Japan - COVID-19: 75,400 cases, 1,441 deaths

[Treyfish]

New type pneumonia confirmed for the first time in Japan Travel history to China and Wuhan

　In Wuhan City, Hubei Province in central China, unexplained cases of pneumonia have been occurring one after another. A positive reaction for pneumonia was reported on Tuesday, officials said. It is the first time a patient has been confirmed in Japan, and the government is expected to consult with relevant ministries and agencies on the same day.

https://www.sankei.com/life/amp/2001...mpression=true

[sharon sanders]

From the government site on Tuesday...

"...Japan, there is no report of outbreak of patient associated with the above-mentioned pneumonia so far...."

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_08873.html

[sharon sanders]

New type pneumonia confirmed for the first time in Japan Travel history to China and Wuhan

　In Wuhan City, Hubei Province in central China, unexplained cases of pneumonia have been occurring one after another. A positive reaction for pneumonia was reported on Tuesday, officials said. It is the first time a patient has been confirmed in Japan, and the government is expected to consult with relevant ministries and agencies on the same day.

https://www.sankei.com/life/amp/2001...mpression=true

The newspaper has a header saying "Breaking News"....The Japan media are usually very reliable, in general. Still checking...


New type pneumonia confirmed for the first time in Japan Travel history to China and Wuhan

2020.1.16 01:55


https://www.sankei.com/smp/life/news...160010-s1.html

[sharon sanders]

So far I do not see this story in any other media. NHK is reliable and they don't have it. Also, not on any of the gov health web sites yet. We will closely watch....

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/?utm_int=all_header_menu_news

[sharon sanders]

Sankei Shimbun (産経新聞, Sankei Shinbun, short for Sangyō Keizai Shinbun (産業経済新聞) lit. "Industrial and Economic News") is a daily newspaper in Japan published by the Sankei Shimbun Co., Ltd. [ja] It has the sixth highest circulation for a newspapers in Japan, and is considered one of the five leading "national" newspapers.^[5]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankei_Shimbun

[Treyfish]

Unidentified pneumonia in Wuhan, China, first suspected case in Japan

2020/01/16 08:54
　On Wedhan, Hubei Province, China, it was discovered on 16th that the first case of suspected infection in Japan was identified for unexplained pneumonia. One person who has traveled to Wuhan has reported a positive response to the new coronavirus at a National Institute of Infectious Diseases test. https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/medical/20200116-OYT1T50151/

[Treyfish]

First confirmed case of new type pneumonia in Japan 渡 Travel history to Wuhan, China

Jan 16, 2020 09:06


A government official said yesterday that a person who has traveled to Wuhan has tested positive in Japan for a new type of viral pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. This is the first patient confirmation in Japan. https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/s/article...601000877.html

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

New type pneumonia confirmed for the first time in Japan Chinese living in Japan

2020.01.16 08:59

Pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus in Wuhan, China, was first confirmed in Japan.

According to people involved, the infection with the new virus was confirmed by Chinese men living in Japan. The man was temporarily returned to China and returned to Japan from Wuhan, which had pneumonia by yesterday.

After arriving in Japan, she complained of pneumonia, and a virus test at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases tested positive for the new coronavirus. This is the first time a new coronavirus infection has been confirmed in Japan. (From AbemaTV / AbemaNews)

https://times.abema.tv/posts/7037376

[Treyfish]

New type pneumonia patient lives in Kanagawa prefecture

2020/1/16 09:34 (JST)
? Kyodo News 　According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, a 30-year-old Chinese man living in Kanagawa Prefecture was infected with the new type of pneumonia. He returned from Wuhan City on the 6th of this month and was hospitalized on the 10th. He recovered on the 15th and was discharged.https://this.kiji.is/590338540872320097

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.fnn.jp/posts/00049811HDK...160922_FNN_HDK

Google translation:

[Breaking News] Successive "new coronavirus" pneumonia in China First positive patient in Japan
FNN
Category: World
Thursday, January 16, 2020 9:22 am

A man who has traveled to Wuhan for complaints of pneumonia in Japan for pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus that has been confirmed in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, was tested at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan. It turned out that a positive reaction had occurred.

The man is said to live in Kanagawa Prefecture and be a Chinese citizen in his 30s.
This is the first time a case has been identified in Japan, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has been consulting with relevant ministries and agencies.

