Leaked Iran data suggest huge virus deaths cover-up
IRAN has dramatically under-reported the extent of its coronavirus epidemic, according to leaked government figures that show almost three times as many Covid-19 deaths than Tehran has officially acknowledged.
The secret data suggest the government recorded 42,000 deaths from coronavirus-like symptoms up until July 20, whereas the health ministry reported 14,405 deaths.
That data also showed 451,024 cases of the virus, a figure nearly double the 278,827 officially reported in that time.
The documents were obtained by BBC Persian and published yesterday as the health ministry reported that Iran faces a resurgence of the disease.
Even if going by the government’s published figures, Iran is the worst affected country in the Middle East.
Sima Sadat Lari, a health ministry spokesman quoted in the Tehran Times, rejected the BBC report, claiming foreign media were relying on anonymous sources and unscientific methodology for political purposes.
Iran reported its first case of coronavirus on Feb 19 with the registered deaths of two people in Qom, though health professionals and Iranian journalists had given earlier warnings about the disease.
Since then, some observers have accused the Islamic republic of deliberately under-reporting infections. The leaked documents, supplied by an anonymous source, show Iran recorded its first Covid-19 death on Jan 22. This was despite repeated denials from Iranian officials that there were any virus cases in the country.
The secret files included detailed information on daily hospital admissions across the country that corresponded with some other verified patient information obtained by the
BBC. The discrepancy between the official records and the obtained data also correspond with the difference between official records and the country’s excess mortality rate.
The leaked data suggested that Iran was deliberately misrepresenting its coronavirus infections, as opposed to the general under-reporting seen worldwide which is largely attributable to a lack of testing capacity.
This was reinforced by the whistleblower, who told the BBC they shared the information to illuminate the government’s “political games” and to “shed light on truth”.