Influenza Rages: Increase Vigilance to Prevent Mass Infections

Editorial

15:46 JST, January 15, 2025

Influenza continues to rage across the country. The rapid increase in the number of patients has caused a shortage of test kits and medicines at medical institutions. Basic measures against infection must be thoroughly taken without letting one’s guard down.

The number of influenza cases per medical institution reached 64.39 in one week at the end of last year, far exceeding 30, which is considered to be the alert level. This was the highest number since 1999, when the current counting method was introduced.

At the end of the year, there are many opportunities for people to interact with each other in large numbers, such as dinning events and homecoming visits. This is likely to have spurred the prevalence of influenza. The number of recorded cases decreased at the beginning of the year due to many medical institutions being closed, but now that the winter holidays are over and schools and workplaces have restarted, infections could spread again.

A concern is that the production of some drugs for influenza, such as Tamiflu, has not been able to keep up with demand, and supply has been temporarily suspended. Manufacturers should quickly increase production. Doctors need to thoroughly explain the situation to patients and also prescribe other medicines that are equally effective.

The central and prefectural governments are stockpiling therapeutic drugs. If the shortage of medicines becomes serious, they should utilize the stocks promptly.

When the COVID-19 pandemic was serious, infection control measures were thoroughly implemented and influenza did not spread. For this reason, there are many people with weakened immune systems, which in some respects has led to the large-scale spread of infection.

Particular attention should be paid to mass infections at facilities for the elderly and hospitals. Elderly people are at high risk of developing serious symptoms such as pneumonia.

First of all, vaccination is essential to prevent infection. If there are infected people at facilities for the elderly and elsewhere, it is also an option to administer therapeutic medicine to those who have not yet developed the symptoms for preventive purposes.

There was a case in which a small child died from influenza-induced encephalopathy. If a person has convulsions or becomes unconscious, an ambulance needs to be called without hesitation.

Jan. 15 marks five years since the first case of the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed in Japan. Although the sense of caution has faded with the passage of time, there is no change in that the disease remains prevalent.

It is advisable to take this opportunity to once again check basic infection control measures, such as washing hands, wearing masks in places where many people gather, and ventilating and humidifying rooms.

In China, the rapid spread of human metapneumovirus, which causes symptoms similar to those of a cold, has been reported. Although this virus has been around, it is important to keep a close watch on infection trends in Japan as well.

This weekend, the Common Test for University Admissions will be held. It is hoped that examinees and their families will prepare for the exam so that they will have no regrets, by getting enough sleep and eating well, in addition to taking basic infection control measures.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Jan. 15, 2025)