Mass hypochondria is a condition in which people in a society are unduly worried about having an illness, while there is no symptom suggesting an actual medical diagnosis.
A hypochondriac person feels that he or she has contracted a serious disease. Such disorder could become commonplace in a mass of people, in a classroom, an office, a city or the entire country.
Hypochondriasis has been prevalent in the human communities for millennia, and seems to be much more common than a disorder being discovered through the ordinary medical means.
What are the symptoms of mass hypochondriasis?
The symptoms experienced by the individuals are different and depend on what illness they believe they have contracted. The common symptoms include headache, nausea, anemia, the feeling of shortness of breath, chronic coughs, chest pain, chill, a sore throat etc.
A sudden occurrence of this disorder depends on how much stress one is suffering. The people experiencing hypochondria show the physical symptoms of the illness in practice and those symptoms are not merely psychological. For example, they may actually suffer from shortness of breath, fever and chill, headache or dizziness.
However, such real feelings could not be confirmed in medical terms, as the symptoms have been caused by stress and anxiety, not by a pathogen like the coronavirus.
Hypochondriasis could affect many normal individuals, but still, it does not translate into a psychological disorder.
Nevertheless, displaying symptoms of the illness should not be immediately regarded as hypochondria. You are advised to see a physician if you show any of the following symptoms:
– An illness that lasts for more than one week to 10 days.
– A fever with the temperature in the mouth over 38.5 °C for several days, coupled with remarkable weakness and anemia.
– Severe muscle fatigue;
– Severe lachrymation;
– Skin problems or a considerable change in the skin color;
– Shortness of breath preventing you from doing daily activities.
Is it possible to prevent or avoid mass hypochondria?
The ways to prevent such disorder have not been scientifically defined very well. Maybe the best and most effective approach is to stay away from the psychological conditions and rumors about the disease. Stress is a normal part of life of every human being, but you should avoid excessive stress and anxiety. Keep in mind that excessive stress weakens the body’s immune system, which would consequently pave the way for many diseases.
In an interview with IranGov.ir, Mahmoud Vaezi, the chief of staff of President Hassan Rouhani, discussed measures adopted by the government to fight the coronavirus epidemic.
Vaezi said Iran began to take action at the time the virus outbreak was reported in the country.
“Iran was the second country to detect the disease and, since the outset, enforced measures to control the spread of, and treat the disease by shutting down schools and universities as well as religious, cultural and sports gatherings, urging people not to go on trips and stay home, and launching the national campaign against the coronavirus,” he said.
The official said the social distancing plan was the country’s major strategy to fight the disease.
“The first stage of this strategy began at the beginning of the outbreak of the virus, and by the admission of health and medical experts, it played a key role in fighting the epidemic in the country,” he said.
The president’s chief of staff refuted the accusation that the government did not act in time to contain the disease.
“This criticism is not fair,” he said.
“Since the moment we became sure the disease had entered the country, we formed the National Coronavirus Outbreak. The president, himself, assumed management of the crisis and we immediately began measures to control the disease,” he underlined.
“The national campaign against the coronavirus was one of major measures adopted by a country across the world to fight the coronavirus. Tens of millions of people were screened in this plan,” he said.
“There was no delay,” he noted.
He said action was taken to identify infected people in a timely manner and separate coronavirus patients from healthy people, a move which was instrumental in bringing down the fatality rate.
“Whatever experts deemed necessary, was put into force immediately,” said Vaezi.
He was asked why the city of Qom, where the coronavirus was first detected, was not quarantined right at the beginning. In response, the official said evidence suggested that a quarantine plan would not work.
“Given the experience of other countries as well as figures presented by the World Health Organization, the assumption that imposing a full quarantine would work did not seem to work,” he noted.
“Since the beginning, our health experts believed that imposing a full quarantine, whether on Qom or on other cities, would not work. Instead, they proposed a model specific to the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has been enforced step by step over the past weeks,” he said.
He then touched upon the effect of sanctions on the type of the Iranian model adopted.
“Polices are adopted and enforced in accordance with existing capabilities and realities,” he noted.
“Undoubtedly, we are the only country unable to tap into all our resources to contain the coronavirus due to sanctions,” Vaezi noted.
“If there were no sanctions and we had access to all our resources, especially with regards to the management of economic consequences of the coronavirus, we would have more leeway,” he said.
“Still, the government has, so far, not allowed restrictions brought about by sanctions to result in inaction and a lack of decision-making,” Vaezi noted.
“Today, we have almost stabilized the market when it comes to the production of hygienic items to stem the spread of the coronavirus,” he added.
“Most needs of hospitals, especially with regards to supplies such as ventilators, have been met on the back of efforts by domestic knowledge-based companies,” he said.
“Our fight against the coronavirus is an unequal battle because in addition to COVID-19, we are also fighting the United States’ sanctions and economic terrorism,” he said.
However, he added, people, government and personnel in different sectors have been working in tandem to safeguard people’s health and lives.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the president’s chief of staff said Iran’s efforts in the fight against the coronavirus have been successful.
