Topline
North Korea is facing what it says is an unknown intestinal disease outbreak—suspected to be either cholera or typhoid—in the southwestern city of Haeju, according to the country’s state-run media, even as it continues to report more than 25,000 new Covid-19 cases daily in an ongoing outbreak that is believed to have put a major strain on the country’s fragile health care system.
North Korea continues to face an outbreak of Covid-19, reporting more than 25,000 new cases … [+]
Key Facts
According to the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the port city of Haeju is facing an “acute enteric epidemic” outbreak, without providing additional details.
To tackle the outbreak, the country’s leader Kim Jong Un sent medicines “prepared by his family” to Haeju and ordered local health officials to rapidly contain the outbreak, the report adds.
South Korean government officials believe the mysterious outbreak is likely to have been caused by either cholera or typhoid—both bacterial diseases contracted from contaminated water or food, Reuters reported.
North Korea also reported 26,010 suspected new Covid-19 cases or ‘fevers’ and one death on Thursday, pushing the country’s official Covid-19 death toll to 73.
Big Number
4,558,260. That is the total number of suspected Covid-19 cases North Korea has reported since April, when it acknowledged its first-ever outbreak of the virus since the start of the pandemic. The actual number of cases is believed to be almost certainly higher as the country has limited testing resources and only appears to be counting people with fevers—which is only one of several Covid-19 symptoms.
Key Background
While Pyongyang is reporting fewer Covid-19 cases than it was at the start of the pandemic, the World Health Organization earlier this month suggested the situation in North Korea may actually be getting worse. WHO emergencies chief Michael Ryan told the press the global body did not have access to any first-hand data from North Korea and has instead been forced to rely on neighbors China and South Korea for information. Offers by the WHO, South Korea and the United States to send vaccines and medical help to North Korea have either been rebuked or met with silence from Kim’s regime.
Further Reading
North Korea faces infectious disease outbreak amid COVID battle (Reuters)
WHO says COVID in N.Korea likely ‘getting worse, not better’ (Reuters)
New infectious disease outbreak reported in N. Korea; leader Kim sends medicine (Yonhap)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/06/16/north-korea-faces-another-infectious-disease-outbreak-as-it-continues-to-fight-covid/