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March 23, 2020
Infection generally occurs through physical contact with a contaminated surface or by respiratory droplets. Airborne infection is not thought to occur. There is a risk of the disease spreading in enclosed spaces - for example, in environments where many people gather and speak to one another up close, even if coughing or sneezing does not occur.
Droplet infection: This happens when the virus is released along with respiratory droplets (e.g. through coughs and sneezes) or saliva produced by an infected person. Other people are infected when the virus enters their body, for example through their nose or mouth.
Infection through contact with contaminated surfaces: This happens when an infected person covers a cough or sneeze with their hand and then touches an object, transferring the virus to the object. When someone else touches that object, the virus travels onto their hand. If they then touch their nose or mouth with that hand, this may result in infection through the mucous membranes.
How easily the virus spreads varies from case to case. While in some particular cases individuals are thought to have infected many people, in many cases an infected person hardly infects anyone around them.
It is common to have a fever and respiratory symptoms for around a week. Many people have reported feeling strong fatigue (tiredness). There have been reports of cases where the hospitalization period was longer than that for seasonal influenza.
In many cases, those who contract the disease experience mild symptoms and then recover fully. While the severity of the disease is not as great as some diseases with an extremely high death rate, for example the Ebola virus disease, it is greater than seasonal influenza. The elderly and those with underlying conditions are particularly at risk of serious illness.
Various rumors and false information are circulating regarding the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). You must make purchases calmly and sensibly, making sure the information you have heard is correct, so that food and essential items are available for all who need them.
The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry have called for relevant organizations to increase the production of masks to ensure a stable supply. They aim to increase the supply of masks.
Consumers must act calmly and sensibly to ensure that people who need masks, such as those who may have a cold or an infection, are able to get them. Please do not panic buy or buy with the intent of reselling.
If you need advice regarding scams that use the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pretense, please contact the Tokyo Metropolitan Comprehensive Consumer Center (Phone: 03-3235-1155).