Iran Press/ commentary: In a telephone call on Saturday 29 February, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tehran is interested in cooperation on healthcare, medicine, and hygiene issues with all regional countries.
The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, for his part, welcomed Iranian President Rouhani's suggestion saying: "The government and the people of Qatar are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the government and people of Iran and we shall provide assistance and cooperation in the fight against this new disease."
The coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, a city of more than 11 million people and the capital of Hubei province in China.
The vast majority of infections are being reported in mainland China but cases have now been confirmed in 62 countries. Thus the fight against the spread of coronavirus is truly a global fight, which requires international collaboration on a grand scale.
The number of confirmed cases has risen rapidly since the respiratory virus emerged in December 2019 from its suspected source in a Wuhan wildlife market.
Experts believe that the new disease, Covid-19 can be contained and controlled, but it does require international collaboration according to leading public health experts in Hong Kong.
Thousands of people affected by the coronavirus globally have already recovered. As Covid-19 is a viral illness, antibiotics are of no use and neither are antiviral drugs that work against flu. Recovery depends on the strength of the immune system and many of those who have died were already in poor health. The World Health Organization recommends people take simple precautions to reduce exposure and transmission.
Sadly, the United States has tried to exploit the epidemic in China, with the US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross recently suggesting the deadly coronavirus outbreak could be positive for the American economy.
During a TV interview, Wilbur Ross said: "I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America".
The scope of coronavirus outbreak worldwide
It is worth noting that the coronavirus has now been identified and confirmed within the US, with one individual in his 50s dying after contracting the disease near Seattle Washington.
However, those countries which deliberately try to conceal the spread of infection in their country, or deny the spread of coronavirus infection in their country, can neither tackle the disease in their own country, and save their own population, nor can they contribute meaningfully to stopping or slowing the spread of Coronavirus at a global level.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern. The key issues are how transmissible this new coronavirus is between people, and what proportion becomes severely ill and end up in hospital. Often viruses that spread easily tend to have a milder impact. Generally, the coronavirus appears to be hitting older people hardest, with few cases in children.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Islamic Republic of Iran has a very effective and advanced healthcare system that is well capable of dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. WHO also states that Iran has the most advanced healthcare facilities in the entire Middle East, and even globally Iran fares well in comparison with other countries.
The World Health Organization’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently issued a statement calling on all countries to closely cooperate and collaborate to bring the spread of the virus under control.
Writer: Jamshid Aminzadeh
Translator: Mehran Derakhshandeh
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