1,297 new cases and 88 deaths since yesterday were the numbers announced by Ministry of Health in his daily video press conference. However, today he didn’t answer any questions and instead CEO of Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization answered some questions while asking people to not forget donating bloods. He said, “We may have problems in our reserve if people don’t donate bloods, since the hospitals will be starting operations,.. soon.”
Peyman Eshghi also asked recovered COVID-19 patients to donate their plasma to be used in clinical trials. He said, “We are the second country after China to use plasma of recovered patients to treat new patients, since the antibodies in the plasma could prove effective. The method is still in clinical trials phase but we ask recovered patients to donate their plasma. We would only take 500ml. It’s a very safe method and all centers follow strict social distancing environment.” In response to eligible donators he said, “The person should be 14 days after his last symptoms, pass a negative PCR test, and if more than 28 days have passed since his discharge from a hospital, doesn’t even need to take a test.”
The median reproduction rate estimate remains unchanged at 1.22 and the graphs show the same constant growth factor of above 1. If R0 doesn’t decline in the next couple of weeks, even Ministry of Health would have no choice but admit the arrival of the second wave! However, they’ve already prepared everything to suppress the news and blame the citizens!
R0: 1.22
Total: 84,802
Dead: 5,297
Healed: 60,965
Critical: 3,357
Admitted: 18,540
Tests: 365,723 at 126 labs
Iran International, a resourceful London based Persian news agency, updated their deaths statistics after more than a week. They report a total of 10,492 coronavirus deaths which is a rise of 1,375 since their last update on April 13. The new death toll paints a very different picture from what the officials have been saying. While we see an increase in deaths in almost ALL provinces, Tehran and Mazandaran have had the biggest jumps, 333 and 125, respectively.
Even the officials from different levels of the government are warning the numbers are fictional! When Tehran’s Council members criticize the Ministry of Health about their falsified numbers, the Spokesman lashed out at them accusing them of being good at “counting votes” referring to 2009 presidential rigged elections. Even the speaker of the City Council, Mohsen Hashemi, had said the statistics announced everyday are not even close to reality. And today, Vice Chairman of the Parliament’s Health Committee said, “Only 20% of people with COVID-19 symptoms go to hospitals and only half of them are tested, due to lack of test kits and necessary supplies.” Despite all these, every day, Kianoush Jahanpur goes in front of press lying through his teeth, saying everything is well and there’s no shortage!
On the other hand, according to reports, at least 22 taxi and bus drivers in Tehran have died of the novel coronavirus. 317 of them have tested positive. The official also said there are more than 40 subway conductors have been diagnosed with the disease in Tehran.
It was mentioned yesterday that closure of mosques,… will cost the regime plenty, today, Khamenei’s physician and advisor, Alireza Marandi, sent a letter to Rouhani asking the “religious locations” to reopen “one of these days”. And as usual, what matters is their ideology and their fictional image, not the people’s lives.
The Islamic Republic deceit in providing false information and data will catch up with them eventually, as it has in the past 2 months. The Coronavirus crisis is not under control, however, admittedly it may have been pushed to the sidelines with other crises and buzzes the regime creates every day. Including being a nuisance for US Navy in Arabian Sea and then focusing on Zarif’s trip to Damascus and his meeting with Bashar Al-Assad. All of these are on the news and COVID-19 news will become a routine for everybody until the second wave hits! All they need is some time.
Catastrophe is coming!