North Korea claims 'yellow dust coming from China' could bring coronavirus

North Korea’s claims come without any apparent evidence

File image: North Korea has previously denied having any coronavirus cases, despite its long border with China (KCNA via KNS)

The streets of North Korea’s capital Pyongyang remained empty throughout Thursday after warnings issued by a state broadcaster of the threat from “yellow dust” floating over from China.

Korean Central Television (KCTV) told its viewers that the dust, which experts say is a seasonal phenomenon, “could carry Covid-19 virus with it since it is an airborne disease”, according to BBC News.

Similar warnings ran in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper, another mouthpiece of the Kim Jong-un administration, which said that “all workers… must clearly recognise the danger of invading malicious viruses”.

Foreign missions also reported being told to keep their staff indoors and not open any windows, with the Russian embassy in Pyongyang writing on Facebook that it was taking measures due to “the expected dust storm”.

North Korea still hasn’t officially reported a single case of Covid-19, with Mr Kim continuing high-level meetings and appearances, although some pictures have shown other state officials wearing masks around him.

There’s no scientific evidence to support the idea that the “yellow dust”, also called Asian Dust, could be linked in any way to coronavirus. The WHO says coronavirus can be transmitted between people through contact routes and respiratory droplets. The US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in its new guidelines recently said the disease is airborne and the virus could spread by tiny particles suspended in the air, but that it is very difficult for someone to get infected outdoors.

That’s not to say the seasonal dust is entirely safe, however. Multiple studies have linked the yearly phenomenon to a range of respiratory problems, as it carries a large amount of PM2.5 particles.  The dust originates from the deserts of China and Kazakhstan every year before sweeping across the Korean peninsula and beyond.North Korea isn’t the only country to suggest a link between the dust and Covid-19, however. 

According to BBC News, Turkmenistan also made similar claims in state media and ordered citizens to wear masks, leading to speculation that it was using the phenomenon to cover up a domestic coronavirus outbreak. The country is another among the handful in the world yet to officially declare a case.