Before Iran reported its first cases of the virus in February, authorities denied it had reached the country for days, allowing the virus time to spread.
The nation marked the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution with mass demonstrations and then held a parliamentary election in which authorities desperately sought to boost turnout.
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A parliamentary report in April said Iran’s death toll is likely nearly double the officially reported figures.
Given insufficient testing, the report said the number of people infected at the time was probably “eight to 10 times” higher than the reported figures.
Even today, Iran's death toll remains based on cases where people died in coronavirus wards in hospitals. However, it’s believed many more died at home.
Some families have reportedly asked doctors not to mention their loved ones died of the virus to avoid the stigma associated with Covid-19, the illness caused by the virus.
(Writer: Amir Vahdat)
Source: https://apnews.com/259e21771a0dcc0551e101bfe945bdb4
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