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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