Published 16:05 IST, February 22nd 2020
WHO expresses concern as coronavirus kills four, infects several in Iran
World Health Organisation has recently expressed its concern on the rising number of coronavirus cases in Iran. WHO has declared it an emergency.
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World Health Organisation has recently expressed its concern on the rising number of coronavirus cases in Iran. Meanwhile, the deadly virus has reportedly infected over 77,700 people globally and killed nearly 2,300 with all but 15 deaths outside mainland China, So far, nearly 18 cases have been confirmed in Iran, including the four who died.
"🇨🇳 has now reported 75,569 #COVID19 cases to WHO, including 2239 deaths.
— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 22, 2020
The data from 🇨🇳 continue to show a decline in new cases. This is welcome news, but it must be interpreted very cautiously. It’s far too early to make predictions about this outbreak"-@DrTedros #coronavirus
According to international media reports, WHO said that although the total number of positive cases outside China remains relatively small, the health organisation is concerned about those people who had no clear epidemiological link, such as travel history to China or contact with a confirmed case but still got infected.
Especially concerned about Iran
The UN agency further said that it was now especially concerned about escalating cases in the Islamic Republic of Iran. In an unprecedented development, the Islamic nation witnessed four deaths due to the deadly virus in the past two days. WHO has reportedly supplied testing kits to Iran. In addition, they continue to provide further support in the coming days & weeks, a news agency reported.
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the Iranian health ministry, Kianoush Jahanpour, said the newly detected cases are all linked with the city of Qom where the first two elderly patients died earlier. Jahanpour said the new cases were either from Qom or had visited the city recently. He said four of them are hospitalized in the capital, Tehran, and two in the northern province of Gilan. Concerns over the spread of the virus, which originated in central China, prompted authorities in Iran to close all schools and Shiite seminaries in Qom.
(With inputs from agencies)
16:05 IST, February 22nd 2020