North Korea reported its first suspected COVID-19 case last Thursday and is currently struggling to contain a full-blown outbreak that, as of Friday, had infected more than 2.2 million of the country’s 25 million people.

Despite the epidemic, however, Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un has rejected all offers of foreign help, and with the country reportedly lacking in medical infrastructure and vaccines, Pyongyang has turned to traditional medicine in a bid to contain the outbreak.

According to the BBC, which has been actively monitoring state media, Pyongyang has suggested various preventive and curative traditional remedies, which are listed below.

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Hot drinks:

Pyongyang, which describes suspected COVID-19 cases as “fever,” has suggested that those not seriously ill resort to a traditional hot drinks.

The ruling party’s Rodong Simnun newspaper has recommended ginger or honeysuckle tea and a willow-leaf drink to help alleviate symptoms.

These drinks do help alleviate certain COVID-19 symptoms such as sore throats and help relieve inflammation and pain while keeping patients hydrated. However, they are not cures for the coronavirus itself.

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Gargling with salt water:

North Korean state media also recently aired an interview of a couple who recommended gargling with salt water as preventive measure, adding that a “thousand tonnes of salt” had been sent to Pyongyang for the creation of an “antiseptic solution” against the virus.

Some studies have indeed found that gargling with salt water and nasal rinses can help combat viruses that cause common cold, while others have found that mouthwash can help kill COVID-19 in lab conditions.

However, none of these solutions have been found to be effective against the coronavirus in real-world conditions.

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Antibiotics and painkillers: 

State media has also advised the use of painkillers such as ibuprofen and antibiotics such as amoxicillin.

While analgesics like ibuprofen can help bring down a patient’s temperature and provide relief to symptoms such as sore throats and headaches, it is not a cure for a coronavirus infection.

Antibiotics, meanwhile, are meant to fight bacterial infections, and are generally not recommended for viral infections.

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The state of the outbreak:

While North Korea assures free healthcare to its citizens, right from basic services to specialised treatment, the healthcare system is considered to be relatively antiquated.

Further, North Korea’s economy been considerably stretched due to American sanctions as well as recent droughts, which has further affected the country’s healthcare capabilities.

Reportedly, the healthcare system is particularly lacking outside Pyongyang, and is believed to be suffering from staff shortages, as well as a lack of equipment and medicines.

With suspected COVID-19 cases having crossed 2.2 million since late April 2022 and no vaccines available to Pyongyang, North Korea may well have to resort to foreign help to contain the outbreak.