"Coughing to the Point of Vomiting" Sweeps Japan... The Unexpected Reason Behind the Massive Epidemic

[Anchor]

In Japan, a flu epidemic has started more than a month earlier than usual and is spreading at an alarming rate. Experts point to a surge in tourists, driven by persistent rain and the weak yen, as a main cause.

This report is from Tokyo correspondent Mun Junmo.

[Reporter]

The waiting room of a hospital in Tokyo is crowded with flu patients from the morning.

[Flu Patient: I coughed so badly in the middle of the night that I could barely sleep.]

[Doctor: Is it to the point where you vomit while coughing? (Yes.)]

During the week leading up to September 20, the number of flu patients reached 31,428, marking the 13th consecutive week of increase. The upward trend has become even steeper entering this month.

This is more than a month faster than last year.

[Tokyo Citizen: My daughter has Type A flu right now. This is the first time since she was born that the flu has spread during this season.]

The number of schools and kindergartens that have implemented school closures or suspended classes has reached 1,060, and regular vaccinations, which are usually administered every October, have been brought forward.

[Middle School Student: Other classes were closed because of the flu, so I was scared, but now I feel relieved after getting the vaccination.]

A surge in tourists due to the weak yen is cited as one of the causes for the early flu epidemic.

The explanation is that as tourists from Southeast Asia and East Asia, where the flu broke out early, entered in large numbers, the same strain of the flu virus spread.

Among the tourists who visited Japan in July and August, those from Southeast and East Asia reached 4.95 million, accounting for 75 percent.

Analysis also suggests that the increase in indoor activities due to persistent rain has had an impact.

[Medical Expert: Due to the rainy season, heavy downpours, and large temperature ranges, people spend more time indoors, making droplet infection easily occur at home, in classrooms, or in offices when one person is infected.]

In Tokyo, rain fell for a record-breaking 35 consecutive days through September 30. An early-formed autumn rain front has lingered as it received moisture from five typhoons since late August.

Experts emphasized that the number of flu patients will rapidly increase until November and urged people to get vaccinated promptly.

(Video taken by Han Chul-min and Moon Hyun-jin | Video edited by Won Hyung-hee | Design by Yang Gi-tae)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.