The virus is spreading rapidly in Japan. Some pediatric hospitals in Tokyo are "difficult to find a bed."

　　China News Service, July 5th. According to a report by the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK) on the 5th, recently, the number of people infected with the respiratory syncytial virus (RS virus) in Japan has increased sharply.

Because this virus is mainly susceptible to children, pediatric hospitals in Tokyo have received a large number of infected people, and some hospitals have even full beds.

Recently, the number of respiratory syncytial virus (RS virus) infections in various parts of Japan has increased sharply compared with the same period in previous years.

The picture shows the comparison of the number of people infected with the RS virus in Japan (2018-2021) prepared by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan.

Image source: NHK video screenshot

　　According to reports, the RS virus is mainly spread among children, and the main symptoms are fever and cough, similar to a cold.

Especially infants under 6 months of age or infants with heart disease are likely to develop severe illnesses after infection.

　　According to a survey conducted by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Japan, during the week from June 14 to June 20, as many as 9641 people with RS virus were diagnosed in the pediatric department of about 3,000 medical institutions across Japan.

　　The report pointed out that compared with previous years, the RS virus epidemic in Japan in 2021 started very early.

The data shows that the current number of infected people is 12 times that of the same period in 2019; because the disease did not spread in Japan in 2020, the current number of infected people is about 440 times that of 2020.

　　Some experts said that in 2020, due to the implementation of strict new crown epidemic prevention measures, the RS virus has not spread in Japan, which has resulted in many children not being immunized, or it is related to the rapid spread of RS virus this year.

　　At the Aiyu Hospital in Minato-ku, Tokyo, half of the patients in the pediatric department are infected with RS virus. Since June, the beds in this department have been almost full.

　　Due to insufficient beds, some patients can only get intravenous drips in the hospital.

Urashima Takashi, a pediatrician at the hospital, said, “The emergency scene and the beds are very tight. If you find that the amount of breast milk or milk powder consumed has been reduced, or you continue to cough until it is difficult to sleep, you must go to the hospital as soon as possible.”