The number of people who have died from the new coronavirus has surged in the eighth wave of the spread of infection, exceeding 10,000 nationwide in just over a month since last month.

Three years ago, when the spread of infection began in Japan, since January 2020, 60,411 people have died due to the new corona until the 10th, about one-sixth of the cumulative number of deaths. died in just over a month.



According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of people who were announced to have died after being infected with the new coronavirus was 1,864 nationwide in October last year. As of the 10th, the number has already increased to 3,145, surpassing the previous month.



In addition, among the 5,825 people who died in about a month from the 7th of last month to the 3rd of this month, the ages and genders of the 5,825 people whose ages and genders have been clarified are broken down by


age group. The percentage is 0.07%,


▽ 4 people in their teens 0.07%,


▽ 5 people in their 20s 0.09%,


▽ 16 people in their 30s 0.27%,


▽ 35 people in their 40s 0.60%,


▽ 50s 97


▽ 296 people in their 60s, 5.08%


▽ 996 people in their 70s, 17.10%


▽ 2398 people in their 80s, 41.17%

▽


1974 people over 90, 33.89%


The number of elderly people is overwhelming.



The cumulative percentage of people in their 60s and above was 95.29% in the past, but it has increased to 97.24% in the past month.



When the National Institute of Infectious Diseases analyzed about 4,000 people, including severe cases and death cases reported by the 1st of last month,


the average age of those who became severe was 68.0 years old, half of them were 73 years old. Above,


▽ The average age of the deceased was 83.1 years old, and half of them were 86 years old or older, and the


deceased were older than those who became seriously ill.



In addition, looking at the 1,168 people whose cause of death has been reported,


▽ 696 people, or about 60%, were said to have died from the new corona, but


▽ 34 people had heart failure, ▽ 31 people had cancer, and ▽ pneumonia. ▽ 29 people with senility, ▽ 28 people with aspiration pneumonia, ▽ 20 people with renal failure, etc.



At an expert meeting of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, concerns have been pointed out that the number of elderly people who die from the new corona will continue to increase due to the spread of infection at facilities for the elderly.



According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare's summary, the number of clusters etc. confirmed nationwide in the eight days until the 27th of last month was 1430, of which 954 were clusters at welfare facilities for the elderly, accounting for 66% of the total. This is the highest number by facility.

Expert ``Infection beyond the 7th wave is invisible''

Regarding the rapid increase in the number of people who have died from the new coronavirus in Japan since last month, Atsuro Hamada, a specially appointed professor at Tokyo Medical University, said


: ▽The

number


of elderly people dying from worsening chronic diseases due to corona infection is increasing,


▽The vaccination rate for the Omicron strain among the elderly is sufficiently high. I'm assuming there's nothing there.



Professor Hamada said, "The prevalent virus is the same as the 7th wave, and there seems to be no major change in the pathogenicity such as the fatality rate so far, but the number of infected people is simply increasing. The number of reported cases has not yet reached the peak of the 7th wave last summer, but compared to last year, the total number of cases has not been properly grasped, and the actual number of infections exceeding the 7th wave is occurring. We have a fairly accurate picture of deaths in which medical institutions are involved in some way, and the number of deaths is at an all-time high."



He added, "In the past, cases of people dying from severe pneumonia due to corona infection were noted, but now corona infection causes vascular disorders, and there are people who die due to myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. In addition, if a fairly elderly person becomes infected, it seems that some of them will die without being treated with a ventilator or other means at the request of the person or their family." I was.



On top of that, Professor Hamada said, ``The number of deaths cannot be reduced unless the number of infected people is reduced. Efforts to prevent elderly people from dying due to infection, such as measures at facilities for the elderly, are necessary. It is known that vaccines are effective in preventing aggravation of the disease for a long time, but inevitably, the effect inevitably declines with the passage of time, especially in the elderly. 60% of people are still not at a sufficient level, so I would like them to get vaccinated."