BAGHDAD, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Health Ministry on Wednesday reported 3,857 new COVID-19 cases, as the total number of deaths exceeded 10,000.
A statement by the ministry said that the new cases brought the total nationwide infections to 413,215.
It also reported 51 deaths during the day, raising the death toll to 10,021, while 3,188 more patients recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 347,396.
Meanwhile, Sayf al-Badr, the ministry spokesman, said in a press release that the number of influenza infections will increase when the temperatures decrease in autumn, which will lead to more suspicions of being infected with COVID-19 due to the similarities of symptoms between the two viruses.
"I call on the citizens to wear masks and abide by the health-protective measures, even with just being infected with seasonal flu in autumn, to decrease the risk of death among the elderly and for those with chronic diseases," al-Badr said.
Iraq has been taking a series of measures to contain the pandemic since February when the first coronavirus case appeared in the country.
China has been helping Iraq fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
From March 7 to April 26, a Chinese team of seven medical experts spent 50 days in Iraq to help contain the disease, during which they helped build a PCR lab and install an advanced CT scanner in Iraq's capital Baghdad.
Since March 7, China has also sent three batches of medical aid to Iraq. Enditem
