Some North Koreans living in North Pyongan Province suspect that the government is covering up the death of a man who recently died of symptoms similar to those suffering from COVID-19 infections, Daily NK has learned.<\/p>\n
The man reportedly died on Feb. 16 after suffering for a week from a fever and other cold-like symptoms.<\/p>\n
“The man had been involved in smuggling across the Sino-North Korean border up until early February. He began suffering from what seemed to be a cold and was taking cold medicine but he failed to get better,” a source in North Pyongan Province told Daily NK on Feb. 23.<\/p>\n
The man reportedly continued his smuggling activities even after the shutdown of the Sino-North Korean border in late January.<\/p>\n
The head officer at a sentry point along the Sino-North Korean border is expected to be punished severely for turning a blind eye to the man’s smuggling activities, sources said.<\/p>\n
PNEUMONIA NOT COVID-19<\/p>\n
Local officials in Ryongchon County along with disease control officials began an investigation into the man’s death after holding a meeting on Feb. 17. The officials, however, concluded that the man had not died of a COVID-19 infection.<\/p>\n
“There were rumors that the man had died of COVID-19, but local officials said that he had long suffered from bronchial asthma and he had died from pneumonia brought on by the common cold,” the North Pyongan Province source said.<\/p>\n
The man’s body was reportedly cremated five hours after his death and his entire family was taken to a local hospital for medical examinations.<\/p>\n
Daily NK sources reported that Ryongchon County locals believe that the man could have died from a COVID-19 infection, particularly given that there have been upwards of 100 infection confirmed in Liaoning Province, right across the border from North Korea.<\/p>\n
North Korea continues to deny that any COVID-19 infections have occurred in the country.<\/p>\n
Please direct any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.<\/i><\/p>\n