COVID-19 pandemic in Iran

Distribution of confirmed cases to the provinces (as of March 20, 2020): 1 ~ 9 10 ~ 99 100 ~ 499 500 ~ 999 1000 ~ 9999 ≥10000







Press conference on February 24, 2020. Iranian Deputy Minister of Health Iraj Harirchi on the left, Government spokesman Ali Rabiei on the right.

The COVID-19 pandemic occurs in Iran as part of the global COVID-19 pandemic . The infections are based on the SARS-CoV-2 virus ( novel coronavirus ) that appeared at the end of 2019 . The COVID-19 pandemic has spread worldwide since December 2019. In March 2020, Iran was one of the hardest hit states alongside China , South Korea and Italy . The report of the World Health Organization (WHO) of April 5, 2020 named 3,452 deaths, more deaths in Iran than in China, at the same time there were even higher casualties in five other countries.

The virus was probably introduced by several hundred Chinese theology students studying in Qom . The widespread use can u. a. attribute to poor medical care and a lack of political transparency.

Isolation ward for coronavirus in patients Hezar Takhtkhabi Hospital , the end of February 2020th

Disinfection of the Tehran subway , end of February 2020.

The leadership of Iran is accused of playing down and covering up the coronavirus epidemic since February 2020 , of making external enemies ( often the USA ) responsible for threats out of habit and also of portraying the epidemic as an attack by the USA with a biological weapon . Since the number of deaths in relation to the number of infected people reported to the World Health Organization for Iran was above average, press reports assume a high number of undetected or unreported infections with SARS-CoV-2. The Iranian opposition in exile assumed more than 3,000 deaths on March 11, 2020; 354 ​​deaths (cumulative) were reported to the WHO on that day.

Disinfection in the Sadeghiyeh district in Tehran , early March 2020.

Passers in Shiraz with mouth guard next to a closed shop, in mid-March 2020th

course

The novel coronavirus was presumably introduced into the Islamic Republic of Iran by one of the more than 600 Chinese students studying in Qom . The fact that the Iranian airline Mahan Air had not suspended its passenger flights to China was also cited as a cause of the virus spread. According to the Iranian government, one of the two index patients was a businessman who was infected in China. The Iranian Ministry of Health named Tehran , Qom and the provinces of Māzandarān , Isfahan and Gilan as particularly affected areas (as of March 11, 2020).

February 2020

• On February 19, 2020, there were two deaths in Qom, in which the virus detection was confirmed on February 20, 2020.
• The first statement by the Iranian government on February 19 stressed that there was no cause for concern for the population. Revolutionary leader Ali Khamenei said the "enemies of Iran" would aggravate the threat.
• On February 24, 2020, Iranian Deputy Minister of Health Iraj Harirchi denied a crisis. He was already suffering from sweats and coughs; the infection was found the next day. On March 13th, Harirchi announced on TV that he was healthy again.
• On February 25, 2020, BBC News reported that there were already shortages in protective equipment , e.g. B. Protective masks of the medical staff and several people were infected during their work. The diagnostic tests are also not available in sufficient numbers.
• On February 27, 2020, Elham Sheikhi, a member of the Iranian women's national soccer team, died of the disease COVID-19 . The coronavirus infection of Iranian Vice Minister Masoumeh Ebtekar has been confirmed.
• The US offered aid to Iran on February 28, 2020. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that humanitarian donations for Iran, for example in the form of medicines, are possible regardless of US economic sanctions. A few days later, Iran denied having received such an offer.

