North Korea’s Covid-19 problem: from zero to millions in a matter of weeks

For two years, North Korea has said it has kept Covid-19 at bay. But on May 12, 2022, leader Kim Jong-un announced the country’s “first” outbreak. Within a matter of weeks, cases have blown up to over 3 million “fevers”, the term used for suspected Covid-19 cases, as the isolated nation lacks the testing capacity to confirm cases. So, how did North Korea’s Covid-19 problem get out of control? And how long has it really been going on?