Tehran, Iran – Senior officials at Iran’s Ministry of Health and Medical Education announced a continued and alarming rise in influenza cases across the country’s provinces. They noted that a small percentage of these respiratory illnesses are also linked to the coronavirus. As an urgent measure, schools in Mashhad and other areas have been closed due to the significant increase in infections.
A sharp increase in infections and school closures
Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi confirmed on Saturday a “significant” increase in influenza cases. He urged parents to keep their children home from school if they exhibit respiratory symptoms. Raisi noted that approximately 30 to 40 percent of people visiting medical centers in Qom province with respiratory problems are diagnosed with influenza.
In Yazd province, Deputy Health Director Masoud Sharifi announced that the province has entered a new wave of influenza cases. The percentage of positive flu tests jumped from about 11% last week to 26% this week.
1000 children are seen daily in Sistan
Indicating the severity of the outbreak among children, Majid Naderi, head of Ali Asghar Hospital in Sistan and Baluchestan province, announced that between 600 and 1,000 children are suffering from flu-like symptoms (most notably high fever, persistent dry cough, and fatigue). These children are visiting the emergency department of the children’s hospital in Zahedan daily.
Due to this escalation, Mohammad Rahnameh, head of the media department of the Education Directorate in Khorasan Razavi Province, announced the closure of schools in seven districts of Mashhad and Tabadegan, as well as urban schools in Torbat-e Heydarieh, Torbat-e Jam, and Neyshabur, on Saturday and Sunday.
The contribution of “Corona” is low, but monitoring continues.
Regarding the coronavirus, the head of the Center for Infectious Disease Management at the Ministry of Health, Qubad Moradi, said that the virus’s contribution to current respiratory infections “is about 2%.”
However, Moradi cautioned that monitoring of both viruses continues. He emphasized that any respiratory agent “can mutate and cause more severe illness.” Therefore, adherence to health recommendations nationwide is essential.
