North Korea Likely Experiencing Mass COVID-19 Outbreak

North Korea is likely experiencing a deadly mass COVID-19 outbreak, but the country refuses to confirm it.

Since late April, more than 350,000 people have fallen ill from an unnamed illness that experts believe is COVID-19. An article published Friday by the Voice of Korea called it an “obscure febrile disease.” The country has largely isolated itself from the tracking of the virus and has rejected coronavirus vaccine offers. Up until this week, the government has denied any confirmed cases of COVID-19.

Of those newly infected, 162,200 have reportedly recovered. However, over 18,000 new cases were reported on Thursday, suggesting that North Korea is experiencing a rapidly spreading outbreak and likely has for quite some time.

Experts guess that millions of cases have occurred in North Korea, but the lack of reporting in the region has made it extremely difficult to pinpoint an exact number.

“What’s spreading in North Korea now is five to six times more transmissible than the one in Wuhan,” said Jacob Lee, professor of infectious diseases at South Korea’s Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital. He predicts the lack of vaccines will result in mass death in the country. Wuhan, China, is the location where COVID-19 is believed to have originated.

Experts believe that North Korea admitting that they are experiencing a mass outbreak is a sign that the situation may be dire, as the country is notoriously quiet and has heavily refused help with the virus in the past.