23 Iranian Members of Parliament test positive for coronavirus

Get Best Daily Health Tips Here

Iran’s coronavirus situation is rapidly deteriorating. It’s symbolic that at least 23 Iranian Members of Parliament (MPs), as well as the country’s head of emergency medical services, are now infected with the virus.

Iran now has over 2300 confirmed coronavirus cases, 77 fatalities, and the situation seems to be spiraling out of control.

To say that Iran is struggling with Covid-19 would be an understatement. The country now has the most fatalities outside of China (where the outbreak originated), and there are concerns that the number of cases is much higher than the confirmed number.


The case fatality rate of the disease seems to be 2% in the Hubei province in China, where the outbreak originated, and around 1% elsewhere in the world. This means that there is a huge discrepancy between the confirmed fatalities and confirmed cases in Iran — the 77 fatalities suggest a much higher number of cases. For comparison, South Korea has under 30 fatalities for over 5,000 cases. This could be partially expected by differences in healthcare, but this is unlikely to account for the entire difference.

After downplaying the coronavirus risks (which seems to be a common trend), Iran is realizing that the threat is much more pressing.

Iranian authorities announced plans mobilize 300,000 soldiers and volunteers to confront the virus, though it’s not clear how the recruits will aid in efforts to contain the virus (potentially helping sanitize streets and track contacts of those ill with the virus).