Elham Sheikhi, 23 and a futsal player, died in Qom on February 26, 2020 due to the Covid-19 infection.
Elham Sheikhi is the first Iranian athlete to die due to Covid-19 infection. Her death has provoked much grief and sorrow across Iran.
Elham Sheikhi is the first female athlete to lose her life due to the Coronavirus.
Offering sincere condolences, the Women’s Committee of the National Council of Resistance of Iran said the loss of Elham Sheikhi and many others could have been prevented and avoided. They are indeed victims of the clerical regime’s oppression.
Earlier, Narges Khanalizadeh, 25 and a nurse, died at Milad Hospital of Lahijan on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 due to Corona infection. The tests of two women who died in Saveh were also positive. (The state-run Fars news agency – February 25, 2020)
Local sources in Karaj also reported of the death of a young woman, 17, due to Covid-19 infection.
The Los Angeles Times wrote Iran became a hot zone for coronavirus in the Middle East.
The clerical regime continues to cover-up the scope of COVID-19 spread in Iran. It disseminates false information, and refuses taking preemptive measures and distributing medical equipment to confront the COVID-19. The regime prevented the World Health Organization delegation from entering Iran.
This approach has caused the rapid spread of the virus to different parts of the country, from central and northern Iran to the eastern, western and southern parts of the country. It has also resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of the victims and in the spread of the virus to Iran’s neighboring countries.
Local residents, physicians, and nurses say the number of deaths is much larger than what is officially announced. They estimate that around 50 to 60 percent of those contracting the Covid-19 infection are dying and a major humanitarian disaster is underway.