Iran rocked by ‘rapid’ Coronavirus outbreak; WHO expresses concern over speed at which virus has spread in Iran and its neighbours

South China Morning Post ^ | 02/23/2020

[SeekAndFind]

Iran has taken drastic measures to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, ordering the closure of schools, universities and cultural centres across 14 provinces from Sunday following eight deaths in the Islamic Republic – the most outside East Asia and the first in the Middle East.

Iran’s outbreak surfaced on Wednesday and has quickly worsened with 43 cases confirmed.

“The concern is … that we have seen … a very rapid increase (in Iran) in a matter of a few days,” said Sylvie Briand, director of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) global infectious hazard preparedness department.

Iran’s government also ordered all “art and cinema events” nationwide cancelled until the end of the coming week.

Neighbouring Iraq on Thursday clamped down on travel to and from Iran, and flag carrier Kuwait Airways has suspended flights to the country. Pakistan and Turkey also closed their borders with the neighbouring country.

Although Egypt is the only African country with a confirmed case of Covid-19 – the name given to the disease caused by the virus – the WHO warned that the continent’s health systems were ill-equipped to cope with a potential major outbreak and urged more cooperation among the African Union.

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said necessary treatment tools such as respiratory support machines were “in short supply in many African countries and that’s a cause for concern”.

Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday accused foreign media of trying to use the deadly outbreak in Iran to “discourage” people from voting in a general election.

“This negative propaganda began a few months ago and grew larger approaching the election and in the past two days, under the pretext of an illness and a virus, their media did not miss the slightest opportunity to discourage people from voting,” said Khamenei.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

Money and/or votes. Nothing else matters to the powers that be, and certainly not the lives of commoners. This stuff never ends.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

Iran, especially Qom, have sky high rates of AIDS, because of sodomy and IV drug use. It is actually better that the virus goes for those with weak immune systems.

It also means that the Iranian clergy is soon to experience a big drop in numbers.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Iran, especially Qom, have sky high rates of AIDS, because of sodomy and IV drug use

Not only that, Iran also has a high prostitution rate.

[Honest Nigerian]

Does Iran have a serious bioweapons program?
Could this be something they were working on with China?
All kinds of wacky ideas become less whacked as this thing continues.

[calenel]

And then there are all those mosques that will need to be burned down for sanitization. Maybe best to nuke them from orbit. Just to be sure.

[ModelBreaker]

“This negative propaganda began a few months ago and grew larger approaching the election and in the past two days, under the pretext of an illness and a virus, their media did not miss the slightest opportunity to discourage people from voting,” said Khamenei.

Iranian politicians sound exactly like American Democrats.

[Hieronymus]

Time to go read Tom Clancy.

[Gen.Blather]

“Does Iran have a serious bioweapons program?”

I read Iran sent a medical team to an Ebola outbreak in Africa. An observer said they took samples and left. So, probably. As for working with China. Most likely no. The most likely source in China is Chinese scientists selling their lab animals for food after they are done with them. Apparently, that is common practice even though it is “illegal.” The Iranian outbreak is almost certainly related to Chinese workers in Iran.

[null and void]

the gates are all down
the signals are flashing
the whistle is screaming in vain
if you sit on the tracks
ignoring the facts
you can't blame the wreck on the train

Bring Out Your Dead

Post to me or FReep mail to be on/off the Bring Out Your Dead ping list.

The purpose of the “Bring Out Your Dead” ping list (formerly the “Ebola” ping list) is very early warning of emerging pandemics, as such it has a high false positive rate.

So far the false positive rate is 100%.

At some point we may well have a high mortality pandemic, and likely as not the “Bring Out Your Dead” threads will miss the beginning entirely.

*sigh* Such is life, and death...

If a quarantine saves just one child's life, it's worth it.

[Paladin2]

One way belt, one way road...

[Vermont Lt]

Your poem reminded me of this....

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

[BenLurkin]

“Someone stole the handle”

[dfwgator]

The vandals took the handles.

[Black Agnes]

Rumor on another thread was the scientist back/forth between china/iran working on helping iran develop nuclear weapons.

[BenLurkin]

“In the shivering madness...”

[null and void]

Did you mean:

"In the shuffling madness..."

...of the locomotive breath"

[BenLurkin]

Okay. The old mental library is getting cobwebs.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

This virus is really bringing up the mixed feelings.

[null and void]

Tell me about it!

Too old to rock ‘n’ roll, too young to die...