About 728 people have been reported dead in Iran after consuming toxic methanol with the hope of curing coronavirus.
Methanol cannot be smelled or tasted in drinks. It causes delayed organ and brain damage. Symptoms include chest pain, nausea, hyperventilation, blindness and even coma.
The national coroner’s authority said that, “Alcohol poisoning killed 728 Iranians between February 20 and April 7 Last year.”
A government report said alcohol poisoning in Iran had increased in 10- fold during the pandemic.
While commenting on the incident, Iranian Health Ministry spokesman, Kianoush Jahanpour, said, “5,011 people have been poisoned from methanol alcohol with about 90 people losing their eyesight or suffering from eye damage from the alcohol poisoning.”
Hossein Hassanian, a health ministry adviser, also said the final tally of people who lost their eyesight could be much higher.
Iran has recorded more than 5800 deaths and 91,000 confirmed cases, making the country the most hit with the pandemic in the Middle East.
In Iran, the government has mandated manufacturers of toxic methanol to add an artificial colour to their products so the public can differentiate it apart from ethanol, the kind of alcohol that can be used in cleaning wounds.
