Tehran Virus Red Alert Persists

Despite reports that the second wave of coronavirus infections in Iran has passed its peak and a vast majority of people are complying with the facemask wearing order, Tehran Province remains on red alert.
“The situation in Tehran has not changed; it is ‘red’ with fluctuations,” the province’s Governor-General Anoushirvan Mohseni Bandpey was quoted as saying by ISNA.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Bandpey said the latest reports show 3,100 Covid-19 patients across the province are currently hospitalized, with half of them in critical conditions.  
“Confirmed deaths from the coronavirus on Tuesday stood at 36,” the official added, as 132 fatalities were reported throughout the country on the same day.
On adherence to the mandatory facemask wearing, Bandpey said, “Over 95% wear face covering in Tehran’s Metro, but social distancing cannot be observed in crowded cars.”
The official was optimistic about the influenza season, saying that with the sharp increase in the number of imported flu shots, the epidemic can be managed in the province.
Mohammad Jazayeri, the head of Iran’s Center for Viral Diseases, said they are mass-producing test kits that can distinguish between influenza and Covid-19.
“The test kits will be made available in laboratories. If the tests arrive on time, we will not have to worry about the concurrence of Covid-19 with the influenza epidemic,” he said.
As autumn is fast approaching, concerns have mounted over similarities between the symptoms of Covid-19 and the flu, including muscle pain, fever and fatigue.
Jazayeri said, “I’m not pessimistic about their concurrence starting late September. I don’t think last year’s events would repeat themselves.”
The H1N1 influenza took the lives of at least 80 Iranians during last year’s fall and winter. Some experts suggest that because of the dramatic increase in public adherence to health measures, including the use of facemask and frequent handwashing, the influenza season can be handled successfully.

Virus Infections Rising Steadily 

The number of registered infections rose in Iran for the fourth straight day, with Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari reporting 2,313 new patients on Wednesday.
The newly detected cases took Iran’s total tally to over 393,000. Within a 24-hour period, 127 patients lost their lives, bringing the national death toll to 22,699, she added.
More than 339,000 have recovered from the infectious disease and 3,735 are in critical conditions.
Iran has carried out 3.45 million diagnostic tests since the pandemic was spotted in the country. 
According to Lari, 28 of Iran’s 31 provinces are either on red alert or in an alarming state.
Around the globe, 27.7 million confirmed cases have been recorded, some 903,000 of whom have lost their lives to the infectious disease.