Contents
- List of regions where there were no infected SARS-CoV-2
- North Korea, Asia (pop. 25)
- Turkmenistan, Asia (pop. 6)
- Solomon Islands, Oceania (pop. 686)
- Vanuatu, Oceania (pop. 307)
- Samoa, Oceania (pop. 198)
- Kiribati, Oceania (population 119)
- Micronesia, Oceania (pop. 115)
- Tonga, Oceania (pop. 105)
- Marshall Islands (pop. 59)
- Palau, Oceania (pop. 18)
- Tuvalu, Oceania (pop. 11)
- Nauru, Oceania (pop. 10)
- How did they manage to avoid infection?
As of June 1, 2020, there were 6 people infected with SARS-CoV-057 in the world [1]. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected 213 countries. It is hard to believe, but at a time when entire states were quarantined, and their population was learning to live in new conditions, put up with self-isolation and mandatory mask regime, somewhere on the planet there were places where the new coronavirus did not reach, where life goes, as before, in its usual rhythm.
List of regions where there were no infected SARS-CoV-2
As of June 1, 2020, there are only 12 countries left in the world where no cases of COVID-19 have been reported. Most of them are island nations in the Pacific Ocean, although there are also large countries on this list. For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that many epidemiologists in the world are very skeptical about these data. But more on that later.
List of countries without coronavirus (data as of 01.06.2020/XNUMX/XNUMX) [2]:
- North Korea;
- Turkmenistan;
- Solomon islands;
- Vanuatu;
- Samoa;
- Kiribati;
- Micronesia;
- Tonga;
- Marshall Islands;
- Palau;
- Tuvalu;
- Nauru.
So, let’s figure out how these regions managed to protect themselves from the pandemic.
North Korea, Asia (pop. 25)
This is the largest country that, according to official data, managed to avoid a pandemic. However, many experts are surprised how the closest neighbor of China – the country from which the procession of SARS-CoV-2 began – was lucky enough to protect itself from the pandemic.
But if we take into account the regime of totalitarian control that operates in North Korea, and the fact that the state closed its borders on January 22 [3]Perhaps this is what protected him from the virus.
Turkmenistan, Asia (pop. 6)
All of Turkmenistan’s neighbors, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran and Afghanistan, have reported cases of COVID-19. Turkmenistan continues to report zero statistics, although many people treat this fact with distrust.
The state closed most of its land borders at the end of April, and at the beginning of February completely stopped communication with China. Remarkably, in Turkmenistan itself, the population is prohibited from using the word “coronavirus” and wearing masks.
Solomon Islands, Oceania (pop. 686)
Solomon Islands is one of the least visited countries in the world. You can get into the state through Australia, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
Starting in February, anyone wishing to enter the Islands must present a medical certificate. Persons arriving from infected countries will be subject to a 14-day quarantine.
Vanuatu, Oceania (pop. 307)
Vanuatu has also reported zero statistics since the start of the lockdown. You can enter the country only by presenting a health certificate. Those arriving from regions with coronavirus are sent to a 2-week quarantine.
Samoa, Oceania (pop. 198)
The country has been under quarantine since March 25. International traffic to Samoa has been suspended.
Kiribati, Oceania (population 119)
Despite the fact that no cases of infection with a new coronavirus were recorded in the country, a state of emergency was declared in Kiribati, like in most countries of the world.
Micronesia, Oceania (pop. 115)
Since February, the country has banned international travel, including a complete ban on Chinese citizens and people who were in this country.
Tonga, Oceania (pop. 105)
Travel restrictions have been in place since February. After confirming the first cases of coronavirus in Fiji, Tonga has completely closed its borders. An exception was made only for foreigners leaving Tonga.
Marshall Islands (pop. 59)
Starting March 21, international traffic to the Marshall Islands has been suspended.
Palau, Oceania (pop. 18)
At the moment, only one person who returned from Guam is being tested for coronavirus in the country. So far, there are no officially confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Palau.
Tuvalu, Oceania (pop. 11)
Foreigners are rarely seen in Tuvalu. Less than 200 tourists come here every year. It is believed that this fact helped the country to avoid a pandemic.
Nauru, Oceania (pop. 10)
Nauru is such a small state that you can get around it entirely in one day. Tourists are infrequent guests here, which allowed Nauru to prevent an outbreak.
How did they manage to avoid infection?
If we talk about small countries with a low percentage of tourist attendance, it is quite real that just the same isolation from the rest of the world played into the hands of the islanders. In addition, some virologists suggest that the climate also helps protect against the virus. In particular, residents of regions where there are no strong temperature fluctuations have stronger immunity, which is probably why there are no cases there. But the myth that the coronavirus does not survive in hot countries, WHO has refuted [4].
As for the situation in North Korea and Turkmenistan, although the WHO has not officially questioned the zero statistics provided by these states, it intends to send its experts to these regions soon to double-check the data.
Foreign media are less restrained in their statements. Journalists of The Diplomat are sure that the leadership of Turkmenistan deliberately hides the real statistics [5]meanwhile, the number of patients and deaths from pneumonia is growing rapidly in the country. The population of North Korea, unlike Turkmenistan, is provided with information on methods of protection against coronavirus, and even created the Central Anti-Epidemiological Command [6]. But there are rumors that the authorities of this country are still hiding from the world the real data on patients.
- Sources of
- ↑ World Health Organization. – WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard.
- ↑ Zoe Stephens, Koryo Tours. – Are there Countries Without Coronavirus? (June 2020).
- ↑ Koryo Tours. – Coronavirus and North Korea: North Korea Temporarily Closes Borders to Tourism.
- ↑ World Health Organization (WHO). – WHO recommendations for the population in connection with the spread of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV): myths and misconceptions.
- ↑ Catherine Putz, The Diplomat, 2020. – What’s the Impact of Turkmenistan’s COVID Delusion?
- ↑ Artem Karasev, Vsluh.ru, 2020. – In which countries the coronavirus did not reach.