As North Korea's COVID-19 Cases Soar, The Hermit Country Turns To Questionable, Unproven Treatments

North Korea admitted recently to struggling with soaring COVID-19 infections, reporting an accumulative 2.8 million cases and 68 deaths as of Monday.

The hermit state reported its first case of the virus on May 12, well over two years after the rest of the world was thrown into a global pandemic.

Kim Jong Un ordered lockdowns to contain the spread of what the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) says is the Omicron BA.2 variant, and the leader deployed North Korea’s armed forces to pharmacies in the capital of Pyongyang City to assist with supplying medicine.

On Sunday, North Korea’s state-run media said the country was seeing positive signs and a decreasing number of new cases. Although, the numbers are likely heavily underreported, due to North Korea’s limited testing capabilities.

The country isn’t known to have developed any of its own vaccines, and reportedly turned down an offer from China to receive about 3 million doses of its Sinovac injections last month.

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The situation has left North Korea’s population of 25 million to their own devices, and the BBC has been monitoring what North Korea’s state media has been advising in terms of treatment:

• Teas infused with ginger, honeysuckle and willow-leaf have been recommended to reduce some COVID-19 symptoms. Although the teas may help with some symptoms such as a sore throat or cough, hot drinks are not a recognized treatment for the virus.
• North Korea’s state media reported “1,000 tons of salt” recently sent to Pyongyang will be used to create an “antiseptic solution.” A couple interviewed by the agency said they were gargling with a salt-water mixture twice per day.
• The population has also been advised to use painkillers and antibiotics, such as ibuprofen and amoxicillin, to combat the virus. Although painkillers may help to lessen any discomfort caused by the virus, and some antibiotics have shown effectiveness in preventing severe disease, neither are a substitute from one of the many available vaccines.