Japan discovered three new types of the UK COVID-19 strain, previously not detected in the country, and now discovered in patients with no travel history abroad.
Japan fears spread of new UK COVID-19 strain
TOKYO, JAPAN - JANUARY 25: Commuters wearing face masks disembark from a Yamanote Line train on January 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures have entered the second half of a month-long state of emergency imposed amid a third wave of Covid-19 coronavirus that has seen infection rates climb to unprecedented levels throughout the country.
According to a research group studying coronavirus cases at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, three patients at the hospital were diagnosed with three new types of the UK COVID-19 strain, which were not detected in Japan before. The three patients infected with mutation of the UK strain have not traveled abroad. The group said in a statement on Friday that there is a high possibility that the variants spread in Japan.
During November through late-December, the patients were hospitalized, with two of the three experiencing severe symptoms. Previously, the new UK strains had not been detected in the country outside of airport quarantine areas, as per the research group. According to Bloomberg via MSN, the new UK COVID-19 strains were previously found in Japan, including the one discovered earlier this month in four passengers arriving in Brazil. In late December, the variant was also found in South Africa and was detected in Japan.
Since the beginning of this year, Japan witnessed a surge in new COVID-19 cases, with new infection numbers stuck more than 1,000 per day in the capital in the recent weeks. A state of emergency is set to remain in place until February 7, covering level prefectures.
Hiroaki Takeuchi of the research group spoke at a briefing on Friday, urging that measures should be strengthened in Japan's borders to avoid the arrival of more new strains of the coronavirus, the national broadcaster NHK reported.
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Japan Governors extend COVID-19 state of emergency
Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said they need to impose strict precautions as the number of COVID-19 infected people remains high. The increased COVID-19 strain and growing numbers of infected patients cause the country to run out of hospital beds, as per News Track Live. The medical care system in the prefecture remains "extremely strained," Kanagawa Governor Yuji Kuroiwa said.
These governments' concerns are due to the medical experts' pinpointing that the COVID-19 situation in Tokyo remains extremely severe despite cases showing a slight decline in recent days. Medical experts suggest the metropolitan government be cautious for the highest level on its four-tier scale.
They highlighted that the average is about three times higher than the peak reached in the second wave of COVID-19 infections that hit last summer. So far, Japan reported 384,670 COVID-19 cases, while the country's death toll stood at 5,611.
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Japanese companies roll out cautious welcoming COVID-19 survivors
Several companies face a new struggle as the number of new COVID-19 cases continues to spike in the Tokyo metropolitan areas and other urban centers nationwide. Companies are worried about what to do with workers who tested positive for COVID-19 and are returning to the office after recovering and completing their quarantine period.
According to the Ministry of Health Welfare and Labor, almost 240,000 people in Japan are believed to have recovered from COVID-19 as of mid-January. Japan Times reported that the growing tally of coronavirus survivors is enough for a Nikkei.com article to recommend that it's common for people to know someone who tested positive for the virus.
Last spring, people who had tested positive for the COVID-19 and had been released from the hospital care after their recovery were confronted by some blatant samples of discrimination.
