Recently, the number of people complaining of symptoms associated with COVID-19 has risen sharply in several North Korean regions along the border with China. Daily NK has learned of several cases of elderly people and children dying after experiencing COVID-like symptoms.
According to a Daily NK source in North Pyongan Province, the city of Sinuiju has recently seen a spike in the number of people suffering from high fever along with other symptoms such as cough, sore throat, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue.
Local health authorities have attributed these symptoms to influenza. However, these claims are difficult to verify as the authorities lack the equipment to determine whether patients are suffering from influenza or COVID-19.
Many people interpret high fevers of nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) for a week or more as a sign of COVID-19.
Another Daily NK source in Yanggang province said: “Recently, there has been an increase in the number of patients with high fever and cough and more than a few deaths.”
The fact that the majority of deaths have been among the elderly and young children has led many to believe that the latest outbreak is likely to be COVID-19.
Even in cases where the symptoms are particularly severe, the majority of people have to go without medication due to shortages of medicines.
People turn to traditional medicines to relieve symptoms