An Iranian knowledge-based company affiliated to Amir Kabir University of Technology declared today that it has developed and manufactured a new disinfecting solution through nanotechnology techniques that can kill different types of pathogens, including coronavirus.
“The disinfecting solution named Silosept is a new type of non-alcoholic material produced by using silver nanochloids to annihilate different types of pathogens (bacteria, virus and fungus) and can be used to prevent spread of different infectious diseases,” Soheila Salahshour Kordestani, the CEO of the company, said.
She explained that the silver nanoparticles are highly capable of killing different viruses and fungus along with bacteria, adding that the product does not cause systemic and cellular toxicity, irritability and acute inhalation toxicity
Also, Head of Iran’s Razi Medical Institute Ali Es’haqi announced that plasma therapy for patients diagnosed with coronavirus has already kicked off in the country.
Es’haqi said on Friday evening that due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country and studies on plasma therapy for patients suffering from it, joint meetings were held between Razi Institute, Alborz University of Medical Sciences and the Blood Transfusion Organization of Iran to start the implementation of this project in Alborz province as a joint research project.
“In this regard, Razi Institute will evaluate the level of antibodies of improved individuals for injection to patients and the relevant immune response in cooperation with Alborz University of Medical Sciences and the Iranian Blood Transfusion Organization,” he added.
Moreover, the production lines of two types of home-made PCR and serological kits for the diagnosis of coronavirus infection was unveiled in a ceremony participated by Iranian Vice-President for Science and Technology Sorena Sattari today.
“The first type of kits acts based on analysing the PCR (of patients) test, and a sum of 100,000 kits of this type can be produced each week,” Sattari said.
He added that the second type of kits whose production line was unveiled on Saturday is serological kits which has been developed to find antibody to see if a person’s immunity system has responded to coronavirus disease or not.
He further said that 2mln sets of this type of kits will be produced in Iran each week.
Meanwhile, Head of Endowment and Charity Office of Gonbad Kavous in Gorgan province Saleh Mohebbi said that the office has delivered 2,000 N-95 face masks to three hospitals in Gonbad Kavous town.
Noting that in the first phase of mask production, nearly 9,000 masks were made and distributed among the medical staff, low-income families and old people’s house, he added, “In the second phase, some 3,500 masks have been produced and are being distributed.”
“800 liters of disinfectants have also been produced and delivered to the municipality,” Mohebbi said, and added, “With the help of young NGOs we have handed out health and food packages among the needy.”
Furthermore, an official with the Basij (Volunteer forces) of students and teachers in the Western province of Kurdistan informed of launching 13 workshops at technical schools of the region.
“These workshops produce 15,000 masks every day,” Mikayeel Ahmadi said.
He went on to say that these workshops have been set up with the assistance of Jihadi groups, teachers, students and Beit-ul Moqaddas Corps of the province.
Ahmadi stressed that the disabled and low-income families will have priority for distribution of these products.
Meantime, Head of the War Martyrs’ Families Department of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) General Abolqassem Sahrifi said that more than 10,000 hygiene packages have been distributed among war families of martyrs across the country.
Sharifi said that since the coronavirus outbreak in the country, 2,000 packages have been and 6,000 more will be distributed among war invalids, and added, “over 2,000 packages have also been distributed among the families of martyrs.”
He said that these packages include disposable gloves, masks and disinfectant gel and liquid.
President Hassan Rouhani lauded people’s cooperation in combating coronavirus, urging them to continue observing health protocols to help contain the disease.
Addressing a meeting attended by the heads of the committees of the National Coronavirus Campaign Headquarters on Saturday, Rouhani said, “If people seriously observe the health protocols, we can gradually achieve reliable conditions.”
“Just as the people cooperated well with the authorities in the first and second phases of social distancing and implementation of restrictions for controlling the virus, officials expect their support in implementing protocols during the implementation of smart social distancing, too,” the president said.
The Iranian health ministry announced on Saturday that 1,837 new cases of infection with coronavirus have been identified in the country, adding that the virus has killed a total number of 4,357 patients so far.
“1,837 more patients infected with COVID-19 virus have been identified in the country since yesterday based on confirmed diagnosis criteria,” Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said.
He said that the number of coronavirus patients in Iran has increased to 70,029, adding that 4,357 people have lost their lives due to infection to the virus, including 125 in the past 24 hours.
Jahanpour, meantime, said that the recovery of patients has accelerated in Iran and 41,947 infected people have been treated and dismissed from hospital.
He noted that 251,703 coronavirus diagnosis tests have been carried out in the country so far, adding that 3,987 patients infected with COVID-19 virus are in critical conditions.
Iranian Health Minister Saeed Namaki stressed on April 7 effective measures to control coronavirus epidemic, expressing the hope that the disease would be controlled in Iran by late May.
“At present, the country is in the phase of disease management and we should not imagine that we have reached the harness and control phase. Today is the time for full-fledged combat against the virus. God willing, we will control coronavirus by late May. The virus should be controlled in the minimum possible time,” Namaki said, addressing the Iranian legislators in an open session of the parliament in Tehran.
He noted that at least 30% to 50% of hospital beds are still vacant across Iran and nearly 15,000 beds are ready to keep the patients who are recovering from coronavirus disease.
“We have now moved down to tank 6th in terms of deaths,” Namaki said, adding that the country’s situation in treatment of patients will improve in the next few days.
The coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting approximately all countries and territories around the world. The virus was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. It has so far killed more than 103,000 people and infected over 1.7 million others globally.
The Iranian foreign ministry declared that despite Washington’s claims of cooperation to transfer drugs to Iran via the new Swiss-launched payment mechanism, the US is troubling the process amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
Although US claims that medicines and medical equipment are not under sanctions, they have practically blocked the transfer of Iran’s financial resources in other countries into the Swiss Humanitarian Trade Arrangement (SHTA), Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Seyed Abbas Mousavi said.
As the death toll from the virus surges, Iran intensifies its preventive safety measures. Closures of schools and most universities have been extended until late April.
The government also imposed travel restrictions, specially on Iran’s North, which is among the red zones. The country has also adopted strict digital health control procedures at airports to spot possible infections.
Namaki announced last month that a new national mobilization plan would be implemented across the country to fight against the coronavirus epidemic and more effectively treat patients.
Namaki said that the plan will include all the 17,000 health centers and the 9,000 medical and clinical centers in all cities, suburban areas and villages.
He added that the plan will include home quarantine, noting that infected people will receive the necessary medicines and advice, but they are asked to stay at home.
Namaki said that people with a more serious condition will stay at the hospitals, adding that the public places will be disinfected, the entries of infected towns and cities will be controlled to diagnose and quarantine the infected cases.
He added that the necessary equipment and facilities have been provided, expressing the hope that the epidemic would be curbed.
According to the latest statistics of Health Ministry, the number of medical laboratories to test coronavirus infection has reached over 90 across the country.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says Iran’s response to the virus has so far been up to the mark. Still, it says the US sanctions are a big challenge, and Washington would be complicit in the rising death toll in Iran if it would not remove its sanctions.
The World Health Organization has considered priorities in combating coronavirus and Islamic Republic of Iran obeys and follows up priorities as defined by WHO.
The WHO is dispatching separate delegations to all countries.
