Coronavirus reached Iran and right from the beginning, Islamic Republic regime started hiding, lying and covering up the facts. Thus, there is no accurate information about when and how the virus arrived at the country. Whatever you hear from the official channels should be taken with a grain of salt. They all must pass the intelligence and security filters of the regime before being published. Judiciary branch and security forces make the dreadful situation worse and threaten reporters and witnesses with long sentences and violent behavior. Regime is showing its inefficiency and filthiness of its ideology in facing this disease. Islamic Republic is even lying about the number of infected and dead patients.
Considering the situation, witnesses’ reports from their daily lives, problems and environment are of particular importance, because these reports are the only information that can be trusted in this security pressured environment full of lies and regime’s propaganda. They can be seen as a clear reflection of the reality of life in Iran. In this regard, what you read here is the field observations of Iranians living in different parts of the country.
A friend of mine who is a Neurology resident at Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran says, “12 COVID-19 patients are admitted here, one of them died today. He wasn’t feeling bad at all, but suddenly the fever spiked and he died…It’s a horrific situation…In our ward, many become feverish all of a sudden…I’m scared.”
Another friend from Syed al-Shohada Hospital in Isfahan says,”There are 7 suspected cases of Coronavirus that their test results are not back yet.”
A friend from Shiraz who works in a drugstore refuses to go to work says,”There is a memo from the government ordering us not to sell masks and disinfectant solutions, since they’re worried there might be a shortage later. But they’re playing with people’s lives now. Most drugstores you go to would say they don’t have mask or disinfectant solutions.
People on the streets are scared, worried and full of hatred…Of course, there are some whom regime’s propaganda have effects on them and think Coronavirus is just like a simple cold! I am staying at home and have made my family including my parents and sister to stay inside. If I have to go out, I avoid public transportation. Some use masks but the majority not.
This was just part of a witness report. The regime trying to curb this highly contagious disease like any other crisis: Making it about enemies and face it with security, intelligence and police forces. It has already reached several other countries from Iran, another evidence to the fact that the regime has been hiding it for weeks.