"Initial symptoms were the same as mild cold. I did not suspect infection."

A doctor who first examined a man in Nanae-cho, Hokkaido, infected with the new coronavirus, told an NHK interview that he said, "The initial symptoms were the same as those for a cold, and he did not suspect the infection." Through his consultation, she clarified that she could be infected.

NHK's telephone interview was with a physician at a clinic in Nanae-cho, Hokkaido. This doctor was a male physician serving as a town council member in Nanae-cho, who was confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus on 19th of this month, and examined the male on 7th and 13th of this month.

The doctor said, "On the 7th day of my first visit, I complained of discomfort with low-grade fever. It was a normal so-called cold." He explained that he had no history of traveling abroad and did not have any symptoms that could indicate infection.

I began to feel abnormalities after taking a radiograph of a man's chest on X-ray on the 13th. "I heard that five days after the first consultation, a little coughing came out, and I was wondering if I had pneumonia or bronchitis. I took a radiograph on a suspicion and found that both lungs had pneumonia symptoms, and although I was relatively well, suddenly I had never experienced pneumonia on both sides, so I thought I needed to go to a specialized hospital "And revealed the circumstances at that time.

The man was diagnosed with infection after visiting a hospital in Hakodate, and the doctor said, "Most practitioners like me are at increased risk of infection. That's going to be a lot of annoyance, ”he said, saying that local practitioners could be infected through outpatient consultations.

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will reduce the risk of spread of infection at medical institutions by treating them at home for mild symptoms such as colds and fever, and setting them up in prefectures if fever of 37 ° C for more than 5 minutes continues for more than 4 days. Call for consultation with the “Returnee / Contact Center”.