[Pathfinder]

Translation Google

Hirofumi Umeda, General
Manager, Tuberculosis Infectious Diseases Division, Infectious Diseases Information Division
(ext. 2389)
Deputy Manager Takuma Kato (ext. 2373)
Chief Aimi Yanagawa (ext. 2932)
(main phone) 03 (5253) 1111
(direct phone) 03 (3595) 2257


To the press


Outbreak of patients with pneumonia associated with novel coronavirus


　On January 14, a medical institution in Kanagawa Prefecture reported a case of pneumonia with a history of staying in Wuhan, Hubei Province, to a health center in charge of the administration. About this person, when he / she visited a medical institution on January 6, a report of his / her stay history in Wuhan was made. It was reported based on the inspection system (similarity surveillance).
　A sample of the patient was tested at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (Murayama Government Building), and a positive result for the new coronavirus was obtained at around 20:45 yesterday (January 15). It is the first time that a case of pneumonia related to the new coronavirus has been confirmed in Japan.
　We will carry out active epidemiological investigations on this matter, and promote risk assessment in cooperation with related organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO).

Outline
(1) Age: 30s
(2) Gender: Male
(3) Residential prefecture: Kanagawa
(4) Symptoms: Fever since January 3.
On January 6, he returned from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. On the same day, he visited a medical institution.
Hospitalized from January 10th.
On January 15, the symptoms subsided and he was discharged.
(5) Country of stay: People's Republic of China (Wuhan City, Hubei Province)
(6) History of activity in the country of stay: According to reports from the person himself, he has not stopped by the seafood market in Wuhan (South China Seafood Castle).
Close contact with unspecified pneumonia patients is possible in China.

◆ Message to the people 　 According to WHO and National Institute of Infectious Diseases risk assessments of new coronavirus-associated pneumonia, there are currently cases where the possibility of limited human-to-human transmission of this disease, including among families, cannot be ruled out However, there is no clear evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission. It is important to take regular infection control measures such as cough etiquette and hand washing, taking into account the cold and flu season. If you are returning or entering Japan from Wuhan City, if you have symptoms such as coughing or fever, please wear a mask and consult a medical institution as soon as possible. To do. In addition, please declare that you have a history of staying in Wuhan City.

(Others)
○ We will continue to provide prompt and accurate information, so please cooperate in providing accurate information to the public.
In addition, please refrain from interviewing on site from the viewpoint of protecting the privacy of patients.

(Reference) Coronavirus is a virus
that causes infectious diseases widely among humans and animals. There are six known infections that cause human infections, but SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) and MERS-CoV (middle east respiratory syndrome) can cause serious respiratory illness. Other than coronavirus, infections are limited to non-severe symptoms such as a common cold. See the National Institute of Infectious Diseases information page for details.
○ National Institute of Infectious Diseases Coronavirus that infects humans
https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/ja/from-idsc/2482-2020-01-10-06-50-40/9303-coronavirus. html

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_08906.html

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...an-sankei-says

Outbreak of SARS-Like Virus Widens With First Case in Japan
By Jason Gale
and Sophie Jackman
January 15, 2020, 7:11 PM EST Updated on January 16, 2020, 2:16 AM EST

Case widens China pneumonia outbreak that’s sickened 43 people
Patient hadn’t visited seafood market implicated in outbreak

...There’s no evidence the so-called 2019-nCoV virus spreads from person to person and it’s difficult to imagine a major increase in infections, Hiroshi Umeda, an official with the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, told reporters in Tokyo. That’s unlike SARS, which killed almost 800 people.

Still, cases in Japan and Thailand reported this week suggest it may be spreading more widely in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, and will continue to expand its geographic reach while scientists search for the source...

....Since the patient in Japan didn’t visit the seafood market in Wuhan, it’s possible he was infected via another source. Health officials said they have no details of the infected person with whom the man had spent time in Wuhan...

...“The fact that some cases do not seem to be linked with the Huanan seafood market means we cannot exclude the possibility of limited human-to-human transmission,” said Olivia Lawe-Davies, a spokeswoman for the WHO’s regional office in Manila, in an email Thursday...

