The first fatality from Covid-19 has been reported in North Korea, with state media reporting that tens of thousands more are having fever symptoms.
Six people died after contracting a fever, with one of them testing positive for Omicron, according to state media.
187,000 persons with fever were “isolated and treated,” according to the report.
Despite the fact that doctors believe the virus has been present in the country for some time, the first instances were just disclosed on Thursday.
They declared lockdown measures after an outbreak of the Omicron strain was discovered in Pyongyang. They didn’t provide exact case numbers.
However, the official KCNA news agency claimed on Friday that the virus has spread beyond the capital. “A fever with no known cause spread rapidly across the country beginning in late April,” it stated.
It stated that some 350,000 people had displayed symptoms of the fever, but did not say how many had tested positive for Covid.
According to analysts, the latest numbers from official media, which include the admission that an unexplained fever has spread across the country, may imply that the country is witnessing an outbreak unlike any other it has seen before.
Experts claim the country’s 25 million people are susceptible due to a lack of vaccinations and poor healthcare.
Last year, North Korea turned down international promises to supply millions of AstraZeneca and Chinese-made vaccines. It claimed instead that it had taken control of Covid by sealing its borders in early January 2020.
South Korea and China, which have also seen outbreaks, share land borders with the country. China is now battling an Omicron wave with lockdowns in its major cities.
On Friday, KCNA reported that the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had visited a healthcare centre and “learned about the nationwide spread of Covid-19”.
It described the situation as an “immediate public health crisis”.
