TEHRAN – This time, medical professionals have gone far to help patients afflicted by the coronavirus, so the least we can do is supporting them and paying tribute to those putting themselves at risk battling against a dangerous enemy which is not even visible.

Observed on April 7, World Health Day is the day to celebrate the work of nurses and midwives and remind world leaders of the critical role they play in keeping the world healthy. Nurses and other health workers are at the forefront of COVID-19 response - providing high quality, respectful treatment, and care, leading community dialogue to address fears and questions and, in some instances, collecting data for clinical studies. Quite simply, without nurses, there would be no response.

The COVID-19, an infectious disease first identified in Wuhan, China, has started spreading quickly and globally; since Tuesday, Iran reported more than 62,589 coronavirus cases and some 3,872 deaths from the disease, while affecting 1,356,369 people in 209 countries.
However, novel coronavirus has shown that human is still vulnerable to major disease outbreaks.

Here, health workers are those who make the most efforts but get the least attention among the nervous people and officials who are expected to make reasonable responses to the crisis.

The Iranian medical community has repeatedly succeeded in surviving the people in the floods and earthquakes, and so on, but this time the test is bigger and broader. 

The reality of today's medical community shows that each member is working around the clock and does not back down.

Since March 25, it is reported that 43 medical staff in the country has lost their lives due to the coronavirus infection.

These days photos of health workers are being posted around social media, drawing attention and praise of nearly the whole people, while each one shows the physical and emotional toll the epidemic is taking.

To help them get through such an extremely demanding time, the effort and commitment of every one of us are needed, despite the responsible bodies' protection and support.

Doctors, nurses and other staff are making efforts in overwhelming and frightening conditions, not only because the virus is new or invisible, but because mostly they are overworked and vulnerable to the infection.

They may also bear considerable mental stress as well as those at the front line of war events, in addition to the fear they feel about disease transmission when in contact with their family and loved ones.

We can help them by resisting the spread of inaccurate information, as fake news can raise public concern, panic, and unrest; which can easily disrupt the availability of food and vital supplies such as face masks, gloves or others, running out for health workers and other frontline workers who are highly in need of which.

Moreover, choosing to stay at home and not to be a chain in disease transmission will also be much helpful.

However, the government and decision-makers must also try best to set the most efficient policies in the fight against the disease and give the medical staff what they need to survive this crisis as long as we will need them in case the next pandemic arrives.

FB/MG