Country Quarantine During COVID-19: Critical or Not?

Abstract

The new coronavirus, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), emerging from Wuhan, China, is the subject of attention in these days and the world news headlines.1 The first case was reported on December 31, 2019, and the disease was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organization (WHO), a month later, on January 30, 2020.2 Iran is one of the most affected countries with more than 290 000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (in April 29) and unfortunately more than 15 000 associated deaths. According to the geographic distribution data, all 31 provinces in Iran have been affected. The first 2 cases were announced in Qom and then north-central provinces became the hotspot regions, mainly capital cities.