...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men.... A peculiar request is added to many of the black announcements plastered across the city; asking for friends and relatives to send their condolences by phone, rather than in person.
A surge in the number of deaths has haunted Sanandaj, the capital of Kurdistan province in Iran. Two hospitals designed to take in COVID-19 patients have run out of space, with the Iranian government labelling the Kurdish region and some other provinces of the country as "dangerous zones." Sanandaj’s health authorities are deeply worried a third hospital will soon be inundated if the pandemic is not curbed soon.