Prime Minister Kishida trembled… The severity of the “6th wave” emergency in the New Covid variant
If the vaccine is ineffective, Japan will have to assume the worst case scenario of 50,000 new infections per day. We need to hurry up with our preparations.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave these instructions after listening to the MHLW official’s explanation. The prime minister’s hands were said to be trembling as he held the report in his hands at the possibility of a “sixth wave”.
A career bureaucrat at the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, who has been working on the coronary measures, said, “The infection is spreading in Europe and the United States.
We are investigating the infection situation of the new coronas that are spreading in Europe and the United States. The results are reported to Prime Minister Kishida on a daily basis as a report on infectious diseases in Europe and the United States.
The other day, the prime minister said, ‘A new mutant strain has been discovered? Really? Do you have the results of your investigation? And.
At the beginning of the report, it says, “The UK Department of Health, the US CDC National Institutes of Health National Institutes of Health But Prime Minister Kishida was so upset that he asked again about the source of the survey. But Prime Minister Kishida was so upset that he had to rehearse the source of the report.
A Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare official with a medical license testified.
A Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare official who is a licensed physician testified, “The newly discovered new corona virus variant called B.1.1.529 is reported to be even more infectious than the previous delta strain. It is reported to be even more infectious than the previous delta strain.
Japan, under the order of former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, quickly promoted vaccination. This has calmed down the epidemic and the situation is quite calm now. However, if this mutated strain enters Japan … I have reported to Prime Minister Kishida that there is a possibility of an epidemic in Japan. We have to be prepared for emergencies.
Japan may be in a situation where the heat of the moment has passed. However, the spread of the infection is being discussed overseas.
In neighboring South Korea, there were 15,000 new cases in the past two weeks. The vaccination rate in Korea is 79.4%. Most of them are breakthrough infections. Deaths per population are at an all-time high.
In response, Prime Minister Kishida said.
In response, Prime Minister Kishida said, “If the situation in South Korea is related to a new mutated strain, Japan may see a sixth wave by the end of the year. Does this mean that even if we move up the vaccination schedule, we won’t be able to get the vaccine in time?
I asked the department in charge, but the person in charge could not answer my question, and the ministry is now in a panic.
The British Department of Health has announced that a new variant of the new coronavirus spreading in southern Africa is even more virulent than the raging Delta strain. This new mutant strain has also been found in Hong Kong, raising the alarm level even higher.
In light of this situation, former Prime Minister Kan was invited to the Prime Minister’s Office on November 11 to discuss measures against coronas. Prime Minister Kishida, referring to the MHLW’s Global Infectious Disease Report, said, “The new coronas, for which the vaccine is ineffective, are a new type.
“There is a possibility that a new corona mutant strain has emerged for which the vaccine is ineffective. I would like to ask Mr. Kan to continue his assistance.
I need your continued help.
The “mutated strain” that Prime Minister Kishida is so wary of is completely different from the virus that has been suppressed by vaccines.
The new mutant strain is characterized by a large number of mutations in its genes. A British research institute has announced that the new strain is ‘twice as virulent’ as the previous delta strain. Considering the past pattern of an outbreak in the UK followed by an epidemic in Japan two months later, we may see a major epidemic in Japan between the end of the year and February next year,” said a doctor who was assigned to take measures against the new corona infection.
The highly toxic mutant strain has already been detected in South Africa, Hong Kong, and Botswana. The number of infected people is increasing rapidly, and the situation is becoming “quite serious” for each country.
On June 26, Japan also announced that Japanese nationals who visited the six countries of South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, and Eswatini will be asked to wait at a waiting facility for 10 days after returning home.
The so-called “fifth wave,” which began in Japan in late June this year, resulted in a record number of 25,851 new infections nationwide on August 20. At that time, the whole country was frightened by the new coronavirus. The “B.1.1.529” mutation is said to be “twice as virulent” as the delta strain. Will this lead to a “sixth wave”?
With the various restrictions lifted, Japan is getting back to its daily life and is probably less vigilant than it used to be. There are many opportunities for people to gather during the year-end and New Year holidays. It is also the time of year when the conditions for catching a cold are more likely to occur, such as cold, dryness, and lack of ventilation.
Prime Minister Kishida’s shaking hands at the report of a virus for which no vaccine is effective is probably not an exaggeration.
Reporting and writing by: Takashi Hashimoto