BBC News

Iran has been scrambling to control the outbreak of the coronavirus this week, but the spread of online misinformation is presenting a new challenge to the authorities.

False or misleading medical advice, fake letters or remarks attributed to senior officials, and a number of conspiracy theories about the origin of the virus have appeared on Iranian social media and messaging apps in recent days.

Officials have so far reported 388 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 34 related deaths in the country, more fatalities than anywhere else outside China.

But sources in the country's health system have told BBC Persian that the death toll currently stands at 210.