March 2020

• On March 1, 2020, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), 593 cases of infection and 43 deaths had already been reported, especially the capital Tehran was affected. Foreign media representatives began to leave Iran; some states recommended that their citizens leave the country.
• On March 3, 2020, 23 members of the Iranian parliament became ill.
• After several European airlines stopped their flights to Iran at the beginning of March 2020 , Iran Air announced on March 8 that it would also stop flights to Europe. This was justified with "restrictions" that Iran Air had been imposed by European authorities for "unknown reasons". At the same time, it became known that several politicians had already died from COVID-19. The necessary protective masks, thermometers or medication to protect the population and medical staff were not available in sufficient numbers.
• The province of Gilan on the Caspian Sea has been closed to travelers from other provinces since March 4, 2020 , and the highest level of alert has been declared.
• The health officer of Gilan Province reported 200 deaths from COVID-19 on March 8. The number of official deaths reported to WHO for all of Iran was 194 on that day (cumulative, the WHO report will be published one day later). He later corrected his statement to the effect that the deaths were generally caused by respiratory diseases. The governor of Kashan in the central highlands reported 80 deaths at the time. The city is surrounded by the first large oasis along the road from Qum (Qom) to Kerman . This road is used by pilgrims visiting the holy places in Qom.
• On March 9, Iran said it had released 70,000 prison inmates because of the epidemic, other sources report 54,000 inmates. The spread of rumors that drinking alcohol would protect against infection resulted in the deaths of 16 Iranians from methanol poisoning .
• On March 12, reported the Washington Post on the urgent excavation of large mass graves for at COVID-19 dead in Qom .
• Doctors from Gilan Province reported a lack of hospital capacity in the north of the country in mid-March, which resulted in even sick people being turned away. The constant overload of the medical staff led to frustration.
• On March 17, a study by the Sharif University of Technology, based on a computer simulation, predicts that the maximum death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran will reach 12,000 under ideal circumstances. However, this presupposes that the population adhere to restrictions and government measures taken. It is more likely, however, that the population adheres to quarantine rules less strictly and that poor medical care, poor management and the US economic sanctions aggravate the situation to such an extent that up to 3.5 million people (that would correspond to a good 4% of the 81.8 Million inhabitants) will die in the course of the pandemic in Iran. This scenario assumes the pandemic in Iran will peak in May.
• By March 17, a total of more than 85,000 prison inmates had been released, including political prisoners such as the son of opposition activist Mehdi Karroubi .
• On the occasion of the New Year and Spring Festival Nouruz (March 21, 2020), the freedom of travel of Iranians was restricted.
• On March 23, Der Spiegel reported that the health system was becoming increasingly overloaded and that the death rate among medical workers was high due to a lack of protective equipment. The government called on medical students and retired doctors to help out in the hospitals.
• From March 26, 2020, state measures for spatial distancing were implemented.
• On March 30, the highest number of new infections per day was reached with 3,186 cases. After that, the number decreased day by day.

April 2020

• On April 4, the death toll exceeded that of the presumed country of origin, China, at 3,452. It was only higher in five other countries (Italy, Spain , France , United States , United Kingdom ).
• On April 7, Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki reported through the state news agency IRNA that a record had been set in the plan to fight the novel coronavirus, as 70 million of Iran's 83 million residents had already been screened . How the screening works was not reported, it is not about the diagnostic tests to detect the virus, compare #reactions and measures of politics and science .
• On April 8, for the first time since March 24, less than 2,000 new infections per day were reported. With a total of 64,586 infections, the country continues to be one of the most severely affected countries worldwide (more than four percent of all known infections), as only six other countries have more cases.
• On April 12th, President Hassan Rohani announced that Iran would now switch to a smart social distancing plan (meaning: 'Plan for smart spatial distancing'), with a gradual relaxation of the restrictions.
• On April 16, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Jawad Zarif thanked China for supporting China in the fight against the novel corona virus on Twitter .

