New Corona Expert “Is it actually the largest infection in the past?”

The number of people who have died from the new coronavirus has reached a record high and is rapidly increasing.

Also, in the United States, one of the Omicron strains of the new coronavirus, ``XBB.1.5'', has expanded rapidly in the past month.

We asked an expert about the background of the sudden increase in the number of people who died and the outlook for the future.

The background to the rapid increase in deaths in Japan is

Atsuro Hamada, a specially appointed professor at Tokyo Medical University, said, "The nature of the prevalent virus has not changed, and it is thought that the number of infected people is increasing rapidly. The number of people reported as infected is Although it has not exceeded the 7th wave last summer, the total number has not been completely grasped, and in fact, it has already exceeded the peak of the 7th wave, and the number of deaths is also the highest ever. I think they are," he pointed out.

On top of that, he added, "The fact that many elderly people are infected is also thought to be a reason for the increase in the number of deaths. The vaccination rate for the Omicron strain vaccine among the elderly is about 60%, which is still not high compared to the rate up to the third time. The shortage of medical institutions to respond to the flu is also becoming serious.Because there was a lot of movement and contact during the year-end and New Year holidays when there were no restrictions on movement, it should be expected that the increasing trend will continue. We are also facing situations that weren't there before, and the pressure on medical care is becoming even more severe."

Rapid expansion in the United States Impact of Omicron stock "XBB.1.5"

In addition, regarding "XBB.1.5", one of the Omicron strains of the new coronavirus that is rapidly spreading in the United States, "It is a virus with further mutations in" XBB "that has been confirmed in Japan, and has the property of escaping immunity. In addition, it has been pointed out that the infectiousness of the virus may be even stronger.Border measures between Japan and the United States have been considerably relaxed, and it must be assumed that this virus will enter Japan in the future. There are concerns that the current 8th wave will be prolonged due to the influx of this virus."

What is the impact of the end of China's "zero corona" policy?

Furthermore, regarding the end of China's "zero corona" policy, Professor Hamada said, "The actual number of infected people in China is not accurately known. , In addition to further expansion in China, there are concerns about the impact on Japan and other countries.In addition to continuing infection prevention measures, I would like people who have not yet been vaccinated against the Omicron strain to be vaccinated as much as possible. "I'm talking.