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News > Iran

Iran to Test Asymptomatic People to Contain COVID-19

  • Women make face masks at a mosque in the Qasem shrine in Tehran, Iran, April 5, 2020.

    Women make face masks at a mosque in the Qasem shrine in Tehran, Iran, April 5, 2020. | Photo: EFE

Published 7 April 2020
Opinion

The Iranian authorities have monitored the health of 70 million people via phone or virtual media.

Iran’s Health Minister Said Namaki announced that the number of new infections has been reduced for the eighth consecutive day. However, his country would increase the number of diagnostic tests to detect asymptomatic patients and control the COVID-19.

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So far, the Iranian authorities have conducted 211,136 tests via phone or virtual media; they have monitored the health of 70 million of the 83 million inhabitants.

"This project allowed us to isolate people with mild symptoms and avoid new hospital admissions," Namaki said, assuring that the current goal is to detect patients who do not have symptoms but are an infection source.

Within the second phase of the fight against the COVID-19, it is necessary to carry out extensive tests to detect asymptomatic people.

"Today we are in the disease management stage but we have not yet reached control. We should not be under any illusions," Namakí explained.

He also noted that the pandemic will be contained in some provinces in the coming days. Nevertheless, Iran will have to wait more than a month to achieve full containment.

Namaki mentioned that social distancing protocols will be maintained but economic activity will gradually resume because Iran needs to continue as normally as possible despite strong U.S. sanctions.

"We live in a country with strong economic limitations. We need income to pay subsidies" to the most vulnerable population, the health minister said and warned that the U.S. blockade prevents his country from solving all the economic damage that the pandemic generates.

Starting on April 11, low risk economic activities will resume throughout the country except Tehran, the capital city.

"All areas of the capital are infected," the National Headquarters for the Management and Fight against the COVID-19 director Alireza Zali said.

In the last 24 hours, the Iranian authorities have reported 2,089 infections, 133 deaths, and 62,589 infected people.

Since the start of the outbreak, 3,872 people have died, 3,987 are in serious condition, and 27,039 have overcome the disease.

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Iran COVID-19
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