In Iran, false belief that methanol protects from the coronavirus kills hundreds and sickens thousands

The Islamic Republic of Iran has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the Middle East - 32,000+, and the highest number of deaths from the virus in the region as well - 2,300+. They are not only faced with the burden of rapidly growing coronavirus numbers, but also with treating hundreds of cases of methanol poisoning. There's a common but rapidly spreading false belief in the country that methanol protects from the coronavirus, do many are ingesting the industrial alcohol they buy illegally from bootleggers as alcohol consumption is banned in the country.

A five-year-old boy has been rendered blind by his parents as they ignorantly gave him methanol to drink as protection from the virus. An Iranian health worker in charge of the boy at hospital begged the public to stop consuming methanol as he stood over the intubated kid. Dr. Hossein Hassanian, an adviser to Iran's Health Ministry, told The Associated Press on Friday that approximately 480 people had died from ingesting methanol, and 2,850 sickened. "Other countries have only one problem, which is the new coronavirus pandemic. But we are fighting on two fronts here," said Dr. Hossein.

"We have to both cure the people with alcohol poisoning and also fight the coronavirus."

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