Coronavirus: Kurdish doctors separate myths from facts

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Rumors and disinformation have done nothing to calm the collective mood of panic rippling across the Kurdistan Region since coronavirus arrived in Iraq this week. Rudaw has brought together a panel of Kurdish medical experts to separate the myths from the facts. 

Coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan on December 31 and has killed at least 2,770 people and infected more than 80,000 worldwide. 

For the first time since the initial outbreak, new cases are now rising faster outside China, with Italy, Iran, and South Korea seeing notable spikes. 

Health officials confirmed Iraq’s first case of the virus in Najaf on Monday, followed on Tuesday by four more cases in Kirkuk. In all cases, the infected individuals had recently returned from trips to Iran, where the virus is spreading rapidly.

Under containment measures imposed over the weekend, Iraqis returning from Iran must first undergo a 14-day monitoring period and must also be tested in their homes by medical teams.

Furthermore, Iraqis are not permitted to visit Iran unless they are part of a diplomatic delegation, and the federal government has suspended all Iraqi Airlines flights serving Najaf and Baghdad routes to Iran until further notice.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has also quarantined hundreds of people newly returned from Iran in two hotels in Soran, and has barred visitors from the local hospital.

The flurry of headlines, government notices, and social media chatter has stirred the public into a frenzy, with motorists panic buying fuel and local pharmacies stripped bare of hand sanitizers and facemasks. 

Rudaw brought together a panel of medical experts at the Shar Hospital in Sulaimani on Monday evening to help dispel some of the rumours surrounding coronavirus and offer some advice on how the public can guard against it. 



Don’t travel, avoid crowds  

“Until now, no coronavirus case exists in Sulaimani province at all,” said Dr. Rzgar Ali, head of the Health Protection Department of Sulaimani, participating in the panel. 

“This disease has gripped a large number of countries around the world. And it is so unfortunate that it has also reached this region,” he said.

“We have prepared sets of regulations. The best solution to block the virus is self-protection. We advise the beloved people to assist us to protect our city and themselves as well as adhering to our regulations and advice.”

“First, our best advice for them is: do not travel to China and the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to scientific probabilities, the disease could be contained and controlled in one to two months,” Ali said. 

“We ask everyone to suspend their travel plans for the time being.”

Coronavirus is spread through person to person contact and can be transmitted rapidly in crowded urban spaces. 

“The second piece of advice is: avoid crowds and events such as parties, concerts, and places where there is not enough air ventilation,” Ali said.

“Third, suspend religious activities such as Umrah [pilgrimage]. It is a continuous process. You can perform it at any time of the year if you wish. Because when you go to Saudi Arabia, many people from across the world travel there, including Muslims from China and Iran. It is very necessary to avoid it,” he added.

The KRG and its religious ministry are now considering the suspension of Friday prayers across the Region to prevent contagion among whole congregations. A large number of people in South Korea infected by the virus were part of the same church community. 

“Fourth, if you notice someone nearby you with a cough, sneezing, avoid them. God forbid, if you have them, use tissues and throw them in the bin. Let us make it a must – wash your hands every now and then with sterilizer,” Ali said. 

Dr. Nawroz Saeed, head of the Transmitting Disease Department in Sulaimani, urged the public not to panic but to take action to prevent contagion. 

“Corona is in the courtyard of our house. We have to take care of ourselves. It should not panic us to the point we are confused,” Saeed said.

“We should be afraid of corona to the extent that it should only make us protect ourselves.”

Eat well 

Rudaw also invited a group of nutritionists to share their advice on how to bolster the body’s immune system against the virus. 

Water, milk, onions, garlic, eggs, oranges, tangerines, lemons, apples, broccoli, and cucumbers are “the enemies of coronavirus and friends of the body and a good health,” said Dr. Shara Bakhtyar.

“Such foods are not used to treat the disease, but to help avoid it. By using them, we can strengthen our immune system,” Bakhtyar said. “Avoid stress. When you are stressed, your immune system’s defenses lower.”

“Water is good to improve the immune system. Fresh boiled milk is also good, containing nutrients useful to confront bacteria and viruses. It contains good proteins and calcium, sodium, potassium.” 

“Green tea is an antioxidant. It works very well to improve your immune system. Onion and garlic – they are anti-viral. Tomatoes are an antioxidant, too. In eggs, the yolk contains very good protein,” she said.  

“Others such as walnuts and dates are extremely useful as they contain vitamin E. Fruits and vegetables including oranges, lemons, and tangerines are abundant in vitamin C,” she added.

Dr. Lana Abdul, another nutritionist on the panel, also offered advice on how to prepare fish, chicken, and red meat, tinned foods, and fresh milk to avoid contagion.

“Luckily, there has not yet been any case involving meat as a means of transmitting Covid-19,” Abdul said. 

Meat should be “very cleanly sliced up and washed. Before touching the food, we have to make sure we wash our hands and do not touch our eyes, mouths, or noses,” she added.

Dr. Sivan Saman, meanwhile, described fizzy soft drinks and alcohol as “the enemies of body” and “friends of the disease” because they lower the body’s natural defenses. Smoking is also not encouraged.

“I am talking about those drinks that undermine the defense of the immune system. One of them is cigarettes and smoking as a whole. They damage the red and white blood cells. Soft drinks contain abundant sugar as we know,” he added.  

Facemasks ‘not necessary’ 

One common feature of the outbreak across the world is the widespread public use of surgical facemasks. However, pulmonologist Dr. Rebaz Hamza Kamaran Qaradaghi, participating in the panel, said: “The use of mask is completely unnecessary right now.”

“It is indeed a big lie that people are panicked into thinking they must wear masks,” he said. 

“None of the masks and all their types are designed for coronavirus. They are used for other purposes. Most of them are designed to be used at hospitals, or by physicians during surgeries or when you want to protect yourself from sneezes or when visiting a patient.”

Demand for the masks and latex gloves have nevertheless been on the rise in the Kurdistan Region as the virus draws closer.  

KRG authorities have closed down eighteen pharmacies in Erbil earlier this week after their owners raised the price of surgical masks to profit from the panic.