North Korea could be facing, may already be facing, a huge humanitarian disaster. The ugly head of Covid is striking. North Korea sealed its borders off in January 2020, at the very outset of COVID. In March 2020, North Koreans returning from out of the country (7,000 in total) were subject to a 40 day isolation period and a further 30 day medical obsrevation period. By January 2021, trade between North Korea and border country China was down by three quarters. North Korea was taking extreme measures to prevent any COVID outbreaks.

On May 12, the North Korean News Agency reported that COVID cases had turned up. The North Korean Government decared a severe national emergency. Symptoms were consistent with the very transmissable Omnicrom variant.

By the next day, 18,000 cases were reported and 187,000 were isolated. Two days after the emergency was declared, 525,000 cases had been reported. Now these are numbers reported by North Korea. For all we know the total could be far higher.

North Korea is in a very precarious position. They have imported no vaccines, even though they could have. Their population is already malnourished. Their health system is inadequate already, let alone to be able to handle a deluge of COVID cases. Blame is already being put by the government on those health officials responsible for controlling/containing COVID. The country is now on lockdown

This seems toi be a perfect storm of factors. In the coming days, North Korea may have to open up to the world for help, which the world will give. Anti vaccers should take note as to what happens to a society that is unvaccinated. This will turn ugly very fast.