2 dead in Iran after testing positive for coronavirus, says country’s health ministry

The two were both elderly and had immunity problems

iran-elections-burkha-Reuters File photo: A woman walks by parliamentary election posters in Tehran, Iran | Reuters

Two people have died in Iran after testing positive of the novel coronavirus, according to the country’s health ministry. The two, both elderly men, were in the city of Qom south of Tehran. Both the men had immunity problems.

The news was announced by the state news agency IRNA, which quoted health ministry spokesperson Kianoushj Jahanpour.

"Teams were dispatched after receiving the reports, and based on the existing protocols the suspect cases were isolated and tested," Jahanpour said. "Out of the samples sent, a laboratory tested two of them as positive for coronavirus just minutes ago and some of the other samples were type B influenza."

The vast majority of deaths due to coronavirus so far have been that of the elderly, according to a report from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) that analysed 44,672 confirmed cases across China. The report found that over 80 per cent of cases of coronavirus were mild, while the overall mortality rate was 2.3 per cent.

The fatality rate was highest for those above 80 years of age, and lowest for those under 9.

On Wednesday, the number of coronavirus cases worldwide had reached 75,284. Of this, 14,188 were in mainland China. The most cases outside of China were reported in Singapore, with 81, and then Japan, with 74.

Around 500 passengers from a quarantined cruise ship off the coast of Japan were allowed to leave the ship, at Yokohama, after their two-week quarantine came to an end. These people had tested negative for the virus and showed no symptoms. However, those who shared cabins with the infected were ordered to remain onboard the ship.