Iran is seen as a global threat as a series of new nCoV infections appear in neighboring countries, even to Canada.

Numerous new cases of nCoV have been recorded in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oamn, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and even in Canada, all from Iran. This caused Iran to emerge as the second Covid-19 epidemic after China, spreading fear from Kabul to Beirut.

Experts say the Middle East is a good place to start a pandemic with the continuous movement between the countries of Muslim pilgrims and migrant workers who can carry corona virus. Iran's economy is stifled by sanctions, people lose confidence in the government and leaders seem to be isolated from the world, making it difficult to capture information about the extent of the spread here. many restrictions.

Civil war and years of instability have devastated the health systems of neighboring countries such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen. Most of the management systems of countries in the region have problems in providing transparency as well as providing health services to the people.

"This is the recipe for a major disease outbreak," said Peter Piot, director of the London School of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, who used to run the United Nations Joint HIV / AIDS Program. .

Millions of Muslims across the region make annual pilgrimages to the Shiite sanctuary in Iran and Iraq. In January alone, about 30,000 Afghans went to Iran, and every week, hundreds more went on pilgrimage to Qom, the Iranian outbreak site.

Iraq closed its border with Iran on February 22, but millions of people travel between the two countries each year. Consequently, many infected people may have brought the virus to Iraq. Until noon on February 24, flights to and from Iran at the airport in Najaf, Iraq were operating normally.

Governors of many Iraqi provinces bordering Iran perceive a high risk of infection. Two of them directly inspected the border to ensure it was controlled and Iranians were banned from entering the country.

Qutaybah al-Jubouri, head of the Iraqi National Assembly Health Committee, called nCoV a "plague" and said his committee was calling for the closure of all "air and sea" borders with Iran to come. when the translation is completely under control.

The Iranian Ministry of Health sent a letter to Governor Qom on Thursday and asked Shiite Muslim leaders to limit pilgrims to Fatima Masumeh and other religious sites in the city. But until the next Tuesday morning, crowds gathered around the temple and performed a joint prayer ceremony.

Iran can be considered a typical case of the spread of Covid-19. The country found its first case in Qom almost a week ago. Health officials on Wednesday reported four people died from nCoV on February 23, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 12. At least 61 others were infected with the virus, including new cases. recorded in Qom, Isfahan, Hamedan and many other cities.

Sluggish news about the spread of the epidemic has made Tehran lose trust, when less than two months ago, officials in the country admitted to concealing the information about the accidental shooting of a Ukrainian plane. Many Iranians on February 24 expressed skepticism about the government's information regarding the Covid-19 epidemic.

Ahmad Amiri Farahani, the Iranian MP representing Qom on February 24 declared that at least 50 people died from nCoV in the country, including 34 quarantined people and the first case was reported more than two weeks before officials admitted the outbreak appeared. "Ten people die every day in Qom," Farahani said in a speech before parliament demanding a blockade of the city.

The Iranian Ministry of Health vehemently denied the statement. "I will resign if the death toll is half or a quarter of that," said Ahmad Harirchi, an adviser to the Iranian Health Minister.

Iranian media reported that Dr. Mohamad Reza Ghadir, the president of a medical university in Qom and the senior official in charge of the control of the Covid-19 epidemic, were among those quarantined. This has added to the public's anxiety.

Dr Ghadir said on Iranian state television on Wednesday that the Ministry of Health asked city officials "not to release any figures" regarding the Qom outbreak. According to him, the current situation is "very serious and the disease has spread throughout the city".

Instead of following local officials' call to stay away from hospitals to avoid infection, many Iranians flock to clinics to test for viruses. Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran had to set up an extra tent outside because of the overload.

In an interview with BBC Persian from Tehran, Dr. Barak Gharaye Moghadam urged citizens to "please listen" to the advice of health officials and do not listen to social media advice.

The price of medical masks has skyrocketed across the region, including Iran, Iraq, Lenanon and Afghanistan. Some places sold for 30 times more expensive than usual.

Experts are concerned that very few Middle Eastern countries may be ready to respond effectively to the threat from nCoV. "How are these countries prepared? To be honest, I haven't seen any preparedness like in China and elsewhere, even some personal protective equipment is missing." Dr. Montaser Billbisi, an infectious disease specialist trained in the US, now works in Amman, Jordan.

He added that he had never seen a full set of protective clothing in Jordan. "Therefore, health workers will face a high risk of infection," he said.

In Afghanistan, officials said the first reported case was a 35-year-old man in the western province of Herat, who recently traveled to Qom. Health authorities have declared a national emergency in Herat. The government on February 23 banned all trips to and from Iran by land and air.

But closing the border is not easy, because thousands of pilgrims, tourists, business and study cross the border every week. "In the past two weeks, more than 1,000 people from Herat to Qom, which means they have direct contact with the source of the virus infection," Afghan Health Minister Ferozuddin Feroz said at a press conference in Kabul on February 24.

Although officials reassured that they had ordered more medical masks, people were still afraid of other precautions.

Mohamad Iman, the son of a university professor in Herat, who returned from Iran three days ago, called the New York Times reporter on February 24 to inquire about the quarantine process. "My father showed no signs of nCoV infection, but he and my family were very worried. My father locked himself in the book room and asked us to put some food and water at the door and to stay away from the room." Iman said.

Seven years ago, Saudi Arabia was the center of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) disease, a contagious disease spread from camels to humans. But so far, Saudi Arabia, one of the richest countries in the world, still struggles to meet standard hygiene procedures to limit the spread of viruses in hospitals. The MERS outbreak last spring caused at least 61 people to be infected and 8 to die.

"Many hospitals in Saudi Arabia have improved but some still need to do better in prevention," said Dr. David L. Heymann, former president of the UK Health Protection Agency.

In Iraq, the country with the longest border with Iran, the only reported case is Suhail Mohammad Ali, a 22-year-old Iranian student currently studying in Najaf. In the first move to prevent the epidemic from spreading, the Najaf school district announced on February 24 that the spring exam was postponed and the Imam Ali temple was closed. The Ministry of Health recommends that people avoid crowded places and do not embrace or shake hands.

In Beruit, Lebanon, 41-year-old woman returned from a pilgrimage to Qom on the evening of February 20 and was found to be infected with nCoV the next day. However, it was not until February 24 that the government issued an emergency plan, restricting travel to affected areas and passengers will be isolated at the airport if they show symptoms.

But no specific rules have been put in place and not all passengers to Beirut in recent days have undergone a medical examination. Two flights from Qom were allowed to land in Beirut on February 24. The Lebanese woman on the flight infected with the virus from Qom was asked to isolate herself at home.

Lebanon Health Minister Hamad Hasan on 24 February urged people to calm down. But Rabih Shaer, who founded the anti-corruption campaign in Lebanon, criticized the government's slow response as "irresponsible."

"Lebanese people no longer believe that their leaders can cope with any problem. So far, they have not come up with the right solution. There is no transparency and responsibility," Shaer said.

Dr Nada Melhem, a viral expert at the American University in Beirut and an adviser to the Ministry of Health, admits "the level of panic in Lebanon is very high". "But with systematic monitoring, we will be able to control it. Is our system flawed? Definitely yes, but I hope to limit it as much as possible," Ms Melhem said. .