Omicron’s threat gets more real by the day. Provincial officials in Iran warn about the extremely contagious variant of the novel coronavirus and ask people to get their 3rd dose of COVID-19 vaccines. However, since Khamenei banned the US and UK made vaccines, Iranians have been administered the ineffective Sinopharm and failed COVIran Barekat, which still hasn’t published its data. Kerman Medical University reported the COVID-19 patients are getting younger. Dr. Rashidi asked people to receive their 3rd dose as soon as possible because Omicron will enter the country, sooner or later.
Khuzestan officials reiterated those points. Dr. Alavi from Ahvaz Medical University said Omicron will soon become the dominant variant which is 5 times more infectious than the Delta. He emphasized that 2-dose vaccination has little efficacy against the new variant and encouraged people to get their 3rd dose as soon as possible. He added, the fatality rate in Iran is 2.12% which is higher than the average in the world at 1.95%. He continued if Omicron spreads through the globe, its effects would be devastating.
Mazandaran is already reporting increasing number of COVID-19 hospitalizations. 329 remain hospitalized in the province with 63 admitted in the past 24 hours.
According to the Ministry of Health data, since February 9, only 3,567,037 (4.24% of Iran population) have received 3 doses of these vaccines, with the majority being the Chinese Sinopharm. WHO recommends 3 shots of the vaccine to be considered “fully vaccinated.” Despite the dismal vaccination rate, the Islamic Republic has reopened all businesses and schools and with its flawed “coloring map” induces normal situation in the society.
The Ministry of Health Spokesperson claimed 41 have died of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and 1,361 tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Professor of Epidemiology at Tehran University believes these numbers must be multiplied by 7 and Civil Registration Organization data show more than 313,000 have died of the disease since February 2020. Graphs illustrate the ongoing crisis in Iran and forming of the new wave.
R0: 1.69
Total: 6,169,011 (+1,361)
Dead: 131,033 (+41)
Recovered: 5,999,860
Critical: 2,909 (-32)
Active Cases: 38,118 (-2,806)
Total Tests: 40,671,057
Cover: Mehdi Almasi