WHO statistics

The number of cases developed during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran as follows:

Infections

Confirmed infections (cumulative) in Iran
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

Confirmed infections (cumulative) in Iran over the course of the week
according to WHO data

Confirmed infections (new cases) in Iran
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

New infections (per calendar week) in Iran
according to WHO data

Deaths

Deaths (cumulative) in Iran
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (cumulative) in Iran over the course of the week
according to WHO data

Deaths (daily) in Iran
(April 16 to August 16, 2020) according to WHO data

Confirmed deaths (per calendar week) in Iran
according to WHO data

Remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b c d} Since August 17, 2020, the WHO reports have only been published weekly, but contain additional information (around cases per million inhabitants). The last daily WHO report ( No. 209 , pdf) was published on August 16, 2020.
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h} This lists cases that have been reported to WHO by national authorities. Since the situation is very dynamic, there may be discrepancies or delays between the cases of the WHO and the data of national authorities as well as the information provided by other bodies, such as the Johns Hopkins University (CSSE).

Reactions and Actions in Iran

Disinfection of a school in Bodschnurd , end of February 2020.

Translation of the sign: “We defeat Corona. Emergency room staff at the Razi (hospital) in Ahvaz , 12/12/98 “(the Iranian date December 12, 1398 is March 2, 2020).

Burial under protective measures in Hamadan , end of March 2020.

The leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran initially suppressed reports of the spread of the novel corona virus in February 2020. On February 26, 2020, President Hassan Rouhani announced that there were no plans to quarantine cities, only infected people. In March 2020, however, measures to contain the SARS-CoV-2 followed.

On March 4, 2020, the country's attorney general said hoarding respirators and other supplies had been punished with the death penalty . In early March, Lieutenant General Hussein Salami , commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard , alleged the outbreak could be a US attack with a biological weapon.

The Railway Company of the Islamic Republic of Iran (RAI) took extensive measures to maintain operations - with a reduced timetable.

Health care and hygiene

At the beginning of March 2020, the Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki called on the population not to use school closings as an opportunity to travel and, if possible, to refrain from using banknotes . Furthermore, extensive cleaning and disinfection measures were initiated in the streets, buildings and vehicles of the local public transport in order to prevent the virus from spreading.

As a result of the WHO mission (March 2 to 10, 2020), the Iranian Ministry of Health launched a campaign to fight the infectious disease COVID-19. The Iranian authorities recommended that the population stay at home and take personal hygiene and protective measures. On March 12, 2020 there were over 30 laboratories in Iran that were able to detect the novel SARS-CoV-2 , according to the WHO it was planned that 20 more laboratories will be added. However, doctors from the northern provinces of Gilan, Māzandarān and Golestan , the worst hit in March 2020, reported a lack of test kits and medical supplies, such as drugs, oxygen tanks for ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE). The head of public relations at the Iranian Ministry of Health, Kianoush Jahanpour, announced on April 12, 2020 that more than 263,000 tests for SARS-CoV-2 had been carried out.

New sanatoriums opened in Tehran and Qom at the beginning of March 2020 , in which COVID-19 patients were treated whose health had improved in order to relieve the overcrowded hospitals. According to the WHO head of mission, medical care centers have been set up where, because of the US sanctions, devices such as oxygen masks that have been produced in Iran in particular have been used. He questioned the quality of some locally made PPE. At the beginning of April, around 184,000 health care workers were working against COVID-19, and the lack of test kits and medical equipment made their work difficult. The WHO had provided 31,000 people with personal protective equipment (as of April 6, 2020). At the end of March, government spokesman Ali Rabiei reaffirmed the obligation to self-quarantine COVID-19 patients and announced legal action against those who did not comply.

In mid-March it became known that Muslim authorities had issued fatwas banning the traditional washing of the bodies of the deceased in order to protect corpse washers. The authorities have banned gatherings at funerals. Relatives of those who died from COVID-19 reported that they were not allowed to attend the funeral or visit the grave afterwards, as further burials were taking place in the area of ​​the main cemetery in Tehran .

Quarantine, closings and cancellations

The province of Gilan has been closed to travelers from other provinces since March 4, 2020, and the highest level of alert has been declared. On March 8, 2020, foreign correspondents reported that schools and universities in Iran had been closed to slow the spread of the virus. The schools are to remain closed until April 2020. Cultural and sporting events were also canceled. In mid-March 2020, the German Foreign Office reported that bank and government opening hours were limited to the morning.

