300 research plans and proposals have been presented by researchers and specialists to Mashhad University of Medical Sciences on the coronavirus epidemic, a local official said, and added that 250 of these plans have become operational after getting the approval of academic authorities.
“Those who have a plan or a proposal related to coronavirus or other issues, can deliver it in person or write it on the website address: ramresearch@mums.ac.ir,” Dr. Saeed Eslami said.
“We have put much emphasis on evaluation of the exact plans,” Eslami added.
Underlining the issues of security, ethics, rights and health in the plans, he said, “Some of the plans are first carried out on animals, due to their sensitivity; and if they are fruitful they will be carried out on human.”
The Iranian health ministry announced on Monday that 2,536 new cases of infection to COVID-19 virus have been diagnosed in the country in the past 24 hours, adding that 162 patients have passed away and 1,461 others have been hospitalized since yesterday.
“2,536 more patients infected with COVID-19 virus have been identified in the country in the past 24 hours based on confirmed diagnosis tests and 1,461 patients have been hospitalized,” Iranian Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday.
She added that the total number of coronavirus patients in Iran has increased to 225,205.
Sadat Lari expressed pleasure that 186,180 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
She said that 10,670 people have lost their lives due to infection to the virus, including 162 in the past 24 hours.
Sadat Lari said that 3,037 coronavirus patients are unfortunately in critical conditions.
She said that 1,639,078 coronavirus tests have been conducted in the country so far.
The ministry’s spokeswoman, meantime, voiced concern about the increasing number of coronavirus patients in Khuzestan, Kurdistan, West Azarbaijan, Hurmozgan, Kermanshah, Bushehr, Ilam, East Azarbaijan, Golestan, Lorestan and Khorassan Razavi provinces.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said earlier this month that over 1,000 medical centers in the country have received necessary equipment to conduct tests on people suspected of infection to coronavirus, and added that Iran ranks first in the Muslim world in scientific achievements.
“Based on a report [by the health ministry], 1,200 centers across the country are ready to take samples and tests from people and 17,500 nursing and health homes are also prepared to provide hygiene and treatment services to people,” Rouhani said, addressing a meeting of the national coronavirus campaign headquarters in Tehran.
The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting approximately all countries and territories around the world. The virus was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. It has so far killed more than 508,000 people and infected nearly 10.5 million others globally.
The Iranian foreign ministry declared that despite Washington’s claims of cooperation to transfer drugs to Iran via the new Swiss-launched payment mechanism, the US is troubling the process amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Although US claims that medicines and medical equipment are not under sanctions, they have practically blocked the transfer of Iran’s financial resources in other countries into the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA), Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi said.
As the death toll from the virus surges, Iran intensifies its preventive safety measures. Closures of schools and most universities have been extended until further notice.
