North Korea, which largerly remained unaffected from the Covid-19 pandemic since its outbreak, has finally come under its grip during the fourth wave. Early on Friday, the AFP news agency quoted state media as saying that 6 people have died of ‘fever’ due to Covid-19 in North Korea.
After symptoms of fever were found in 1 lakh 87 thousand people, they have been isolated and are being treated. Earlier on Thursday, the first case of Omicron variant was reported in North Korea. After this, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared a lockdown in the entire country.
Read | North Korea declares ‘severe national emergency’ after detecting first Covid-19 case
Officials said that the person in whom Covid-19 has been confirmed was suffering from fever for several days. After investigation, it came to light that the person was infected by the Omicron variant. The Korean Central News Agency said that some people had a Covid test in the capital Pyongyang on Thursday. In this, a person was found infected with the Omicron variant. The patient has been isolated.
Necessary precautions are being taken. Indefinite lockdown has been imposed in the country. At the beginning of the pandemic, where all the countries were battling the Covid-19 virus, North Korea made a shocking claim of zero Covid case there.
To prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus, North Korea imposed restrictions on itself, after which news of shortage of food items started coming from there. In January 2020, North Korea closed all borders with China for almost two years.
North Korea told the World Health Organisation in April last year that it had conducted a Covid test of 25,986 people in the same month. Not a single case of infection was found among them. However, it is difficult to believe these claims of North Korea. Experts say that it is impossible to get accurate information from North Korea due to strict censorship.
