The false belief that toxic methanol can cure coronavirus has seen over 700 people killed in Iran, according to an official in the country.
That represents a higher death toll than so far released by the Iranian Health Ministry.
An adviser to the ministry, Hossein Hassanian, said that the difference in death tallies is because some alcohol poisoning victims died outside of hospital.
‘Some 200 people died outside of hospitals’, Hassanian said.
Alcohol poisoning has skyrocketed by ten times in Iran in the past year, according to a government report released earlier in April, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The false belief that toxic methanol cures coronavirus has seen over 700 people killed in Iran, according to an official in the country
The national coroner’s authority said that alcohol poisoning killed 728 Iranians between February 20 and April 7.
Last year there were only 66 deaths from alcohol poisoning, according to the report.
Separately, the Iranian health ministry spokesman, Kianoush Jahanpour said that 525 people have died from swallowing toxic methanol alcohol since February 20, state TV reported on Monday.
Jahanpour said that a total of 5,011 people had been poisoned from methanol alcohol.
He added that some 90 people have lost their eye sight or are suffering eye damage from the alcohol poisoning.
Hassanian also said the final tally of people who lost their eye sight could be much higher.
Iran is facing the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East with 5,806 deaths and more than 91,000 confirmed case.
Methanol cannot be smelled or tasted in drinks. It causes delayed organ and brain damage.
That represents a higher death toll than so far released by the Iranian Health Ministry – 525. An adviser to the ministry, Hossein Hassanian, said that the difference in death tallies is because around 200 alcohol poisoning victims died outside of hospital
Symptoms include chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma.
In Iran, the government mandates that manufacturers of toxic methanol add an artificial color to their products so the public can tell it apart from ethanol.
Ethanol that can be used in cleaning wounds and is found in alcoholic drinks, though its production is illegal in Iran.
Some bootleggers in Iran use methanol, adding a splash of bleach to mask the added colour before selling it as drinkable.
The national coroner’s authority said that alcohol poisoning killed 728 Iranians between February 20 and April 7
Methanol also can contaminate traditionally fermented alcohol.
The consumption of alcohol is generally prohibited in Iran. However, minority Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians can drink alcoholic beverages in private.
Following the coronavirus outbreak, Iran’s government announced it would issue permission for new alcohol factories quickly.
Iran has currently around 40 alcohol factories that have been allocated for pharmaceutical and sanitizing items.
Already before the outbreak, the Iranian economy was struggling under severe U.S. sanctions blocking the sale of its crude oil abroad.
Source: Daily Mail – Articles
