ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Seven people have died and several left blind after consuming methanol in an attempt to stave off coronavirus, according to local officials in the Iranian city of Ahvaz.
Iranians are taking desperate measures to avoid contracting coronavirus as the number of confirmed cases rise in the country, with close to 200 people dead from the disease.
Ali Biranvand, an official at the prosecutor’s office in the southern city of Ahvaz was quoted by state-run IRNA as saying that seven people have died in recent days after consuming methanol to fight COVID-19.
“48 people have been poisoned and some have lost their vision and are now admitted into hospitals across the city,” Birnavand said.
"Given the scale of poisoning from consuming industrial alcohol, it is possible that some more will die,” he added.
Iran has been hit particularly hard by the virus, which first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
Several countries have closed their borders with Iran, and flights to and from the country have been cancelled in a bid to stop the spread of the virus.
Rumors have spread across Iranian social media that consumption of alcohol is a barrier against contracting coronavirus and many have turned to consuming beverages with a strong alcohol level.
Some have now resorted to consuming methanol, a toxic form of non-drinking alcohol mostly used to create fuel, solvents and antifreeze.
Iran’s deputy health minister announced a whopping rise in the number of coronavirus cases on Sunday, saying that 6566 people have tested positive for the virus- with 194 deaths.
In the northern province of Mazendaran at least 1226 people have contracted the virus.
“As of today 21 people have died in the province,” Dr Said Abbas Mousavi of Mazandaran's University of Medical Sciences told IRNA.
A number of senior Iranian officials have contracted the virus, including parliamentarian Fatemeh Rahbar, who died on Saturday.
Iraj Harichi , the head of an Iranian government task force on coronavirus, tested positive for the illness late last month.
A number of provinces in Iran are in a 'critical' state, with the authorities threatening to use force if locals do not abide by restrictions placed on them.
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