Number of Recoveries from COVID-19 in Iran Far More than Infections: Health Minister


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Minister of Health Saeed Namaki said the number of patients recovering from the novel coronavirus in the country is remarkably higher than the number of deaths.

Speaking at a press conference about a national mobilization plan for the battle with coronavirus, Namaki said one of the main achievements of Iran in the fight against COVID-19 is that the variance between the coronavirus mortality rate and the cases of infection is increasing dramatically.

“The number of people who catch the disease and recover is far more than the individuals dying from the disease,” the minister added.

He also gave details of the national plan for coronavirus fight, saying the medical staff and the families across the country can stay in contact through electronic systems and over the telephone to detect and report the suspicious cases of COVID-19 infection.

The suspicious cases are then invited to refer to a series of medical centers for further examination and tests, and those tested positive will be given medication and return home to be kept in house quarantine with special trainings, the health minister said.

The people around those patients will also receive training and will stay in contact with medical staff by telephone or via three systems, he added.

Namaki went on to say that if the suspicious cases or the infected people at home require admission to the hospital after a couple of days in house quarantine, they will be directly sent to specific hospitals, and in special cases, medical staff will go to their places with full protective equipment and take them to the hospital.

The health personnel will also disinfect the houses of patients and insulate the household members, he added.

The minister also said that in the national mobilization plan, travelers are screened at the entrance of infected cities, and suspicious cases are kept in quarantine.

The plan will kick off on Thursday in cooperation with various organizations, such as Basij, at three or four most contaminated locations, Namaki said.

The Health Ministry said on Wednesday that since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran, 92 people have lost their lives and 552 others have completely recovered from the disease.