TEHRAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian medical officials announced on Sunday that the experts in the country are working on the methods and plans to treat the patients infected with the novel coronavirus.

Kianoush Jahanpour, the spokesman for the health ministry, said Sunday that his country is developing a stem-cell therapy method to treat patients with COVID-19 disease, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

"This is not a drug but a method which uses mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) to treat coronavirus patients," Jahanpour was quoted as saying.

He made the remarks in reference to the Iranian stem cell scientist Dr. Masoud Soleimani, who said earlier that he and his research team were using mesenchymal stem cells to modify the immune response in patients suffering from the virus.

"I emphasize that this is a research-therapeutic approach," Soleimani said, adding that the method is a type of cell therapy that is still in the study phase.

Besides, the medicalists in Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Iran's capital Tehran announced that they are considering the use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma in the newly infected patients, Press TV reported on Sunday.

Based on the plan, the plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 contains antibodies to the virus and might be effective against the deterioration of health condition of new patients.

The plasma must be collected from recovered people who can donate blood, have had no symptoms for 14 days, and have had negative results on COVID-19 tests, according to the report.

The decision to begin the use of plasma for COVID-19 patients came after Ali Akbar Velayati, head of Masih Daneshvari Hospital, recently confirmed the plan to treat critically ill patients with plasma.

In the day, the Iranian Vice President for Science and Technology, Sourena Sattari, said that an Iranian knowledge-based company has produced ventilator as a vital equipment in dealing with the disease, according to official IRNA news agency.

Sattari said that the ventilator has been made by Ehya Darman Pishrafte Company as the first manufacturer of ventilators and anaesthetic machines in Iran.

Currently, 30 ventilators are produced per day, he said, adding that the production capacity will increase soon.

Also, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri said Sunday that over 58 million people have been screened for the new coronavirus symptoms as part of nation-wide efforts aimed at containing the spread of disease.

Baqeri expressed hope that the entire Iranian nation will be screened in the coming days.

Iran is the worst-hit country by the virus in the Middle East.

Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education on Sunday reported the total number of 38,309 cases of novel coronavirus infection, of whom 2,640 have died. Enditem

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