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.who.int/csr/don/16-janua...n-ex-china/en/
Novel Coronavirus – Japan (ex-China)

Disease outbreak news
16 January 2020



The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, today informed the World Health Organization (WHO) of a confirmed case of a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in a person who travelled to Wuhan, China. This is the second confirmed case of 2019-nCoV that has been detected outside of China, following confirmation of a case in Thailand on 13 January. Considering global travel patterns, additional cases in other countries are likely.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. 2019-nCoV is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

Much remains to be understood about the new coronavirus, which was first identified in China earlier this month. Not enough is known about 2019-nCoV to draw definitive conclusions about how it is transmitted, clinical features of disease, or the extent to which it has spread. The source also remains unknown.

WHO encourages all countries to continue preparedness activities. On 10 January, WHO published information on how to monitor for cases, treat patients, prevent onward transmission in health care facilities, maintain necessary supplies, and communicate with the public about 2019-nCoV. The information includes advice on how to maintain hand and respiratory hygiene, and safe food and market practices. WHO is developing and updating this information in consultation with networks of experts across the globe.

WHO’s interim guidance and other information on coronaviruses can be found here

WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions based on the information available. If travellers develop respiratory illness before, during or after travel, they should seek medical attention and share travel history with their health care provider.

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.who.int/csr/don/17-janua...n-ex-china/en/
Novel Coronavirus – Japan (ex-China)

Disease outbreak news
17 January 2020



On 15 January 2020, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan (MHLW) reported an imported case of laboratory-confirmed 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) from Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

The case-patient is male, between the age of 30-39 years, living in Japan.

The case-patient travelled to Wuhan, China in late December and developed fever on 3 January 2020 while staying in Wuhan. He did not visit the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market or any other live animal markets in Wuhan. He has indicated that he was in close contact with a person with pneumonia.

On 6 January, he traveled back to Japan and tested negative for influenza when he visited a local clinic on the same day.

On 10 January 2020, due to his continued symptoms of cough, sore throat and fever, he visited a local hospital and was found to have abnormal chest x-ray with infiltrates. He was admitted to the hospital on the same day and had remained febrile until 14 January. On 14 January, his attending doctor notified the case to a local public health authority under the surveillance system for “Unidentified Serious Infectious Illness”.

Samples were collected and sent to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID), and at NIID, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and sequencing was performed twice, which identified very small amount of 2019-nCoV RNA on 15 January 2020.

On 15 January, the case-patient was afebrile and was discharged from hospital. Currently, he is staying at home in a stable condition. Public health response

• Contact tracing and other epidemiological investigations are underway by the local health authorities in Japan;
• The Japanese Government has scaled up a whole-of-government coordination mechanism on the 16 January;
• The MHLW has strengthened surveillance for undiagnosed severe acute respiratory illnesses since the report of undiagnosed pneumonia in Wuhan, China;
• From 6 January, MHLW requested local health governments to be aware of the respiratory illnesses in Wuhan by using the existing surveillance system for serious infectious illness with unknown etiology;
• NIID is supporting local authorities on epidemiologic investigations including contact tracing;
• Quarantine and screening measures have been enhanced for travelers from Wuhan city at the point of entries since 7 January;
• NIID established an in-house PCR assay for nCoV on 16 January;
• Revision of the risk assessment by NIID is being conducted, including case definition of close contacts;
• The public risk communication has been enhanced;
• A hotline has been established among the different ministries in the government;
• The MHLW is working closely with WHO and other related Member States to foster mutual investigations and information sharing.

WHO risk assessment

This was the second exported case of novel coronavirus from Wuhan city, China. Since the initial report of cases in Wuhan city on 31 December 2019, and as of 12 January 2020, 41 laboratory-confirmed cases of nCoV infection, including 2 deaths in cases with underlying medical conditions have been reported to WHO. Two cases have been reported from Thailand.

The source of the outbreak is still under investigation in Wuhan. Preliminary investigations have identified environmental samples positive for nCoV in Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan City, however some laboratory-confirmed patients did not report visiting this market. To date, there is no reported infection among healthcare workers in China, Thailand or Japan. No additional cases have been reported since 3 January in China.

Additional investigations are needed to determine how the patients were infected, whether human-to-human transmission has been observed, mode(s) of transmission, the clinical spectrum of disease, and the extent of infection, including presence of subclinical cases that are undetected with current surveillance.

