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Coronavirus in North Korea. Yellow dust a threat to citizens? Authorities are warning citizens

North Korean authorities warned their citizens against “yellow dust” from China, which could bring the coronavirus into the country, the BBC reported. In connection with the mysterious cloud, the inhabitants of the country were called to stay at home on Thursday.

The party-controlled state television (KCTV) on Wednesday in a special program informed citizens that the next day a cloud of “yellow dust” from China is expected to arrive over North Korea. Authorities called on citizens to stay indoors and banned open-air construction work on Thursday.

The diplomatic missions in Pyongyang were also to receive a warning for foreign citizens, according to the Russian embassy.

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North Korean authorities argued their concerns with the fact that the dust from China may contain COVID-19 pathogens. Pyongyang has declared since the beginning of the pandemic that the country remains free from the coronavirus, but has been holding the highest threat alert since January, introducing a strict border lock and movement restrictions.

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Pyongyang, the capital of North Koreashutterstock

What is “yellow dust”?

The BBC explains that the mysterious “yellow dust” is desert sand that collects over China and Mongolia at this time of the year and is blown towards the Korean Peninsula. Along the way, however, it mixes with toxins in the air above China, a concern for years in both North and South Korea.

According to North Korean media, “yellow dust movement should be taken seriously,” following research linking the spread of the coronavirus with air transmission.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its research actually states that the coronavirus can stay in the air for several hours. However, he points out that infections occur in this way “extremely rarely”, and the most likely form of infection is close contact with a sick person who spreads the virus through droplets through sneezing or talking.

Neighboring South Korea authorities have rejected suggestions that China’s dust may contribute to the pandemic, the BBC noted.

The British broadcaster’s website noted that North Korea is not the only country to link seasonal desert dust spikes to virus transmission. Similar warnings against their citizens were issued by the Turkmen authorities, which ordered citizens to wear masks due to the dust.

photo-source">Main photo source: shutterstock

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