However, Shiite shrines in Qom and Mashhad have not been closed, despite the fact that the head of the Qom Medical School warned on February 25, 2020 that the disease had already spread in the city, causing the virus to spread by pilgrims from different countries is likely. Former Iranian health minister Massoud Peseschkian had also called for an early closure. About 20 million Iranians and 2.5 million foreign tourists travel to Qom every year. Ayatollah Mohammed Saeedi stated that the reason for the continued access was that believers seek healing in holy places such as the Fatima Masuma shrine . Religious acts include kissing the metal rods of the Fatima Masuma shrine in Qom, which was later banned (as of March 11, 2020). The Robert Koch Institute classified Qom as a risk area on February 26, 2020, but the city was not quarantined by the Iranian government (as of March 11, 2020). Finally, on March 16, 2020, the shrine in Qom and the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad were closed to visitors. As a result, Shiite believers stormed the courtyards of the sites in the evening to demonstrate against the lockdown, until the deployment of police forces. According to the German Foreign Office, controls were introduced in March 2020 for entry and exit in the province of Qom, and quarantine measures were ordered if an infection with the novel coronavirus is suspected (as of March 19, 2020).

From March 2020, Friday prayers in mosques were canceled and the Iranian leadership also banned them from being held privately.

The Iranians' freedom to travel on the occasion of the New Year and Spring Festival Nouruz on March 21, 2020 was restricted. The holidays associated with the festival (until April 3) are usually an occasion for travel or vacation. Hotels and private individuals were not allowed to offer overnight accommodation for travelers. The speech by revolutionary leader Ali Khamenei in Mashhad on the Nouruz was canceled. Flights to the holiday island of Kisch were suspended in March 2020, and the island of Hengam was also closed to tourists. The German Foreign Office reported in mid-March that travel bans had been announced or already imposed in the provinces of Isfahan, Yazd , Māzandarān and the city of Shiraz ( Fars province ) in addition to Gilan Province . The Iranian state television reported in mid-March 2020 that a screening with measurement of body temperature was carried out for travelers who left major cities - including Tehran - in 13 provinces . People with a fever were taken to quarantine centers. Since March 22, 2020, public life has been increasingly shut down, in Tehran only the opening of supermarkets and pharmacies was allowed. Shopping centers and bazaars across the country were closed for the 15-day Nouruz vacation, but there was no complete lockdown as in China or Italy.

According to the recommendations of the beginning of March to the population to stay at home, the government were heard reporting news agency Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) 2020 government measures to March 26, spatial distancing (social distancing) implemented. These included reducing physical contact, banning gatherings or parties, and avoiding unnecessary travel. As a result, all schools, universities, shopping malls, parks, swimming pools and similar facilities were initially closed until April 3. According to the IRNA announcement, the spatial distancing measures were extended from March 28 to April 8, 2020.

On April 12, 2020, President Rouhani announced that Iran would now switch to a smart social distancing plan . This would initially ramp up economic life in areas with low risk in individual provinces, and from April 18 also in Tehran. Companies or businesses must apply for this on an internet portal and receive approval from the Ministry of Health if they comply with health regulations. Through cooperation between the Ministry of Health, the Interior and the Ministry of Economics, regulations are also to be drawn up that enable companies in industries with a high risk of virus transmission to be able to react again, taking special instructions into account. In addition, on April 12, President Rouhani lifted travel restrictions within the respective provinces; Travel between the provinces should be banned until April 20th.

President Rouhani emphasized on the occasion of the beginning of Ramadan that religious gatherings in public would continue to be prohibited, but opportunities would be established via social media.

Economic aid

To mitigate the economic consequences for companies and private individuals, President Rohani announced a package of measures in mid-March 2020. Among other things, a three-month deferred payment for health insurance contributions, taxes and gas, water and electricity bills was provided. Cash payments have been announced to support three million particularly needy Iranians, and another four million households are to receive state-subsidized, low-interest loans.

