COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
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Rheumatology INTERNATIONAL
EXPERT OPINION
COVID‑19 pandemic in Japan Olga Amengual1 · Tatsuya Atsumi1 Received: 3 September 2020 / Accepted: 29 October 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), is a global emergency. The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Japan in January 2020, a second outbreak of infection occurred in mid-March and a third peak at the beginning of August. The COVID-19 phenotype was milder in Japan than in other countries, although the restrictive measures applied in the country have not been as strict as in other places. Factors related to a possible reduced susceptibility to the pulmonary manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 may have contributed to better outcomes and lower mortality in Japan. Keywords COVID-19 · Pandemic · Japan · SARS-CoV-2
Introduction The disease caused by a new strain of beta coronavirus, known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2, Coronavirus Disease-2019, (COVID19), is a global emergency more likely to cause a severe infection in older individuals and patients with underlying medical conditions [1]. The first case of SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed in Japan on January 16, 2020, in a resident of Kanagawa Prefecture, located on the central coast of Japan’s largest island, Honshu, who had returned from Wuhan, China. In addition, early February passengers aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship were quarantined after its return to Yokohama, the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture located half an hour south of Tokyo, because a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong was confirmed to have COVID-19. By the end of February, multiple cases of COVID-19 were identified nationwide. To prevent and mitigate the COVID19, the Japanese government decided the temporary closure of all Japanese elementary, junior high, and high schools at the end of February.
* Tatsuya Atsumi [email protected] 1
Department of Rheumatology, Endocrinology and Nephrology, Faculty of Medicine and Graduate School of Medicine, Hokkaido University, N15 W7, Kita‑ku, Sapporo 060‑8638, Japan
The first wave of SARS-CoV-2 infection from China was detected in Japan at a very early state leading to a gradual transmission curve and apparently controlled through implementation of active surveillance. There were no strict quarantine measures. COVID-19 spreads by forming clusters, and Japan developed a cluster-based response consisted in prospective and retrospective tracing to identify common sources of infection. A three-pronged basic strategy was implemented consisting in 1) early detection and early response to clusters; 2) early patient diagnosis ensuring intensive care and a medical service system for very ill patients; and 3) behaviour modification of citizens. The latter focused on avoiding 1) closed spaces with poor ventilation; 2) crowders places with many people nearby, and 3) close-contact setting such as short
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