More than two years after COVID-19 swept the world, North Korea says it is experiencing its first wave of the pandemic. Since last Thursday, when the first cases were reportedly found, more than 805,00 “fever cases,” as they are referred to, have been logged and another 15 deaths attributed to the virus, bringing the recorded death toll to 42. North Korea has a notably dilapidated health care system and it is unclear if they produced or imported any anti-COVID vaccines, raising concerns that the pandemic could be devastating for the country.