Over 900 people in Japan on ventilators from Covid-19: Suga, Koike, and priority

Over 900 people in Japan on ventilators from Covid-19: Suga, Koike, and priority

Kanako Mita and Sawako Utsumi

Modern Tokyo Times

New daily high infection rates from the coronavirus (Covid-19) in recent weeks have been reported throughout Japan. Henceforth, a new high of 907 patients on ventilators who are in serious condition isn’t a shock. Therefore, the ECMO heart-lung machine and other ventilators are on the frontline in trying to preserve life.

Serious cases overall throughout Japan reached just over 2,000 in recent days. This is also a new high. However, when individuals need the ECMO system, then it is at a critical stage. Of course, many individuals have died quickly from the coronavirus – some not even reaching hospital in Japan – while others passed away after many months.

NHK reports, “Nonprofit organization Japan ECMO network says a record 907 patients are on ventilators, including ECMO heart-lung machines, as of Sunday.”

Recent highs on the ECMO system during other waves of the coronavirus have never reached over 800. Hence, despite the vaccine program now being in full swing after initial bureaucratic wrangling, the new Delta variant (first found in India) is challenging the health care system to the full.

Many hospitals are nearing a breaking point, from Tokyo to Okinawa, because of the nature of the health care system in Japan being complex. Thus increasing reports of people dying at home because they can’t find hospital beds have been announced during the Olympic and Paralympic timeframe. Therefore, despite the longevity of the coronavirus in Japan, the political elites at national and regional levels are always playing catch-up.

Modern Tokyo Times recently said, “The upshot of the Olympics and Paralympics timeframe is 118,000 people recuperating at home; approximately 2,000 national severe cases (higher when Saitama reports its figure and if Tokyo counted like other prefectures); the health care system is under enormous strain; preventable home deaths; bed and equipment shortages; new daily infection highs in the majority of prefectures; and the increasing economic and psychological burden concerning the longevity of the crisis and the severity of the latest coronavirus wave.” 

Lee Jay Walker says, “Overall, the slow response in preparing more beds for the worst-case scenario and other factors equally resemble the slow response in producing internal coronavirus vaccines. In truth, it would be hard to find another country facing enormous health care strains that would have held two international sporting events. However, under Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, nothing really shocks anymore when it comes to priority!”

https://stopcovid19.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/en/ – Tokyo Metropolitan Government website for updates about the coronavirus crisis in Tokyo.

https://toyokeizai.net/sp/visual/tko/covid19/en.html – Japan and Tokyo Covid-19 news with more analysis

https://covid19japan.com/ – Japan regional coronavirus statistics

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ World coronavirus statistics

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210830_25/

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210827_33/

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