Associated Press Report on Sharif University Study Results: Possibility of Millions of Iranians Dying from Coronavirus

The results of studies conducted by Sharif University on the coronavirus indicate that if people do not cooperate and the coronavirus is not controlled, approximately 3.5 million Iranians could lose their lives.

According to a report by the Associated Press on Tuesday, the 27th of Esfand, Dr. Afroz Islami, who works simultaneously in medical affairs and as a correspondent for IRIB, citing research results conducted by Sharif University, stated on Iranian television that three scenarios can be considered for coronavirus in Iran.

Based on this report, if people start cooperating now, it is expected that to control the coronavirus, 120,000 people in Iran will be infected and 12,000 people will lose their lives.

The second scenario in Sharif University’s research states that if people cooperate less, approximately 300,000 people will be infected with the virus and there will be 110,000 victims, and ultimately, if people do not follow any of the rules necessary to control coronavirus, Iran’s health system, which is already exhausted, could collapse, and in the absence of sufficient equipment, approximately four million people could be infected with coronavirus and 3.5 million people will lose their lives.

Ms. Islami did not explain based on what criteria this research was conducted, but its publication in Iranian media, which is heavily controlled by the government, could be challenging for the Islamic Republic authorities, who had denied the severity of the coronavirus crisis for a long time.

The Associated Press report adds that Ms. Islami’s remarks came following a gathering of protesters against the closure of the doors of the Shrine of Fatima al-Ma’suma, the sister of the Eighth Imam of Shiites, and the breaking of one of its doors.

On Tuesday evening and hours after the announcement of the closure of the doors of the Shrine of Fatima al-Ma’suma and the Jamkaran Mosque in Qom to combat the spread of coronavirus, a group of protesters broke one of the shrine’s doors.

The attack by protesters on the doors of the Shrine of Fatima al-Ma’suma in Qom and the Eighth Imam of Shiites in Mashhad comes as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, has called on people to comply with the guidelines of the Coronavirus Combat Headquarters in Iran, as well as to avoid unnecessary travel.

The report states that currently 90 percent of the 18,000 people who, according to official statistics, have been infected with coronavirus in the Middle East are Iranian: “The government denied the coronavirus outbreak for a long time and now that the situation has worsened, on the eve of Nowruz, they are checking people at the entrances of major cities; while on Tuesday the number of coronavirus victims increased by 13 percent in one day and reached 988 people and the number of infected people was reported as 16,000.”

The Associated Press news agency in its report referenced measures taken by some countries that were immediately implemented and took action to control coronavirus. Jordan has banned gatherings of more than 10 people and the military forces of that country have stopped entry and exit outside major cities. Israel has also adopted strict measures regarding coronavirus.

The report also referenced Egypt, which, with 166 people infected and four citizens dead, has quarantined the Red Sea tourist province and even closed the tourist city of Hurghada, and all tourism activities, hotels, and others have been suspended for 14 days.

The government of Oman has also ordered that anyone entering from abroad must remain in quarantine for 14 days.

According to the Associated Press, there are many reports of Iranian people’s non-compliance with warnings from authorities and even security forces, an example of which are protests against the closure of the Shrine of the Eighth Imam of Shiites and his sister in the cities of Mashhad and Qom; places that are open 24 hours a day and all week for pilgrims and people, according to religious customs, kiss the shrines.

Khorasan Razavi and Qom provinces are among the provinces with the most deaths from coronavirus.

Radio Farda’s investigations show that 230 people have so far lost their lives in Khorasan Razavi province.

Source: Radio Farda