The strategy for controlling COVID-19 in Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)/Iraq: Identification, epidemiology, transmission, treatment, and recovery

This study has carried out a mini-review onfirst wave of COVID-19 infection and its control by theKurdistan Regional Government (KRG)/Iraq. COVID-19 infection, which was named by the InternationalCommittee of Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) as SARS-CoV-2, is a newly identified coronavirus. The lastcentury has seen the outbreak of numerous life-threatening human pathogens including Nipah, Ebola,Zika, Chikungunya, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratorysyndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and more recently a novel coronavirus has been observed. COVID-19infection has so far spread to more than 186 countries around the world and KRG/Iraq has not been freefrom this virus. In this survey, the control of COVID-19 infection in KRG as a part of Iraq is discussed indetail. The methods of identification as well as the drugs that are currently in common use to reduce thewide distribution of COVID-19 infection and their effects in countries around the world are considered.So far, 714 positive cases have been reported by the ministry of health in Kurdistan Region Government-Iraq (KRG), among which there have been only 8 deaths, and 420 cases have recovered. Those who diedhad a previous history of a chronic disease such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and hyper-cholesteremia. Alternative medicine based on natural green methods has been widely used by Kurdishpeople in past years for treatment of strong coughs. In the present study, some natural products whichare cost free and effective in enhancing the body's resistance against the virus are considered. A sur-prisingfinding is that the patients in KRG have not in general had a severe cough,flu, or fever. Thepossible explanation may relate to the patients' strong immune systems, since none of them had ahistory of using alcohol and drugs, or of chronic disease. The epidemiology and transmission of the virusare discussed as well