Dr. Tedros: Our biggest concern is the spread of coronavirus in Iran, Italy, South Korea and Japan

The Director-General of the World Health Organization, while confirming the news of the organization's delegation's arrival in Tehran, said, "Our most important concern is the spread of the coronavirus in Iran, South Korea, Italy, and Japan."

Official statistics announced in Iran indicate that as of March 3, more than 1,500 people have been infected with the disease caused by the new coronavirus, COVID-19, and 66 people have lost their lives.

Even taking into account official statistics, Iran has the highest number of victims of the coronavirus after China. Of course, doubts have been expressed within Iran itself and even among official officials about the accuracy of the number of infected and dead. Officials of the Islamic Republic have dismissed the doubts.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced on his Twitter account yesterday that a World Health Organization plane carrying staff from the organization and medical equipment had arrived in Tehran from Dubai.

He also praised the United States' offer of assistance to Iran to combat the virus, saying, "We now have a common enemy" and that combating the virus is "very, very important for building a bridge to peace."

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that his administration was ready to help Iran combat the coronavirus outbreak, and that this assistance was "subject to the Islamic Republic's request."

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has described the US offer as a “ridiculous claim and a political-psychological game.” Tehran, however, has accepted the aid offered by European countries.

During his press conference with the media on Monday, Dr. Tedros emphasized that the current epidemics in Iran, South Korea, Italy, and Japan are the greatest concern for the organization under his leadership.

South Korea has now confirmed nearly 5,000 cases of the coronavirus and 34 deaths. South Korea has implemented extensive testing measures for its citizens, and tens of thousands have been tested so far.

In Italy, the number of infected people exceeded 2,000 on Monday, and the death toll reached 52. In Japan, 256 cases and six deaths have been officially confirmed. This does not include the cruise ship that was quarantined off the coast of the country, where more than 700 people were infected with the virus, of whom six have died so far.

In the United States, the death toll rose sharply to six on Monday, with more than 90 confirmed cases.

The head of the World Health Organization stated in his press conference that containing the virus "is possible" and "must be the top priority of all countries."

Some researchers and experts say that the new coronavirus has likely reached or is approaching the stage of a global epidemic, a "pandemic."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told MSNBC on Monday that “looking at different definitions of a pandemic… [we see that] there are multiple, sustained releases of a highly infectious agent in different parts of the world.”

"My message to all countries is this: We are not on a one-way street. We can turn the coronavirus back," Dr. Tedros said during his press conference.

Source: Radio Farda