WHO "North Korea Ministry of Public Health Inquires About COVID Variant Characteristics... Data Shared"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyemin] The World Health Organization (WHO) has been maintaining communication with North Korean authorities by sharing related data after they inquired about the characteristics of COVID-19 variants, according to a report by Voice of America (VOA) on the 4th.

Edwin Salvador, head of the WHO Pyongyang office, stated in a written response to VOA the previous day, "The North Korean Ministry of Public Health inquired about the characteristics of COVID-19 variants, and we responded," adding, "At the request of North Korean authorities, we shared laboratory guidelines on COVID-19 diagnosis and procedures, as well as online educational content."

Salvador also said, "We sent links to WHO's COVID-19 related guidelines and recommendations for priority measures in response to COVID-19 to North Korea," and "We provided a list of supplies that WHO can supply, including masks, gloves, and personal protective equipment, and are awaiting North Korea's response."

Regarding the most concerning aspects of North Korea's COVID-19 situation, he pointed out that North Korean state media reports are the sole source of information on fever patients, and noted the possibility of overwhelmed testing capacity and hospitals in North Korea.

North Korea claims that the number of new fever patients once approached 400,000 last month, but recently has been below 100,000 daily, with a fatality rate of about 0.002% as of the previous day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.