Clinics in Japan are seeing a surge in the number of patients complaining of fever as coronavirus infections spread across the country.
On Thursday, a steady stream of patients with fever were seen visiting a clinic in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward from the morning.
A man in his 40s had a fever of about 38 degrees and an inflamed throat. Tests confirmed he was infected with the coronavirus. He reported no known exposure to infected individuals.
Of the 24 patients the clinic examined on Thursday, 11 people tested positive for the virus.
The clinic said about 10 people have tested positive every day since the end of last month, when the number of COVID-19 patients began growing.
The average number of coronavirus patients confirmed at select medical institutions across Japan for the week ending Sunday was 11.18. That’s 1.39 times higher than the previous week and marks the 10th straight weekly increase.
Coronavirus symptoms, including fever and sore throat, resemble those of the common cold, making it hard to distinguish between them. Doctors say COVID-19 is more contagious. Other infectious diseases, including hand, foot and mouth disease, are also spreading.
The clinic’s director said that as the summer holiday season starts and interactions with others increase, everyone should thoroughly implement basic infection-control measures, such as hand-washing, ventilation and wearing a mask if coughing.