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Influenza-related cases in Tokyo soars 5.5 times higher than in 2018

By on December 19, 2019

The number of influenza-related cases in Tokyo alone soared 5.5 times compared to last year signalling the start of the flu epidemic in the capital.

The highly infectious disease which hit Japan earlier than usual, has spread fast in the last 48 weeks according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Japan’s Center for Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology (National Institute of Infectious Diseases) has issued a flu warning with varying levels from worst hit to mild to keep the public informed and take precautions.

International Influenza Virus researcher Professor Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the Institute of Medical Science at the University of Tokyo said that in certain cases of influenza,  Xofluza, a one-dose pill known to clear flu symptoms within days may not work all the time. Case in point – an 11-year-old boy in Japan diagnosed with the H3N2 strain of the flu was prescribed Xofluza but he stopped responding to the drug. Later, his sister too came down with the virus. It turns out from the genetic test results that she had a mutated form of H3N2 that would make her resistant to Xofluza.

Why you should wear a mask like the Japanese do

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Wearing a face mask may not be your thing but people in Japan wear them as protection to prevent the spread of any pathogens.

Influenza viruses spread fast when infected people cough or sneeze, releasing small virus-containing droplets into the air which can be breathed in and infect the respiratory tract of the people around them. These droplets are loaded with infectious particles in objects likely to carry infection, such as clothes, utensils, furnitures, toys and doorknobs.

Did you know that germs can stay on your kid’s clothes for many hours?

And it can transmit an illness to the rest of the people in the house and school in a matter of hours. Japanese daycares are generally sanitized and less likely to be a cause for alarm but it pays to stay on the safe side.  When you pick up your child from daycare, give their hands a quick squirt of hand sanitizer that you can buy locally.
While hand sanitizer doesn’t replace hand washing, it definitely helps fight germs. In Japanese a hand sanitizer is called shodoku handojeru pronounced show-doe-ku han-do je-ru. Remind your children the importance of always washing their hands before snack time and after play.  But daycare’s not the only place where the kids can get infected.  Watch for lingering germs in these areas ranked from most contaminated to least:
1.    Money
2.    Doorknobs
3.    Computer keyboard, mouse
4.    Toys
5.    Sink faucets
6.    Pencils, crayons, erasers
7.    School bags
8.    Shoes and socks
9.    Drinking fountain toggles in parks
10.  Sinks and countertops
11.  TV remote controls
12.  Stray cats, dogs

Is it a cold or influenza?

While Influenza and colds are both contagious viruses that cannot simply be treated with antibiotics, the common cold is less cause for worry than influenza.

Symptoms of a cold :

  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Sore throat
  • Sneezing
  • Low fever
  • Mild cough
  • Watery eyes
  • Aches
  • Headache
  • Mild fatigue
  • Chills
  • Yellow or green discharge from the nose

Influenza symptoms:

  • High fever
  • Headache
  • Cough
  • Severe aches
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Fatigue
  • Sore throat (not always)

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