International reactions

Travel restrictions

132 people, passengers and crew members on a direct flight from Tehran to Ankara were quarantined on February 26, 2020 after landing in Turkey . On February 27, 2020, the neighboring countries Iraq , Turkey and Afghanistan temporarily closed their borders. In mid-March 2020 it was reported that the neighboring countries Armenia , Azerbaijan and Pakistan had also closed their borders with Iran.

Until the beginning of March 2020, travelers staying in Iran were the cause of infections in several neighboring countries, for example Afghanistan, Bahrain , Iraq, Qatar , Kuwait , Oman , Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates as well as Lebanon and Canada . On March 10, 2020, the health authorities of the Pakistani province of Sindh announced that six men who had returned from Syria as alleged fighters of the Iranian-led militia association had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. On March 11, 2020, 77 people in Bahrain who were on board an aircraft coming from Iran also tested positive for the novel corona virus. Until mid-March, cases of infection in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia , Estonia , Belarus and New Zealand were also traced back to travelers to or from Iran.

Numerous countries classified Iran as a risk area in March 2020, including the German Robert Koch Institute (RKI). On February 26, 2020, the RKI initially declared the province of Qom a risk area. The city of Tehran joined on March 2, 2020, before the RKI expanded the risk area to all regions of Iran on March 10, 2020. In mid-March 2020, German tourists who were still in Iran were asked by the Foreign Office to leave the country prematurely or temporarily, which turned out to be difficult in view of the restricted flight connections.

Countries with restrictions on people wishing to enter from Iran included, for example, Slovakia (quarantine, set on March 10, 2020), Estonia (quarantine, set on March 13, 2020), the USA (entry ban for foreigners who stayed in Iran in the two weeks before, set at the end of February 2020), the Czech Republic (entry ban for foreigners from risk areas, including Iran, set on March 12, 2020), and Australia (entry ban for citizens from risk areas, including Iran, on March 13 , 2020) March 2020).

Humanitarian relief operations

World Health Organization staff at a joint meeting with Iranian experts on March 3, 2020.

On March 2, a World Health Organization team traveled to Tehran to help fight the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran. Medical supplies, protective equipment for more than 15,000 people and laboratory tests for diagnosing almost 100,000 samples were brought along as support. The WHO had delivered test kits to Iran the week before. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) provided the World Health Organization with an aircraft to transport the 7.5 tonnes of medical aid , and relations between the two countries are considered tense. The WHO team was accompanied by experts from the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN), the German Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) and stayed until March 10, 2020 in the country. Mission head Richard Brennan subsequently praised the commitment of the medical staff and said that action in Iran was moving in the right direction. The team's recommendations were aimed at the strategies already in use in China and other countries affected by the pandemic : early detection of those infected, their isolation and treatment, follow-up of contacts and education of the population. In addition, the WHO team warned that employees in the health system should be better protected.

Due to the US sanctions (see section Criticism ), international aid to the Islamic Republic of Iran was severely limited. In principle, there was an exception for humanitarian aid supplies, but according to Human Rights Watch it was ineffective. According to statements by Iranian officials, foreign companies had problems processing payment transactions because the banks, for their part, feared they would be subject to sanctions for violating US regulations. UNICEF , the United Nations Children's Fund, sent several tons of aid deliveries with personal protective equipment (PPE), including protective masks, goggles and gowns for the medical staff , from the end of February to mid-March 2020 . On March 16, 2020, a delivery of medicines and other relief supplies arrived from Uzbekistan . In March, the UAE also sent a total of 32 tons of medical aid such as protective gloves and other PPE components with two aircraft . The People's Republic of China had supported Iran several times with medical and humanitarian aid deliveries.

