North Korea, after Covid, there is an acute intestinal “epidemic” alarm

After Covid, there is alarm in North Korea for an “acute enteric epidemic”, which has spread from the city of Haeju, in the South Hwanghae province. According to state media reports, at least 800 families are affected by this virus that affects the gastrointestinal tract and which South Korean officials say could be cholera or typhus. The new outbreak, first reported on Thursday, further puts a strain on the country already hit by a wave of Covid-19 infections. Kim Jong-un, the state news agency KCNA reports, has already put in place preventive measures, including quarantines, “intensive screening for all residents” and special treatment and monitoring of vulnerable people such as children and the elderly. The agency also reported an additional 19,310 new cases of fever, without detailing how many patients tested positive for the coronavirus. Overall, more than 4.6 million people have shown symptoms of fever since a Covid outbreak was first recognized in mid-May.