Regarding influenza, which is feared to be co-epidemic with the new coronavirus, the number of patients reported by medical institutions nationwide in a week by the 18th of this month was 2,592.
Nationwide, it is below the level at the start of the epidemic season, but this winter, six prefectures, including Iwate and Tokyo, exceeded that level for the first time since the spread of the new corona infection began, and experts are cautioning. I am calling.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of influenza patients reported from about 5,000 medical institutions nationwide in the week until the 18th of this month was 2,592, 1,354 more than the previous week.
Influenza is said to enter a "national epidemic season" when the number of patients per week per medical institution exceeds 1 nationwide, but at present, it is below 0.53.
Patients were reported in 45 prefectures, and the number of patients per medical institution was
▽2.84 in Iwate ,
▽1.33 in Toyama ,
▽1.25 in Aomori, ▽
1.14 in Kumamoto, and
▽Tokyo .
is 1.12 people, and
▽ Kanagawa Prefecture is 1.05 people
. doing.
Professor Kazuhiro Tateda of Toho University, who is familiar with infectious diseases, said, "From next week, more areas are expected to enter the epidemic season, increasing the risk of a nationwide epidemic, and the fear of a simultaneous epidemic with the corona virus. It's becoming a reality," he said.