Another delivery from the WHO for medical emergencies also included the drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir , whose effectiveness against COVID-19 is to be tested as part of the World Health Organization's “Solidarity” study, which began in March 2020. Japan financially supported the United Nations Office for Project Services in order to conduct clinical studies on the effectiveness of the drug favipiravir in 20 countries from April 2020. Iran will also take part, which will receive the drug free of charge.

criticism

The leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran initially suppressed reports about the spread of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in order not to have to restrict the celebration of the anniversary of the revolution on February 11, 2020. Even in the parliamentary elections on February 21, there should not be a low turnout due to the spread of the virus. This approach was criticized in media reports because valuable time was lost to containment at the beginning and this also led to the spread of the pandemic in neighboring countries. Doctors reported that a few days before February 11th they had notified the health authorities in Tehran of the occurrence of unusual cases of respiratory diseases. The very late closure of the Shiite shrines in Ghom (Qom) and Mashhad was also criticized, as pilgrims are likely to spread the virus, also outside the country's borders. For comparison, it was stated that the Great Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia , had previously been closed.

Because of the lack of transparency in politics, the population met the government's measures with suspicion: When, after the first deaths were announced in February 2020, the call was made not to go to the hospitals, there was a rush to the emergency rooms in Tehran because people were reluctant wanted to be tested. When schools and universities were closed in March 2020, several thousand Iranians went on vacation, despite the Iranian health minister warning. The travel restrictions on the occasion of the New Year and Spring Festival Nouruz on March 21, 2020 were not sufficiently observed, although hotels and restaurants were closed, tourists still traveled to Isfahan , for example , reported the director of the city administration. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei warned that failure to comply could cause a "second wave" of coronavirus infections.

Since the reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) figures for Iran, the number of deaths were above average in relation to the number of people infected, a high was in press reports of unreported cases of undetected and unreported infection with SARS-CoV 2 suspected. In a model calculation , Canadian scientists estimated based on the COVID cases "exported" from Iran that by February 23, 2020 there would have to be around 18,000 cases of infection and the outbreak in the country would have to last 1.5 months. The number of cases of infection reported to the WHO was less than 50 at this point in time. The Iranian opposition in exile assumed more than 3,000 deaths on March 11, 2020; 354 ​​deaths (cumulative) were reported to the WHO on that day. Iranian medics reported that only patients treated in a hospital were included in the official statistics. The head of the WHO mission, Richard Brennan, expressed doubts about the reported data after his return from Iran, the number of deaths would be five times higher than officially stated. He cited the lack of test capacities as the reason for this, similar to what is also the case in some severely affected European countries.

Also because of the US sanctions, there was a lack of the medical infrastructure urgently needed in Iran to combat the pandemic. Doctors and other members of the health system have repeatedly reported a lack of hospital capacity in the north of the country and an inadequate supply of personal protective equipment, causing infections and deaths among medical staff. At the beginning of April, representatives of the British and Iranian health authorities described the impact of the sanctions on the health system. Iran was the economically weakest country among the ten countries particularly hard hit by the pandemic. As a result, the financing of preventive and treatment measures as well as the necessary diagnostic options were very limited. That is why experts and politicians are calling for the US sanctions to be suspended.

In March 2020, the Iranian government asked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the United Nations for a loan of five billion US dollars for measures against the pandemic. Ali Schamchani , Secretary of the National Security Council, accused the US government of opposing the fact that the US has a blocking minority in the IMF .

See also

• List of epidemics and pandemics
• List of deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic

Web links

Commons : COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran  - Pictures, Videos and Audio Files Collection

