現役医師が断言、日本の｢ゆるいコロナ対策｣が多くの命を救った

English abstract

Successful loose restrictions in Japan and consideration of COVID-19 measures

The Japanese are well-known for upholding virtues, such as humility, modesty, and self-improvement, and observing the culture of Bushido. Therefore, several local opinions lean toward the belief that the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) measures are insufficient, to which I disagree. I believe that the Japanese loose measures are nearly perfect from a global point of view.

The majority of forecasts and considerations I provided in this column since last year have proved accurate. For example, I opined that the media offers more harm than benefit, as it tends to arouse excessive anxiety among people, which renders them less capable of confronting difficulties. Indeed, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has supported this view.

My perspective is that the success of COVID-19 measures in Japan can be attributed to the integration of three conditions.

The first is that the insurance medical system has been established and supplied to all citizens, such that extensive support during the health crisis was possible. The insurance also covers vaccination from infants to the elderly and advanced medical equipment and remedies.

Healthcare knowledge in the country is optimized. A high level of education leads to the understanding of the concept of viral infection, thus realizing the need for masks to prevent the spread of the virus via oral droplets.

The second is that Japan adheres to high standards of cleanliness. As such, sustaining forward-looking measures for epidemic control is considered a tradition. Urban designs for sewerage and extermination of pests, such as rats and mosquitoes, are constantly maintained. The Japanese practice cleanliness and personal hygiene, such as taking off shoes upon entering a room, showering on a daily basis, and handwashing and gargling upon arriving home, as habits even before the pandemic. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the key to the comprehensive power of health.

The third constitutes my personal opinion. The Japanese can benefit from acquired immunity through exposure to seasonal coronaviruses and effective implementation of pediatric vaccines and pneumococcal vaccines for the elderly through public assistance.

Based on the experience of India, lockdown measures and strong national control through police power are unsuitable solutions. Moreover, isolation policies were unable to prevent clusters of mutant viruses in Australia.

Facts deduced from these experiences and the characteristics of the new coronavirus can be summarized into three points.

1. Mankind cannot completely contain the sporadic spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
2. Damage due to COVID-19 is dependent on the medical system of a country in terms of maintenance and awareness of the status of its national healthcare system.
3. Acquired immunity formed by seasonal coronaviruses and vaccines affects.

Acquiring herd immunity while minimizing damage is a better strategy than implementing containment with loose measures. Scholars predict that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines will accelerate herd immunity.

Lastly, the Japanese concept of hygiene and long-term maintenance of its medical system warrant evaluation at the international level.

参考資料 1．ロックダウンの中国都市　物不足で噴出した抗議の声、日本経済新聞 2021年1月28日 2．コロナ感染再拡大で中国が対策強化－喉と口、肛門から検体採取し検査、Bloomberg News 2021年1月27日 3．ドイツがロックダウン強化　15キロ以上の移動制限も　朝日新聞　2021年1月6日 4．〈2021年1月30日更新〉フランスにおける新型コロナウイルスの状況、トリコロル・パリ 5．フランス、全土で夜間外出制限を強化　午後6時までに帰宅　BBCニュース1月15日 6．オランダ、23日から夜間外出禁止令を導入 7．厳しい行動制限続くヨーロッパ 反発する若者の動き相次ぐ　NHK webニュース1月25日 8．英、イングランドで3度目の都市封鎖　学校は休校　日本経済新聞1月5日 9．英国で死者10万人「冷厳な節目」　長引く規制、不満募る―新型コロナ　時事ドットコムニュース1月25日 10．豪シドニーで感染拡大、制限厳格化へ　新型コロナウイルス　BBCニュース12月21日 11．豪、1週間新たな市中感染ゼロ　NZからの入国は再度規制　ロイター1月25日 12．変異ウイルス感染、豪ブリスベンがロックダウン　朝日新聞1月8日　 13．Danish study suggests local lockdown had no effect on SARS-CoV-2 infection rate　 Dr. Liji Thomas, MD, Jan 7 2021 News-Medical.Net, 14．「世界最大のロックダウン」はなぜ失敗したのか――コロナ禍と経済危機の二重苦に陥るインド IDE-JETRO 2020年7月 15．外出禁止、除外者に警官暴行　頻発、生活必需品供給に支障―インド 時事ドットコム　2020年3月26日 16．Wordometer Japan 17．緩い「緊急事態宣言」経済損失を昨年4月と比較 毎日新聞2021年1月12日 18．「コロナうつ」患者急増で仏保健当局が警鐘　テレ朝ニュース2020/12/03、 19. SARS-CoV-2 Transmission From People Without COVID-19 Symptoms. Michael A. Johansson, et al JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(1):e2035057..

 

大和田 潔（おおわだ・きよし）

医師
1965年生まれ、福島県立医科大学卒後、東京医科歯科大学神経内科にすすむ。厚労省の日本の医療システム研究に参加し救急病院に勤務の後、東京医科歯科大学大学院にて基礎医学研究を修める。東京医科歯科大学臨床教授を経て、秋葉原駅クリニック院長（現職）。頭痛専門医、神経内科専門医、総合内科専門医、米国内科学会会員、医学博士。著書に『知らずに飲んでいた薬の中身』（祥伝社新書）、共著に『のほほん解剖生理学』（永岡書店）などがある。

※当記事は「PRESIDENT Online」からの転載記事です。元記事はこちら。