“At the moment, we have had a good performance, but like most countries have been unable to contain the disease,” he added.
The official underlined that all government offices and institutions have mobilized their resources to counter the disease.
He said the president has instructed the health minister to be transparent in giving people information about developments pertaining to the outbreak.
He then slammed certain entities and individuals for launching untrue campaigns against national efforts to contain the virus.
“Untrue campaigns under the current circumstances … are highly destructive,” he noted.
He then touched upon the problems that the country is facing in tackling the disease.
“The country is facing many problems with regards to managing the coronavirus crisis, but these problems have, fortunately, been unable to stop us thanks to the efforts by heroes fighting in the campaign against COVID-19,” he said.
“The most important problem we face is sanctions,” he said.
“The perpetuation of sanctions at a time when we are facing the coronavirus pandemic, is not only an act against Iranian people, but a crime against humanity,” he said.
“The coronavirus outbreak is a global issue today, and if Iran is unable to utilize all its potential and resources to fight the disease, it will have repercussions that would grip all countries,” Vaezi said.
“The world should stand up to this crime-like policy, or, at least, stop abiding by the United States’ unilateral sanctions,” he said.
“Now, we are in the middle of the coronavirus crisis and it’s a little early to talk about the post-coronavirus world,” he said.
“However, I believe we will definitely see some changes not only in Iran, but also across the world, because the coronavirus outbreak has challenged some definitive presuppositions in the domain of governance and ruling,” he said.
“We will need some reconsiderations whether in the domain of good governance or policy making,” he said.
“Signs of this paradigm shift are clear as of now, and I think all political groups and think tanks in the country should focus on these changes,” he said.
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Aftab-e Yazd:
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Abdul Karim Shahbazi, a member of the research group, says the device is capable of detecting nanosized explosives and narcotics.
He referred to the working mechanism of the device, noting, “The sample material is placed inside an IMS sensor and the material is ionised.”
“When the materials are placed inside the IMS sensor, they pass through the radioactive (nickel-1) path, whereby the imported material is ionised and the material will be placed in the electric field and particles of it will accelerate in the environment,” he told ISNA.
In this setting, each of the materials, like fingerprints, will have a certain pace and this speed is measured. In addition, the device has a section called “Laboratory” that defines the standard sample material specifications, and any material put in the device is compared with material in the laboratory and the closest one is recognised, continued Shahbazi.
The technical knowledge of producing this machine is exclusive to a few countries of the world.
The dome, a place of historical importance in Iran, has been constructed of stone and brick, though the building is of stone and gypsum, and its architectural affects have been inspired from the Sassanid period.
The dome, which is one of the most spectacular ones in Kerman, has survived without any fence around it. Some scholars say Jabalieh was built as an observatory, but others believe the dome was an important tomb.
Some European scholars say this dome belongs to the Seljuks, but it is mostly believed that it was built in the second century BCE.
It is of octagonal design and comprises three floors crowned by a rather flat dome, totally empty inside. It may have been a Zoroastrian building, and is remarkable because of being constructed of stone rather than the more common brick.
It is also said that camel milk was used instead of water in its construction, which historians see as the reason for its strength.
This octagonal building has eight doors that are located on each side. In order to strengthen the building, they have already covered seven doors with stones and kept only one door open.
The roof of the dome has been made of bricks and the inside of the building includes beautiful reliefs. But unfortunately, most of these reliefs have been destroyed.
The materials used in the walls are with a rubble trench foundation and gypsum mortar from the outside and lime from the inside.
Much of the building’s surroundings have been planted to create an artificial forest. Most of the trees are cedar and pine and have created a forest called Qaem, which is one of Kerman’s resorts.
Within this historical dome, there is a valuable inscription called the inscription of the mosque Abder Ashkan. It is one of the oldest inscriptions in this place, belonging to a mosque in the northern part of the city (Ashkan). The inscription is carved on a piece of natural stone in Kufic script.
The smallest tombstone discovered in Kerman province is also kept in here. The stone was discovered and handed over to the Kerman Province Cultural Heritage Department in 1998. With a size of 26 × 22, it is composed of two important parts. One of the sections is margins, and the other one is the middle text. These writings are the Quranic verses. In this dome, more than 120 pieces of stone carvings discovered that relate to different historical periods.
Among the tombstones found there exists Mirza Aqa Khan’s tombstone. He was the son of Mirza Ahmad Ali Khan Vaziri, is historian of Kermani origin. According to contemporary historian Dr Bastani Parizi, he collaborated with his father in the compilation of the Kerman History Book.
Among the waqf inscriptions found in Jabalieh dome, there is the waqf inscription dedicated to the fire temple of the village of Qanatghestan which is very interesting. It was transferred to the Cultural Heritage Organisation by the experts after the fire temple was destroyed. This inscription is dedicated to the year 1282 AH.
Kerman is one of the hottest cities in Iran. It is located in southern Iran. In general, the best time to travel to Kerman is from early May to late June and from early September to early October.
What follows are Tasnim News Agency’s photos of Jabalieh dome:
Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour on Saturday said 125 people have died in the past 24 hours from the novel coronavirus, increasing the death toll to 4,357.