It is critical to review all available information to fully understand the extent of transmissibility between people and likelihood of zoonotic spillover. WHO advice

Although the source of the novel coronavirus causing this cluster of pneumonia and the mode(s) of transmission are unknown, it would be prudent to remind populations and health workers of the basic principles to reduce the general risk of transmission of acute respiratory infections:

• Avoiding close contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections;
• Frequent hand-washing, especially after direct contact with ill people or their environment;
• Avoiding unprotected contact with farm or wild animals;
• People with symptoms of acute respiratory infection should practice cough etiquette (maintain distance, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and wash hands);
• Within healthcare facilities, enhance standard infection prevention and control practices in hospitals, especially in emergency departments;
• WHO does not recommend any specific health measures for travelers. In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness either during or after travel, the travelers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share their travel history with their health care provider. Travel guidance has been updated.

Health authorities should work with travel, transport and tourism sectors to provide travellers with information to reduce the general risk of acute respiratory infections via travel health clinics, travel agencies, conveyance operators and at points of entry.

WHO has provided interim guidance for novel coronaviruses

WHO advises against the application of any travel or trade restrictions on Japan based on the information currently available on this event.

For more information on novel coronavirus, please see:

• Technical guidance for novel coronavirus, WHO
• WHO travel advice for international travel and trade in relation to the outbreak of pneumonia caused by a new coronavirus in China
• Press statement by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan on 16 January 2020 (in Japanese)
• Press statement by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan on 6 January 2020 (in Japanese)
• Notice sent out from Health and Food Safety Planning Division, Quarantine Station Operation Management Office (in Japanese)
• Wuhan Municipal Health Commission's briefing on the pneumonia epidemic situation, (in Chinese)
• Disease outbreak news, Novel Coronavirus – Thailand (ex-China), 14 January 2020

[sharon sanders]

hat tip @jwgale

Outbreak of patients with pneumonia associated with novel coronavirus


At around 1 o'clock today (January 24), the National Institute of Infectious Diseases reported a case of infectious disease related to this new type of coronavirus.
The patient was a traveler living in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, and was reported to have reported a stay in Wuhan when he visited a medical institution on January 20. Thing.
This is the second case in Japan of outbreaks of patients with infectious diseases related to the new coronavirus.
We will carry out proactive epidemiological investigations on this matter, including the identification of close contacts.

Outline
(1) Age: 40's
(2) Gender: Male
(3) Residence: People's Republic of China (Wuhan, Hubei Province)
(4) Symptoms and course:　
Fever since January 14. Visited a
medical institution on January 15 and 17 and had no diagnosis of pneumonia. Follow-up observation
came to Japan on January 19 (the symptoms were calm)
. Follow-up:
On January 22, a fever and sore throat were persistent. He visited a medical institution and found a pneumonia image.
(5) Action history: According to his report, he has not stopped at the seafood market in Wuhan (South China Seafood Castle).
No clear contact with pneumonia patients has been identified in China.
He himself stayed in a different room with his companion, and almost always stayed in the room.
In addition, he said that he wore a mask when moving.

◆ Message to the people 　 Going forward, we will work closely with relevant organizations to provide prompt and accurate information. We ask that the citizens take measures against normal infectious diseases, such as wearing masks and thoroughly washing their hands, without worrying too much. If you are returning or entering the country from Wuhan City, if you have symptoms such as coughing or fever, please be sure to report it at the quarantine station. If symptoms appear in Japan, please wear a mask and contact a medical institution in advance so that you can consult a medical institution as soon as possible. In addition, please declare that you have a history of staying in Wuhan City.

(Others)
○ We will continue to provide prompt and accurate information, so please cooperate in providing accurate information to the public.
In addition, please refrain from interviewing on site from the viewpoint of protecting the privacy of patients.

(Reference) Coronavirus is a virus
that causes infectious diseases widely among humans and animals. There are six known infections that cause humans, but SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) and MERS-CoV (middle east respiratory syndrome) can cause severe respiratory illness. Other than coronavirus, infections are limited to non-severe symptoms such as a common cold. See the National Institute of Infectious Diseases information page for more information.
○ National Institute of Infectious Diseases Coronavirus that infects humans
https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/ja/from-idsc/2482-2020-01-10-06-50-40/9303-coronavirus. html

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/newpage_09079.html