"Avoid crowded space that has poor ventilation" - Announce the characteristics of an infected area

Yesterday Asahi Shimbun Digital reported the following:

「換気悪い密集空間を避けて」 感染場所の特徴公表

 朝日新聞社 2020/03/02 00:54

　新型コロナウイルスの感染が広がっていることを受け、安倍晋三首相は1日、政府対策本部の会合で、換気が悪く、人が密集するような空間に集まることを避けるよう国民に求めた。専門家による調査で、スポーツジムや屋形船などで小規模な患者の集団（クラスター）が発生し、1人が12人に感染させた例があったという。

　厚生労働省によると、2月26日までに明らかになった国内の感染者110人の濃厚接触者らを調べた結果、屋形船での集団発生では1人が12人に、スポーツジムの事例では1人が9人に感染を広げていたことがわかった。政府は、密閉空間など換気が悪く、人が密に集まって過ごすような場所が集団感染の共通点と判断。こうした場所を避けるよう国民に呼びかけた。一方、感染者の約8割は誰にも感染させていなかったという。

　また、イベントの大小にかかわらず、開催の必要性について検討するよう要請。開催する場合は、風通しの悪い空間や、人が至近距離で会話する環境をなるべくつくらない実施方法の検討を求めた。

　イベントや集まりに対する政府の要請は段階的に強まっている。政府が25日に公表した基本方針では、主催者に開催の必要性の検討を求めたものの、「全国一律の自粛要請ではない」としていた。だが翌26日には一転、大規模な文化イベントなどを2週間、中止か延期、縮小するよう求めた。

　新型コロナウイルスは、感染者のせきやくしゃみのしぶきを吸い込む飛沫（ひまつ）感染や、ウイルスが付いた手で口や鼻を触ることによる接触感染でうつる。潜伏期間が1～14日ほどと、インフルエンザの1～3日に対して長く、発症前でも感染を広げる恐れがある。発症後もしばらくは症状がかぜと同じで気づきにくい。

　こうしたことから、若い人を中心に、本人が気づかないまま感染を拡大させる事態が懸念されている。中国でも、湖北省の女性が南京市で家族と会食し、結果的に10人に感染を広げた事例が報告されている。

　安倍首相はまた、政府がマスクをメーカーから買い取り、感染者が増えている北海道で配る方針を明らかにした。

■集団感染が起こった場所や状況

・スポーツジム

・屋形船

・ビュッフェスタイルの会食

・雀荘（じゃんそう）

・スキーのゲストハウス

・密閉された仮設テント

■集団感染の共通点

・換気が悪い

・人が密に集まって過ごすような空間

・不特定多数が接触するおそれが高い場所

Translation

Following the spreading of a new coronavirus, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a meeting of the government's task force on Wednesday called on the people to avoid gathering in poorly ventilated and crowded space. According to the investigation of experts, in gyms and houseboats, a small cluster of patients appeared, and there was an example that one person had infected 12 people.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, a study done up to February 26 on the close contacts of 110 domestically infected people had revealed that infection was spreading: in a houseboat, a group-outbreak with one person spreading to 12 people, and in a sport gym one person to 9 people. The government had determined that poorly ventilated areas, such as enclosed space, where people gather to spend time were common points of outbreaks. It called on the people to avoid these places. On the other hand, about 80% of infected people had not infect anyone.

Also, it requested the need to hold an event be reviewed, regardless of the size of the event. When the event was held, it called for reviewing the implementation method so that did not create poorly ventilated space, and an environment in which people could converse at close range.

The government's demands on events and gatherings were gradually increasing. The government's basic policy, announced on Tuesday, called for organizers to review the need of holding the event, but said that “it is not a nation-wide universal request for self-restraint”. But on the 26th, it called for a stop, postponement, or reduction of major cultural events for two weeks.

The new coronavirus was transmitted by spray infection: inhalation of droplet in the spray of coughs and sneezes of infected people, and by contact infection of touching the mouth or nose with the hands that carried the virus. The incubation period was about 1 to 14 days, which was longer than 1-3 days for influenza, and could spread the infection even before the appearance of symptoms. After the symptoms appeared, for a while it looked the same as colds and was hard to notice.

For these reasons, there was a concern that young people could spread the infection without knowing that themselves. In China, it had been reported that a woman in Hubei Province had a dinner with his family in Nanjing and eventually spread the infection to 10 people.

Abe also clarified a policy that the government would buy masks from manufacturers and distribute them in Hokkaido, where the number of infected people is increasing.

■ Place and situation where group infection occurred

  ·Sports gym

・ Houseboat

・ Buffet style dinner

・ Mahjong parlour

・ Ski guest-house

・ Sealed temporary tent

■ Common features in group infection

・ Poor ventilation

・ A space where people gather to spend time

・ A place where there was a high possibility that an unspecified number of people were in contact

Comments

       COVID-19 is a virus that is highly contagious and difficult to detect. It has been reported that a man in Hong Kong had a hot-pot dinner gathering with his family, and in this gathering he unknowingly spread the virus to over 10 people directly and indirectly. The Japanese government has made some excellent observations about the spreading pattern of the new corona virus. I think governments around the world should learn from the Japanese experience in order to stop the spreading of the virus globally.