Still problems for North Korea: a new epidemic is added to the outbreak of Covid-19

North Korea on Thursday reported an outbreak of infectious diseases in addition to its current wave of Covid-19, noting that its leader Kim Jong-un had donated his private medicines to patients.

It was unclear how serious the new outbreak was, but some outside observers said it likely the country attempts to strengthen Kim’s image as a concerned leader for the peopleas it needs more public support to overcome the difficulties associated with the pandemic.

Kim offered her family’s stash of drugs on Wednesday for those affected by “a acute intestinal epidemicin the southwestern city of Haeju, according to the Korean Central News Agency.

The country’s leading newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, published a cover image of Kim and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, checking out saline solutions and other medicines they donated.

The agency did not elaborate on the disease or how many people had been infected.

intestinal epidemic

Some analysts pointed out that the “intestinal epidemic” in North Korea it could be a contagious disease such as typhus, dysentery or cholera, which are intestinal problems caused by contaminated food and water germs or by contact with the feces of infected people.

These diseases are common in North Korea, which does not have good water treatment facilities and has serious shortcomings of its public health infrastructure since the mid-90s.

After North Korea reported a growing number of patients with fever symptoms last month after recognizing a coronavirus outbreak, the South Korean spy agency said “a considerable number” of those fever cases were measles. typhus and whooping cough.

“The measles or typhus epidemic is not unusual in North Korea. I think it is true that there is an outbreak of an infectious disease there, but North Korea uses it as an opportunity to emphasize that Kim cares about her. people, “said Ahn Kyung-su, head of DPRKHEALTH.ORG, a website specializing in health issues in North Korea.

“So it’s more a political message than a medical one.”

Kim already sent her family’s medicines to Covid patients last month, according to state media.

More than 4.5 million of the country’s 26 million people have fallen ill an unidentified feveralthough only 73 have died, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The country has only identified a handful of them as confirmed coronavirus cases due to an apparent lack of diagnostic tests. Many foreign experts question the death toll and believe its true magnitude has probably not been reported protect Kim from political harm at home.

the official speech

During a conference of the ruling party last week, Kim said the pandemic situation has passed the “severe crisis” phase.

But the country still holds up strong restrictionswhich according to some analysts will further aggravate the problems of the battered North Korean economy after the prolonged closures linked to the pandemic and the UN sanctions.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry reiterated its offer of inter-Korean cooperation on medical and health issues on Thursday.

After Pyongyang admitted to the Covid-19 outbreak, South Korea and the United States offered humanitarian shipments of vaccines, medical supplies and other assistance, but the North did not respond.

Source: AP

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