A severe flu outbreak has hit Japan, with a significant rise in influenza cases reported nationwide. As of late December 2024, Tokyo and 36 other administrative regions exceeded flu alert levels, according to CCTV News. The situation has led to shortages of cough and phlegm-relieving medications in many areas.
The dominant flu strains currently circulating in Japan include H1N1 influenza, followed by H3N2 influenza and Type B influenza, as reported by Qianjiang Evening News.
A tourist's experience amid the outbreak
A Singaporean tourist, identified as "Qi Yu" (pseudonym), recounted her experience of contracting the flu during a trip to Hokkaido in late December. She initially dismissed her symptoms as a cold caused by the temperature difference between Singapore and Japan. However, her condition worsened rapidly, starting with a sore throat and escalating to high fever, dizziness, muscle aches, and severe coughing within hours.
"After three days of being bedridden, my spouse also caught the flu," Qi Yu shared. Despite preparing some cold medicine before traveling, she quickly ran out and had to purchase additional medication locally. Though many individuals were buying medicine, Qi Yu said obtaining help from pharmacists at Japanese drugstores was relatively easy.
Even after recovering from the fever, her cough persisted for two weeks. Qi Yu noted that, while traveling to Tokyo, many people on the bus to the airport were coughing. "I later realized they were showing symptoms of influenza, which was being widely reported on Japanese television as a major outbreak," she said.
Flu among local students and residents
Xu Lin (pseudonym), a Chinese student studying in Tokyo, also contracted the flu in mid-January. She described how coughing could be heard frequently while walking down the streets. Her illness lasted for five days, and she was diagnosed with viral nasopharyngitis and acute bronchitis upon returning to China.
Another student, Liu Qi (pseudonym), who is also studying in Tokyo, mentioned that she noticed about 30% of people on public transportation were wearing masks as a precaution. Liu shared that some classmates had to take leave from school due to high fevers, although most recovered within a week. She added that medications remained widely available in Tokyo's densely located drugstores, and no significant shortages or long queues were observed.
Due to the outbreak, local residents have adopted preventive measures such as frequent gargling, which they believe helps combat the respiratory virus. Public health experts continue to emphasize the importance of wearing masks and maintaining hygiene to reduce the risk of transmission.
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