Japan faces surge in Covid-19 cases amidst new variant

Japan is facing a significant surge in Covid-19 cases, driven by the highly contagious KP. 3 variant, which has sparked the country’s 11th wave of infections.

Health experts report a 39 per cent week-on-week increase in cases from July 1 to 7, with Okinawa prefecture being the most severely impacted.

Kazuhiro Tateda, president of the Japan Association of Infectious Diseases, highlighted the rapid spread of the KP. 3 variant, which is affecting even those who are vaccinated or have recovered from previous infections, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

“It is, unfortunately, the nature of the virus to become more resilient and resistant each time it evolves,” Tateda explained to This Week in Asia. “People lose their immunity quite quickly after vaccination, leaving them with little to no resistance.”

Tateda, who is a member of Japan’s pandemic advisory panel, stressed that the coming weeks will be crucial as authorities track the variant’s spread and its impact. Despite a rise in Covid-19 admissions to hospitals, Tateda noted that the majority of cases are not severe. The KP. 3 variant commonly presents with symptoms such as high fever, sore throat, loss of smell and taste, headaches, and fatigue.

The Japanese health ministry reported a 1.39-fold increase in infections during the first week of July, with Okinawa bearing the brunt of the outbreak. Hospitals in the region are averaging nearly 30 new cases daily. The KP. 3 variant now accounts for over 90 percent of Covid-19 cases nationwide, raising concerns about potential bed shortages in medical facilities.

Since Japan detected its first Covid-19 case in early 2020, the country has recorded approximately 34 million infections and 75,000 related deaths. The peak of the pandemic in Japan occurred on August 5, 2022, with over 253,000 people undergoing treatment.

Globally, similar trends are emerging, with the US reporting a 23.5 percent week-over-week rise in hospital visits for Covid-19 symptoms. High-profile figures, including President Joe Biden and Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice-President Kamala Harris, have recently tested positive, and several riders in the Tour de France have also tested positive.

Experts suggest it is too early to fully gauge the impact of the new variant on Japanese businesses or international travel. However, precautionary measures are in place at Japan’s air and seaports to monitor the health of incoming arrivals. The rise in global cases might deter some Japanese from traveling abroad this summer, with a recent Nippon Life insurance survey indicating only 3.2 percent of Japanese plan to travel internationally in the coming months. This could further impact annual travel figures, which, despite a rebound to 9.62 million outbound travelers in 2023, remain below pre-pandemic levels of 20.01 million in 2019.

Despite the surge, Tateda reassures that there is no need for panic. He emphasizes the importance of adhering to pandemic-era precautions such as mask-wearing, handwashing, social distancing, and immediate isolation for those who test positive.