The recovery process has gained momentum in the past few days, he said, adding that 41,947 patients have so far recovered and been discharged from the hospital.
Jahanpour also noted that 3,987 patients are in severe conditions of the disease.
So far, 251,703 tests for the novel virus have been taken in the country.
The island is located 222 kilometres from Bandar Abbas and 75 kilometres from Bandar Lengeh. It is 60 kilometres north of the UAE’s Sharjah and 160 kilometres from the Strait of Hormuz.
Abu Musa Island has a warm climate. Most of the local people are fishermen. A variety of plants and marine life can be found on the beach. Its highest point is Mount Halva, which is 110 metres above the sea level.
Abu Musa County with a population of more than 5,600 people includes the Abu Musa Island, Greater and Lesser Tunbs, Siri, Greater and Lesser Faror.
The transparency of the Persian Gulf‘s water off the coast of Abu Musa is such that the aquarium fish and its corals are clearly seen along the coast and breakwaters.
What follows are ISNA’s photos of the beautiful island:
“What is important in the second phase of the smart social distancing programs is that this plan is in conformity with the Iranian lifestyle and the national model and, at the same time, with the principles approved by the World Health Organization,” he said in a Saturday meeting with members of the National Coronavirus Headquarters.
He then touched upon a plan under which low-risk businesses can resume work as of April 11, 2020 provided that they register their names on a specific website launched for the same purpose.
The president also urged the National Coronavirus Headquarters to closely watch the enforcement of the smart social distancing plan.
“All heads of the committees [of the National Coronavirus Headquarters] are required to make precise assessments of the enforcement of the smart social distancing plan, and study, in all provinces, hurdles and problems hindering its implementation, and act to remove them in the shortest time possible,” he added.
He called on all people as well as businesses to cooperate, as always, while the smart social distancing plan is in force.
In an op-ed article, Rabiei said the outbreak of the novel coronavirus has directly harmed the activities of around 3.3 million official workforces and has caused the closure of more than 1.5 million official and unofficial workshops across the country.
Amid the outbreak of COVID-19, the administration has adopted a policy that makes the protection of the lives and health of people a priority, the speaker underlined, saying the policy also entails plans to supply the needs for earning a livelihood and protect the economy within the framework of health protocols.
The decisions to isolate the coronavirus patients, carry out the social distancing plan, and implement the smart social distancing scheme are the results of the strategy adopted by the administration, he added.
Rabiei then underscored that Iran must carry out the smart social distancing plan with a health-oriented strategy, otherwise the economy which has been already hit by the sanctions will lose its power in the medium term and will even fail to implement the health-oriented policies.
The spokesman said the outbreak of coronavirus has directly affected nearly 3.3 million official workforces and has led to the shutdown of more than 1.5 million official and unofficial workshops across the country.
“Four million unofficial working forces in the country are prone to the interruption or reduction of activities, wage cuts or dismissal,” he noted.
Rabiei then noted that more than 12 million workers are engaged in the service sector of the country, saying the initial impacts of unemployment caused by the coronavirus have appeared in at least 10 occupational sections that were shut down immediately after the outbreak of COVID-19.
The economic growth will be experiencing a 0.4 percent decrease during the first three months of outbreak of the disease, the spokesman stated, warning that prolongation of the situation will produce secondary effects, including a dramatic rise in the unemployment rate.
The studies show that creation of new jobs in the small businesses and small-scale factories will not be possible until at least two years after their closure, he noted.
“According to the statistics from the Labor Ministry, in practice, a long-term shutdown and non-intervention in the labor market policies will increase the number of the unemployed to more than four million people,” Rabiei added, saying it would include 3.3 million jobs with social insurance coverage and around 700,000 unofficial jobs.
The spokesman finally noted that the latest statistics for coronavirus offered by the Health Ministry at a Wednesday session of the cabinet suggest that the rate of severe infections and deaths is on the decline with a mild rate.
“On the one hand, the plans to control the morbidity and the process of movement of the patients with the use of technical methods for monitoring and surveillance are on the agenda, and on the other hand, the economic activists are given the choice of running their businesses,” Rabiei said of the administration’s new policy, describing the scheme as the most successful experience in the world in the fight against coronavirus.
The Vatican’s secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin talked to US officials regarding the issue following a letter by top Iranian religious figure Ayatolllah Mostafa Mohaqqeq Damad who had asked Pope Francis to take action to get unfair US sanctions against Iran lifted amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Vatican said in a letter to the Iranian scholar that it had contacted US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft and relayed to the top diplomat Iran’s concern, demanding Washington to pay attention to the issue.
In the letter, the Vatican expressed sympathy with people in Iran and all other countries gripped by the coronavirus.
The letter underlined that this ordeal brings to light the fact that people are members of the same human community and should set aside enmity and hate.
In the letter, the Vatican said Pope Francis has urged all humans to live in peace and harmony on the planet earth.
It also said the pontiff believes Iranian authorities will spare no effort to help establish peace and unity and will avoid any action that would fuel tensions.
