Regarding the infection status of the new coronavirus nationwide, in the week ending February 4, the average number of patients per medical institution was 16.15, which is 1.08 times the number of the previous week.



Additionally, the number of influenza patients reported by medical institutions nationwide was 22.62 per medical institution in the week ending February 4, an increase of 3.42 from the previous week.


Eight prefectures, including Fukuoka Prefecture, have exceeded the "warning level" of 30 people, and 34 prefectures nationwide have seen an increase from the previous week.



Let's look at each situation in detail.

New Corona Average number of patients per medical institution 16.15 1.08 times the previous week

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the number of new coronavirus patients reported by approximately 5,000 medical institutions nationwide in the week ending February 4th increased by 5,998 from the previous week to 79,605.



Additionally, the average number of patients per medical institution was 16.15, 1.08 times higher than the previous week.



This is the 11th consecutive week of increase from the previous week.



By prefecture, Ishikawa prefecture had 24.52 people, Fukushima prefecture 24.49 people, Aichi prefecture 22.55 people, Ibaraki prefecture 22.46 people, and Nagano prefecture 22.13 people, making 41 prefectures. The number of cases in each prefecture has increased from the previous week.



Among these, Ishikawa Prefecture has a high number of new coronavirus patients, although reports from two locations in northern Noto are not included among the 48 medical institutions that are supposed to report the number of new coronavirus patients due to the impact of the Noto Peninsula earthquake. It has become standard.



In addition, the number of newly hospitalized patients reported by approximately 500 medical institutions nationwide in the week ending February 4 was 3,459, an increase of 135 compared to the previous week.



The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare says, ``The number of cases continues to increase, and we would like people to take thorough measures such as washing their hands and ventilating the area frequently.''

Influenza Number of patients per medical institution: 22.62, increased from the previous week

According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, the number of influenza patients reported from approximately 5,000 medical institutions nationwide in the week ending February 4 was 111,501, or 22.62 cases per medical institution. There were 3.42 more people than the previous week.



Based on data, the number of patients nationwide in the past week is estimated to be approximately 738,000, and the cumulative number of patients this season since September 4 of last year is estimated to be approximately 13,582,000.

Looking at the number of patients per medical institution by prefecture, Fukuoka prefecture had the highest number of patients at 57.36, followed by Okinawa at 41, Saga at 40.31, and Miyazaki at 39.14. The number of cases has exceeded the "alert level" of 30 in the prefecture.



In addition, 35 prefectures reached the "advisory level" with more than 10 cases, including Osaka Prefecture with 29.64 cases, Aichi Prefecture with 27.53 cases, and Tokyo with 20.29 cases.



Compared to the previous week, the number of cases increased in 34 prefectures, including 1.8 times in Saga Prefecture, 1.64 times in Fukuoka Prefecture, and 1.63 times in Hokkaido, showing an increasing trend nationwide.

Expert: “It is thought that the new coronavirus and influenza are circulating simultaneously”

Atsuro Hamada, a specially appointed professor at Tokyo Medical University who is an expert on infectious diseases, commented on the current state of the new coronavirus outbreak, saying, ``The number of patients nationwide increased at an increasing pace last month, but recently it has slowed down a bit and is approaching its peak.'' However, we are concerned that the number of elderly patients is increasing.If this trend continues, the number of hospitalized patients and seriously ill patients will increase, and there are concerns that medical services will become strained, so we cannot let our guard down.'' .



On the other hand, ``A mutant virus called ``JN.1,'' a type of Omicron strain that is slightly more infectious than conventional viruses and has a higher ability to escape immunity from past infections and vaccines, is spreading in Japan.Factors causing the spread of infection. You need to be careful because it can become dangerous."



He also said, ``The number of influenza patients decreased once at the end of the year, but since the beginning of the new year, the number of influenza B viruses has increased, causing a second wave of infection.It is expected that the number of influenza cases will continue to increase for some time. We need to be careful."



He added, ``It is believed that there is a simultaneous outbreak of the new coronavirus and influenza in Japan right now. I would like people to take more precautions such as washing their hands, ventilating the area, wearing masks in crowded places, and refraining from going out if they are not feeling well. It is expected that the number of Type B viruses will increase in the future, so even if you have been infected once, if you have not yet received the vaccine, please do so. I want people to actively get vaccinated," he said.

Ishikawa Prefecture: Increase in number of patients with both new coronavirus and influenza

In Ishikawa Prefecture, the number of new coronavirus patients reported per medical institution for the week ending February 4 was 24.52 for the entire prefecture, an increase of 3.61 from the previous week.



By area under the jurisdiction of the health center, Noto Chubu had 37.5 people, Ishikawa Chuo had 31 people, Kanazawa City had 26.29 people, Minami Kaga had 10 people, Wajima City had a seismic intensity of 7, and a seismic intensity of 6+ was observed. Northern Noto, which includes Suzu City, Anamizu Town, and Noto Town, had 7.5 people.



The number of influenza patients in the entire prefecture was 15.07, an increase of 1.05 from the previous week. The number of cases exceeds 10, which is considered a "warning level."



By region covered by public health centers, there were 23.12 people in Kanazawa City, 14.36 people in Ishikawa Chuo, 12.8 people in Minami Kaga, 2 people in Noto Chubu, and 1 person in Northern Noto.



In Ishikawa Prefecture, some of the medical institutions targeted for investigation are having difficulty reporting the number of patients infected with influenza, the new coronavirus, etc. due to the earthquake.

Project Professor Hamada said, ``In the disaster-stricken areas of Ishikawa Prefecture, there appears to be a certain number of patients who cannot be seen at medical institutions and are not reported, and we should accept that there are at least more patients than this number. I would like volunteers and other supporters to take precautions such as wearing masks thoroughly to prevent the spread of infection."