The spread of the new coronavirus has not stopped, and at a university hospital that treats critically ill patients in the Tokyo metropolitan area, patients who are infected with the highly infectious mutant virus "Delta strain" confirmed in India are hospitalized. One after another, 80% of patients are in their 50s or younger who have not been vaccinated.

The doctors in the field are raising a sense of crisis.

At the Saitama Medical Center General Medical Center in Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture, we are dealing with critically ill patients who need a respirator and moderately ill patients who need more specialized treatment due to worsening conditions at other hospitals. I will.



At this hospital, there were 9 inpatients as of the 20th, ▽ 60s and over 2 people, ▽ 50s 3 people, ▽ 40s 3 people, ▽ 30s 1 person, 80% of the total I am under 50s.



Of these, six are infected with the highly contagious "Delta strain" identified in India, and the other is a family member living with a patient infected with the Delta strain and is being tested.



A man in his 50s infected with the Delta strain, who was hospitalized last week, had no underlying illness, but was transported with a sharp deterioration in blood oxygen levels two days after the onset.



Even now, the symptoms of pneumonia are so widespread that oxygen cannot be taken in sufficiently without using an oxygen mask.



Professor Hideaki Oka of the Department of Infectious Diseases said, "Since last week, all inpatients have become Delta strains and have been rapidly replaced in two weeks. The age group of patients in their 50s or younger is becoming more severe even at a young age. I think this is one piece of data. People in their 40s and 50s have more severe symptoms, though not as much as the elderly, so if the infection situation worsens while the spread of vaccines is not progressing, medical strains will arise in the future. " I am raising a sense of crisis.



On top of that, "The reason why the percentage of elderly people is small is that we are feeling the effects of the vaccine, and if the vaccine spreads to people in their 40s and 50s, we can expect to fight against Corona. It will be a long vacation, but I want you to take thorough measures against infection. "

Introduced an oxygen device in preparation for the rapid increase in home care

As the infection of the new coronavirus continues to spread before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, the number of people who cannot be hospitalized and have to take medical treatment at home will increase in the future at the health center in Sumida Ward, Tokyo. In preparation for this, we have decided to secure a device that can inhale oxygen at home and rent it out.



The spread of the new corona infection has not stopped, and the number of patients infected in Sumida Ward, Tokyo has increased rapidly in July, and even the younger generation who were receiving medical treatment at home worsened their symptoms and needed to be hospitalized. Is also coming out.



In Sumida Ward, in preparation for the situation where the sickbed becomes tight and the number of people who cannot be hospitalized and have to take medical treatment at home increases, three "oxygen concentrators" that can concentrate and inhale oxygen at home are installed in the ward. We will secure it and rent it out 24 hours a day.



On the 21st, the medical device manufacturer and the person in charge of the health center had a meeting at the ward office to confirm how to use the device, and confirmed that they would conduct a health observation by visiting the hospital in cooperation with the medical association until hospitalization. Was there.



In addition to the existing 300 "pulse oximeters" that measure the amount of oxygen taken into the body, we will secure 400 new ones to strengthen support for home caregivers. ..



Sumida Ward Health Center Director Toru Nishizuka said, "In the future, if the bed becomes tight, we are taking measures so that oxygen therapy can be started at home immediately, so I would like you to continue taking measures against corona during the Olympics. I was talking.

Doctor "Patients are increasing rapidly without vaccination"

Regarding the current state of medical practice just before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, the number of doctors who are treating patients with the new coronavirus in Tokyo is rapidly increasing, including those who have not been vaccinated or those who have just been vaccinated. I am supposed to be doing it.



In order to prevent the spread of the infection, we are urging people to refrain from moving during the summer vacation and supporting the Olympic Games with a large number of people.



According to Dr. Shinichiro Morioka of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, the number of hospitalization requests has increased sharply in the past one or two weeks, and as of the 20th, there are more than 30 hospitalized patients, which is more than 70% of the beds prepared. It means that it has become.



The relatively young generation in their 30s to 50s accounts for 70% of all hospitalized patients, and it is said that there are cases in which obese people are particularly ill.



Dr. Morioka said, "Many of the inpatients are those who have not been vaccinated or have just been vaccinated." I can't trust the vaccine, "" masks and hand washing are meaningless, "and" it's okay to eat. " After seeing and hearing about this on SNS, people who actually take action and get infected feel very sad as a medical professional. " We are urging you to take basic infection control measures.



From the 19th, the center has set up a system in which doctors from other clinical departments treat mildly ill patients, but Dr. Morioka has become more active due to the effects of summer vacation and the Olympics, and infections are further increasing. I am afraid that the expansion will put the medical field in a difficult situation again.



Dr. Morioka said, "The number of highly infectious" Delta strains "is increasing, and if we do not suppress contact between people than in the past declarations of emergencies, we may not be able to obtain the effect of suppressing infection. I want you to support me at home with the same people. I understand that I feel like a festival during the four consecutive holidays and the Olympics, and I want to meet people I don't usually meet, but when I go from Tokyo to rural areas, the corona spreads. There is a risk. Since infections related to movement have occurred so far, it is an urgent wish from the medical field to take it seriously and act accordingly. "