TOKYO — The National Institute of Infectious Diseases said Saturday that it believes this year’s flu season has peaked.
The institute said that as of Friday, the number of flu patients who were seen per medical facility averaged 40.34, which it estimates was a decrease of around 100,000 cases from the week before, Fuji TV reported. According to the institute’s estimates, around 2,010,000 people were infected in that week.
The institute added that although the general national trend is downward, cases are still on the increase in certain areas, such as Kagoshima Prefecture.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is urging people to continue to take precautions against infection, such as keeping rooms humid, washing hands thoroughly and gargling regularly.
This winter, most patients tested were found to have been infected by the A strain of the virus, known in Japan as the “Hong Kong” strain.
The institute added that it believes one of the causes of the large number of infections this year may have been the unusually high number of low-humidity days, which create conditions in which it is easier for the virus to attach itself to the mucous membrane in the throat.
source: japantoday.com
