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Covid in K-pop: NU'EST's Minhyun falls sick right before farewell album

14 idols of Pledis including NU’EST, Seventeen and fromis_9 members have tested positive

With over 120 idols testing positive for Covid-19 in the last 30 days, it doesn’t look like the Omicron strain will be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, it has started to hinder huge gigs like Blackpink’s Rosé had to sit out of YSL’s show at Paris Fashion Week while Loona and WJSN members have to miss filming of the survival show, ‘Queendom 2’ which could lead to them losing points. And now fans are cursing Covid-19’s terrible timing as NU’EST’s Minhyun falls sick right before their disbandment and last farewell album.

Fans are especially worried since NU’EST has become the third Pledis act to get infected. Previously, nine Seventeen members – Wonwoo, Vernon, Hoshi, S.Coups, DK, Seungkwan, The8, Jun and Joshua and four fromis_9 members – Chaeyoung, Saerom, Gyuri and Seoyon got Covid-19. However, with Pledis’ parent company being HYBE, fans also pointed out that their other company artists like BTS, TXT and Enhypen members had also been infected and urged HYBE to take care of their artists.

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Minhyun gets Covid days before disbandment

On March 9, it was announced that NU’EST’s Minhyun had tested positive for Covid-19. This comes days before the group was supposed to release their farewell album ‘Needle and Bubble’ and disband on March 15. Fans are sad that Minhyun might be in quarantine if he doesn't recover quickly and will not be able to join the rest of the NU'EST members for one last time on d-day. The idol actor has a mild fever and sore throat and took a test on March 8 that came back positive the next day. His schedules have been adjusted accordingly.

In the last seven days, several idols have tested positive with six idols like Hyuna, BTOB’s Hyunsik, and Astro’s Moonbin and Sanha getting Covid-19 on March 8. UP10TION’s Sunyoul and Kuhn got Covid-19 three days apart while Block B’s P.O had tested positive on March 3. On March 4, WJSN’s Seola and Yeonjung also fell sick after Exy. Following them, Oh My Girl’s YooA has tested positive on March 6.

‘How did he get Covid’

Fans sent supportive messages to Minhyun while also making tweets like, “Minhyun starts quarantine as Nuest Minhyun and ended the quarantine as Hwang Minhyun?” Another added, “Me thinking the boys are busy together with something for this album… Pledis : There was no contact between MINHYUN and other NU'EST members.. I’m damn sad …” One fan posted, “MINHYUN LITERALLY USES LIKE THREE MASKS AND APPLIES SANITIZER EVERY FIVE MINUTES, HOW DID HE GET COVID???” Another added, “Get well soon our minhyunnie :( and hybe pls sanitize your building.”