Iran Says COVID-19 to Peak in Autumn; No Vaccine in Sight in Near Future

A senior Iranian official says the coronavirus pandemic will reach its peak in autumn when the influenza virus infection will also reach its zenith after 11 years.

Deputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi on Thursday underlined that it is not possible to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 in the coming 12 to 18 months.

The official said at least 3 billion coronavirus vaccines will be needed for one year.

He noted there is no coronavirus medication available.
“Some drugs are available on the black market and prescribed by some doctors, but those medicines are not approved by the Medical Council,” he added.

He said the coronavirus outbreak is a pandemic which has gripped the whole world.

“Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, Iran had been criticized by foreign media, but later on, major industrial countries, including Italy, Britain, the US, France, Germany and even Spain were massively gripped by the coronavirus,” he said.

He said Iran ranks tenth in the world when it comes to the number of fatalities due to the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Harirchi, 21% of those who have died of COVID-19 infection have been Americans.

He said there are no shortages of ICU beds and ventilators in Iran right now.

“Unlike European countries such as Italy, Spain and Britain, in Iran it was not only the youth whose treatment was a priority; rather, all coronavirus patients are a priority for treatment. So, no one has received preferential treatment in this regard,” he said.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Harirchi said no sensitivity to heat has been observed with regards to the coronavirus.

He added the coronavirus is not sensitive to heat and grows in temperatures of between 5 to 12 degrees centigrade and humidity of 40 to 70.

He further said 26.5 percent of COVID-19 infections happen on public transport while the possibility of virus transmission in schools with over 14 million students is just half a percent.

The official also stressed the importance of observing social distancing plans.

He noted the epidemic has affected both people’s health and the nation’s economy.

So, he added, measures should also be adopted to prop up the economy.

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