Continued upward trend in COVID-19 statistics in Iran; 68,000 hospitalized according to official figures
Iran’s Deputy Health Minister reported the hospitalization of approximately 43,000 coronavirus patients in the country and stated that another 25,000 people are “in a state of temporary hospitalization.”
According to ISNA, Qasem Janbabaei stated on Wednesday evening, August 20, that the trend of infection and death from coronavirus in the northern provinces, Tehran, and Razavi Khorasan is on the rise.
Meanwhile, Abtin Haidarzadeh, Deputy for Medical Affairs in Gilan, referring to the hospitalization of 450 new coronavirus patients in one day and the total number of hospitalizations in the province exceeding 2,000 people, described the current situation as worse than the month of Esfand 1398 (March 2020).
Rashed Jozayeri, Deputy of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari University of Medical Sciences, also called participation in gatherings a “serious warning sign” and stated that the conditions of coronavirus spread during the month of Muharram this year are different from last year, saying: “Last year we entered the month of Muharram with fewer than 500 cases, but this year there are approximately 6,000 hospitalized and outpatient coronavirus patients in the province.”
Farhad Abolnezadian, Head of Ahvaz University of Medical Sciences, reported that 8,300 coronavirus patients visited hospitals in Khuzestan province in the past 24 hours and, referring to the fact that the number of hospital admissions exceeds discharge statistics, warned about potential shortage of medical capacity in the coming days.
Qasem Moshaar Movahed, Deputy Dean of Nishapur School of Medical Sciences in Razavi Khorasan, also described the coronavirus situation in this city as “critically critical” and reported a severe shortage of medicines and medical personnel.
According to Mr. Moshaar Movahed, the number of deaths in this city has tripled compared to previous weeks, and the death rate among people under 40 years old in this city is on the rise.
Based on Iran’s Health Ministry official statistics in recent days, new records have been set in coronavirus statistics in the country, with the daily death toll exceeding 500 and the daily number of new cases reaching over 40,000 per day.
These statistics are released daily while the Iran Medical Association previously stated that the actual COVID-19 figures in the country are three to four times higher than the officially announced statistics.
Alirez Zali, Head of Tehran’s Coronavirus Countermeasures Headquarters, also reported on Wednesday, August 20, the “concealment” by officials in presenting accurate statistics of coronavirus deaths in the country to the World Health Organization.
Source: Radio Farda
