As reported by the media, almost 300 people have been killed and more than 1,000 have been ill after drinking toxic methanol across Iran after rumors that it could help cure coronavirus. In the Islamic Republic, drinking alcohol is banned, and those who drink depend on bootleggers.
Methanol.org website prescribe this toxic a clear liquid chemical that is water-soluble and readily biodegradable, comprising of four parts hydrogen, one-part oxygen and one-part carbon and is the simplest member of a group of organic chemicals called alcohols. Methanol is used to produce other chemical derivatives, which in turn are used to produce thousands of products that touch our daily lives, such as building materials, foams, resins, plastics, paints, polyester and a variety of health and pharmaceutical products.
An Iranian doctor then said the problem was bigger, giving the death toll around 480 with 2,850 people were ill.
Dr. Knut Erik Hovda, a clinical toxicologist in Oslo who studies methanol poisoning, fears the Iranian outbreak may be worse than reported.
“The virus is spreading and people are just dying off, and I think they are even less aware of the fact that there are other dangers around.”
“When they keep drinking this, there’s going to be more people poisoned,” he said.
As for now, Iran is fighting the worst outbreak in the Middle East, with more than 2,200 deaths among nearly 30,000 confirmed cases.
The Iranian army has set up a 2,000-bed hospital in an exhibition center in the capital Tehran to enhance the local healthcare system as it combats the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the Middle East.
The new facility, which includes three units and several isolation wards, was set up in just 48 hours. It will be used for patients recovering from Covid-19 disease caused by the virus.
Source: Metro UK