Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria that are spreading all over the world have caused significant problems. While these problems are becoming bigger, the development of new antimicrobials has remained ...stagnant, and some essential antimicrobials for treatment may be depleted in the near future. This is a significant problem that may jeopardize the sustainability of healthcare itself. In Japan, the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance was established in April 2016. Based on the five strategic objectives set out in the World Health Organization's Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance, and by adding a 6th objective of international cooperation as a Japanese unique goal, the goals, strategies and specific actions of each of these six fields are presented. This Action Plan is significantly characterized by setting numerical targets as a performance index to be achieved by 2020.
In Japan, there has been a discussion of the potential reclassification of the novel coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) as an infectious disease under the Act on the Prevention of ...Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients with Infectious Diseases (the Infectious Diseases Control Law), beginning in late 2022. To make an informed decision, the societal impact of COVID-19 needs to be carefully considered to ensure that any reclassification does not negatively impact healthcare or society as a whole. The disease burden of COVID-19 remains considerable and is likely to persist for an extended period of time. Consequently, numerous special measures have been taken in the healthcare system to cope with COVID-19. Several of these measures must be implemented. Thus, the healthcare system needs to be strengthened in the future. This will result in adequate prevention, preparation, and a response to future pandemics.
During an outbreak of an infectious disease, it is necessary to collect clinical information from the perspective of epidemiological and clinical response. the first few hundred（FF100）study in the UK ...during the 2009 H1N1 outbreak and the report of 99 cases from Wuhan during the COVID-19 outbreak were cited in many papers around the world. In the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic, Japan failed to collect and share such clinical information promptly, and there were delays in providing specimens from patients to research institutions and companies. This was a major stumbling block in terms of public health measures, clinical response, and research and development in response to COVID-19 in Japan. In the future, it will be necessary to strengthen the research capacity of medical institutions designated for infectious diseases, improve the research environment, actively conduct epidemiological surveys of information in hospital information systems, especially electronic medical records, and build a strategic knowledge sharing system. In addition to governmental inspections, it is necessary to enhance the detection and genome analysis systems of microorganisms in medical institutions, research institutes, and the private sector.
•The relationship between infectivity of COVID-19 and temperature is not clear.•Mean temperature in February 2020 were associated with the cumulative number of COVID-19 case in Japan on March 16, ...2020.•Number of inbound visitors from China and old-age dependency rate were also associated with the cumulative number of cases.
To evaluate the influence of temperature on the infectivity of COVID-19 in Japan.
We evaluated the relationship between the accumulated number of patients per 1,000,000 population and the average temperature in February 2020 in each prefecture by Poisson regression analysis. We introduced the monthly number of inbound visitors from China in January 2020 in each prefecture and old-age dependency ratio as additional explanatory variables in the model.
Monthly inbound visitors from China in January 2020, old-age dependency ratio, and mean temperature in February 2020 are associated with the cumulative number of COVID-19 case on March 16, 2020.
Our analysis showed a possible association between low temperature and increased risk of COVID-19 infection. Further evaluation would be desirable at a global level.
A novel betacoronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused a large respiratory outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019, is currently spreading across many ...countries globally. Here, we show that a TMPRSS2- expressing VeroE6 cell line is highly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, making it useful for isolating and propagating SARS-CoV-2. Our results reveal that, in common with SARS- and Middle East respiratory syndrome-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 infection is enhanced by TMPRSS2.
Tokyo Metropolitan Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. While cities around the world are struggling to cope with COVID-19, the number of new positives and deaths in Tokyo has so ...far been relatively contained compared to other large metropolitan areas. In Japan, infection control measures do not prohibit people from moving around during a COVID-19 outbreak. However, people are not only refraining from travel and social activities at the request of the government, but are also using their own judgment to avoid risk based on information about the infectious disease. This plays an extremely important role in Japan’s infection control measures. Expectations are high in Japan for maintaining the health care system and minimizing deaths. It is necessary to steadily respond to these expectations while normalizing social functions.
Multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants with higher transmission potential have been emerging globally, including SARS-CoV-2 variants from the United Kingdom ...and South Africa. We report 4 travelers from Brazil to Japan in January 2021 infected with a novel SARS-CoV-2 variant with an additional set of mutations.
•Coronavirus disease has emerged as a global pandemic.•Japan has experienced two waves of the disease.•The second wave had a lower proportion of severe cases on admission.
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