Individual evidence

1. ^ Official announcement by the head of the Iranian Health Ministry's Public Relations Office Kianoush Jahanpour. IRNA, accessed on April 12, 2020 (the state news agency IRNA published case numbers by provinces by March 20, 2020, after that only total numbers for Iran). 
2. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Coronavirus: Iranians doubt official figures. In: Website tagesschau.de . March 8, 2020, accessed March 8, 2020 . 
3. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation reports. WHO, accessed on April 30, 2020 (English, note on the number of cases: The WHO adopts the numbers of its member states according to a certain definition, the reports by the WHO report lag behind current press reports.).  
4. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v} Rainer Hermann: Corona in Iran: You can no longer hide it. FAZ.NET , March 11, 2020, accessed on March 16, 2020 . 
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24. ↑ WHO Situation report No. 71 of March 31, 2020 (pdf).
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27. ↑ WHO Situation report No. 80 of April 9, 2020 (pdf).
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29. ↑ ^{a b} Iran FM Lauds China for Help in Coronavirus Fight. Iran Front Page, April 16, 2020, accessed April 18, 2020 . 
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32. ^ RAI: Experience of RAI to confront and control Covid-19 . In: OSJD Bulletin 2/2020, pp. 40f.
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34. ↑ Aresu Eqbali, Isabel Coles: Iran Mobilizes 300,000 Teams and Deploys Drones and Water Cannon to Halt the Spread of Coronavirus. The Wall Street Journal , March 5, 2020, accessed March 23, 2020 . 
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37. ↑ COVID-19 kills 117 more in Iran, official says. IRNA, April 12, 2020, accessed on April 12, 2020 . 
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39. ↑ ^{a b} Adrianna Murphy, Zhaleh Abdi, Iraj Harirchi, Martin McKee , Elham Ahmadnezhad: Economic sanctions and Iran's capacity to respond to COVID-19 . In: The Lancet . April 6, 2020, doi : 10.1016 / S2468-2667 (20) 30083-9 .
40. ↑ ^{a b} Iran says will continue social distancing rules until April 8th IRNA, March 28, 2020, accessed on April 12, 2020 (English). 
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44. ↑ COVID-19: International risk areas and particularly affected areas in Germany. Robert Koch Institute , March 15, 2020 (will be updated continuously). 
45. ↑ Robert Koch Institute (Ed.): COVID-19: International risk areas and particularly affected areas in Germany . February 26, 2020 ( archive.org ).
46. ↑ Robert Koch Institute (Ed.): COVID-19: International risk areas and particularly affected areas in Germany . March 2, 2020 ( archive.org ).
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48. ↑ EU Parliament President: Sassoli in quarantine due to Corona. In: Website tagesschau.de . March 10, 2020, accessed March 19, 2020 . 
49. ↑ ^{a b} Fight against Corona: Even Mount Everest is closing. In: Website tagesschau.de . March 13, 2020, accessed March 19, 2020 . 
50. ↑ Coronavirus USA issue entry ban from Europe. In: Website tagesschau.de . March 12, 2020, accessed March 19, 2020 . 
51. ↑ Peter Lange: Corona crisis: The Czech Republic is also closing. In: Website tagesschau.de . March 12, 2020, accessed March 19, 2020 . 
52. ↑ ^{a b c d} UNICEF, UAE, Uzbekistan Send Aid to Iran amid Coronavirus Outbreak. Iran Front Page, March 17, 2020, accessed April 18, 2020 . 
53. ↑ ^{a b} Patrick Wintour: Help without conditions for Iran in corona crisis required | DW | March 20, 2020. Deutsche Welle , March 20, 2020, accessed on March 20, 2020 . 
54. ↑ WHO delivers 7th emergency medical equipment shipment to Iran. IRNA, March 23, 2020, accessed on April 12, 2020 . 
55. ↑ Japan to give Favipiravir to Iran for free. IRNA, April 7, 2020, accessed on April 12, 2020 . 
56. ↑ Ashleigh R. Tuite, Isaac Bogoch, Ryan Sherbo, Alexander Watts, David N. Fisman, Kamran Khan: Estimation of COVID-2019 burden and potential for international dissemination of infection from Iran . In: medRxiv . February 25, 2020, doi : 10.1101 / 2020.02.24.20027375 (English).
57. ↑ "Trump more dangerous than coronavirus": Iranian admiral. Al Jazeera , April 6, 2020, accessed April 18, 2020 . 

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