Sunday that IRGC will use its full capacity to battle the pandemic in the country.

87% of COVID-19 victims in Iran have underlying illnesses, obesity

TEHRAN – About 87 percent of those who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 in Iran had been diagnosed with obesity and underlying illnesses, Health Minister Saeed Namaki has said.

Dynamic distancing plan to be launched for COVID-19 containment

TEHRAN – A dynamic distancing plan will be put into operation in provinces across the country, so that each can decide whether to impose restriction or reopening, depending on the COVID-19 new cases surge in their area, Iraj Haririchi, deputy minister of health has announced.

MAP grants $600,000 aid to Iranian families affected by COVID-19

TEHRAN – Global charity organization Moms Against Poverty (MAP) has sent a shipment worth 25 billion rials (nearly $600,000 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) to help financially struggling families affected by the coronavirus in Iran, Karim Hemmati, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), said on Sunday.

‘Sympathetic Iran’ donates $35m to families affected by COVID-19

TEHRAN – A national campaign called Iran-e Hamdel (literally meaning sympathetic Iran) has collected 1.5 trillion rials (nearly $35 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) to help the financially struggling families affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Learning from each other – Iran’s COVID-19 experiences should be shared: WHO’s Hamelmann

TEHRAN – Iran is benefiting from strengths in fighting against the coronavirus epidemic, including strong primary health care system, production surge in a reasonable time, and multisectoral response, WHO Representative in Iran, Dr. Christoph Hamelmann, said in an exclusive interview with the Tehran Times.

WHO provides Iran with 100,000 COVID-19 test kits

TEHRAN – The World Health Organization has delivered 100,000 coronavirus diagnostic kits to Iran, health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said, ISNA reported on Saturday.

ICRC lauds Iran’s significant measures in fight against coronavirus

TEHRAN – Barbara Rizzoli, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Tehran, has said the actions taken by the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) to battle COVID-19 outbreak were very significant in various fields, including prevention and treatment.

WHO launches “Save Lives: Clean your hands” campaign to slow COVID-19 spread

TEHRAN – The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a campaign, calling upon policymakers to provide the necessary infrastructure to allow people to electively perform hand hygiene in public places in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus.

By Afshin Majlesi

Normal life not a distant dream as Tehran sees drop in new corona cases

The average death toll from COVID-19 pandemic in Iran has been on the decline, and also in the capital Tehran, over the past couple of weeks, thanks to a temporary lockdown introduced earlier in March.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Coronavirus brought healthcare reforms into sharp focus

TEHRAN – The coronavirus outbreak proved that one-dimensional health systems cannot survive from health-threatening crises, which occur every few years in the form of infectious diseases, a mere view of treatment is not enough, so that the need for healthcare reforms should be brought into sharp focus.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Why corona lockdown did not bring Tehran cleaner air?

TEHRAN – Many cities around the world have enjoyed cleaner air since restrictive measures were applied due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, Tehran, being hit by nitrogen oxides (NOX) pollutants, has experienced less clean air days.

Iranian researchers warn of ‘Covi-Flu’ effect on global economy, sustainable development

TEHRAN – The dangers of co-infection of Covid-19 and influenza A “Covi-Flu” to the global economy and sustainable development is closer and more devastating than it might look, according to an essay by Iranian researchers published by British Medical Journal.

By Salman Parviz

Theories on origins of COVID-19 disease

WHO figure for April 13: 213 countries, 1,878,489 cases, 119,044 deaths

There are many theories about the exact origins of the novel coronavirus, designated “nCoV-2019” by World Health Organization or commonly referred to as COVID-19 disease, also called SARS-CoV-2 because it is related to SARS pathogen. Theories about the missing link for transmission of the new coronavirus from bats to humans abound.

League of Historical Cities concerned over Iran sanctions amid COVID-19

TEHRAN – Daisako Kadokava, Kyoto mayor and the president of League of Historical Cities, has expressed concern over U.S. sanctions against Iran amid dealing with the coronavirus epidemic.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Knowledge-based companies pushing for ‘surge in production’

TEHRAN – Iran has developed plans to support and empower knowledge-based companies as a step forward to materialize the goal of a surge in production, as the economy is grappling with the coronavirus predicament.

Coronavirus: Iran confirms 71,686 infections, 4,474 deaths

TEHRAN- The total number of people diagnosed with the coronavirus in Iran has reached 71,686 of whom 4,474 have died and 43,894 recovered.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Iranian startups in full swing to combat COVID-19

TEHRAN – Since the onset of the coronavirus epidemic, startups, as well as knowledge-based companies, have been working round the clock to provide items to combat the outbreak.

By Maryam Qarehgozlou

Iran starts clinical trial on effectiveness of coronavirus drug

TEHRAN — Iranian medical authorities have agreed on carrying out a clinical trial on the effectiveness of favipiravir, a drug originally used in Japan for the treatment of new types of influenza.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

COVID-19 crisis: washing hands for 20 seconds, not wasting water for 20 seconds

TEHRAN – These days, it is strictly recommended to wash our hands for 20 seconds as a great step to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but unfortunately many leave the tap running at the same time. This issue poses the greatest threat to the environment.

By Zahra Bahadivand Chegini

COVID-19, an uninvited guest who helped us cherish our planet, family more

The widespread outbreak of the coronavirus has created a new situation in the human world. From political troubles and disputes to the humankind’s potential vulnerability to confront nature, and the increasing importance of science in human life, are part of changes and hints caused by the introduction of the virus into modern human life.

Iran’s fight against COVID-19 to improve noticeably in coming days: health minister

TEHRAN – As more new cases of the coronavirus infection are identified in the country, those undergone treatments will improve and Iran’s situation in fight against the pandemic will improve noticeably in coming days, Health Minister Saeed Namaki has announced.

By Faranak Bakhtiari

Nature Day manifests national empathy against coronavirus

TEHRAN – Nature Day was another manifestation of empathy of the Iranian nation in fight against the coronavirus, as people stayed home, despite their thousand-year-old tradition.

Iranian-made medicine raises hope to treat severe cases of COVID-19

TEHRAN – The Iranian health ministry has announced that testing a domestically-made medicine has resulted in improvement of symptoms in severe cases of coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.

China delivers third batch of COVID-19 aid to Iran

TEHRAN – China has sent the third consignment of aid to Iran in order to help fight coronavirus, ISNA news agency reported on Monday.

All-Iranian COVID-19 diagnostic kits to be released within month

TEHRAN – Iran will commercialize domestically-made COVID-19 diagnostic kits by the Iranian calendar month of Farvardin (March 21-April 22), secretary of biotechnology development of Vice Presidency for Science and Technology announced.