Nov 29 2021
Since emerging in Wuhan, China at the end of the year before last, the novel coronavirus has spread rapidly throughout the world to become a pandemic, with each country repeatedly experiencing several worsening surges and even now the virus has not been fully contained. Beginning in February last year with the infection of the novel coronavirus onboard the cruise ship, Diamond Princess, Japan has transitioned through small repeating surges of infection to experience its biggest surge this summer which is now seemingly settling down.
During this period, Japan has taken advantage of its position as an island country to execute rigorous border control measures along with thorough public health preventive measures such as wearing a mask, washing hands, and maintaining physical (social) distancing which have resulted in curbing to a certain extent the spread of the infection in Japan. Furthermore, the development of vaccines this spring and the subsequent vaccination rollout has succeeded in achieving a certain level of preventive effect and the gradual advances in treatment is also reducing the number of severe cases. The use of oral antiviral medicine for patients with mild cases has already begun to be approved in foreign countries and with it the growing hope that we are nearly close to overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, when we turn our attention to the rest of the world, Europe is experiencing another surge in infections, and even in Japan’s neighboring countries, we can begin to see here and there an increase in infections. Furthermore, we have received reports regarding the emergence of a new variant, Omicron. Meanwhile there are still certain factors regarding the reason behind the abatement of Japan’s fifth surge which cannot be explained scientifically, as things stand, many experts predict that a sixth surge is inevitable.
Since last year February, Niigata University has established a COVID-19 Task Force with infectious disease specialists among its members, and they have supported the university students and staff in the prevention of infection as well as responding to cases where infections have occurred. Due to everyone’s high level of awareness and cooperation regarding preventive measures, we have been able to control to the best of our ability, the number of infected people within the university campus. However, there have been many restrictions, including those for in-person classes and extracurricular activities and we all wish for the return to normal life, such as the resumption of eating and meeting together, as soon as possible.
In this current situation, I would appreciate it if you could follow the points mentioned below for a little while longer. In a sense, now is the most important time. The sixth surge will most probably arrive soon. Now is the time for us to question to what extent we can curb and keep the size of the next surge small. Depending on the outcome of the sixth surge, I hope that we will be able to ease the university’s various restrictions as much as possible.
The surge of infections may still continue in foreign countries. The Omicron variant is also very worrying. Under these circumstances, we hope to receive your cooperation so that we can begin by regaining our everyday life, talk and laugh together on campus next year.
Be aware of the five situations that increase the risk of infection.
USHIKI Tatsuo, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Niigata University
