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Incidence of Acute Respiratory Infections during Disasters in the Absence and Presence of COVID-19 Pandemic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 January 2022

Mana Sugimura ,
Odgerel Chimed-Ochir ,
Yui Yumiya ,
Akihiro Taji ,
Eisaku Kishita ,
Yoko Tsurugi ,
Koji Kiwaki ,
Akinori Wakai ,
Hisayoshi Kondo  and
Kouki Akahoshi
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Mana Sugimura
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Odgerel Chimed-Ochir
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Yui Yumiya
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Akihiro Taji
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
Eisaku Kishita
Affiliation:
Hiroshima Prefectural Health and Welfare Bureau, Hiroshima, Japan
Yoko Tsurugi
Affiliation:
Kikuchi Public Health Center, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kikuchi City, Kumamoto, Japan
Koji Kiwaki
Affiliation:
Yatsushiro Public Health Center, Kumamoto Prefecture, Yashiro City, Japan
Akinori Wakai
Affiliation:
National Hospital Organization Headquarters DMAT Secretariat MHLW Japan, Osaka, Japan
Hisayoshi Kondo
Affiliation:
National Hospital Organization Headquarters DMAT Secretariat MHLW Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Kouki Akahoshi
Affiliation:
National Hospital Organization Headquarters DMAT Secretariat MHLW Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Kayoko Chishima
Affiliation:
National Hospital Organization Headquarters DMAT Secretariat MHLW Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Yoshiki Toyokuni
Affiliation:
National Hospital Organization Headquarters DMAT Secretariat MHLW Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Yuichi Koido
Affiliation:
National Hospital Organization Headquarters DMAT Secretariat MHLW Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Tatsuhiko Kubo*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Health Policy, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
*
Correspondence: Tatsuhiko Kubo, MD, PhD Department of Public Health and Health Policy Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences Hiroshima University 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima734-0037, Japan E-mail: tkubo@hiroshima-u.ac.jp
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Abstract

Introduction:

Japan recently experienced two major heavy rain disasters: the West Japan heavy rain disaster in July 2018 and the Kumamoto heavy rain disaster in July 2020. Between the occurrences of these two disasters, Japan began experiencing the wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, providing a unique opportunity to compare the incidence of acute respiratory infection (ARI) between the two disaster responses under distinct conditions.

Sources for Information:

The data were collected by using the standard disaster medical reporting system used in Japan, so-called the Japan-Surveillance in Post-Extreme Emergencies and Disasters (J-SPEED), which reports number and types of patients treated by Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs). Data for ARI were extracted from daily aggregated data on the J-SPEED form and the frequency of ARI in two disasters was compared.

Observation:

Acute respiratory infection in the West Japan heavy rain that occurred in the absence of COVID-19 and in the Kumamoto heavy rain that occurred in the presence of COVID-19 were responsible for 5.4% and 1.2% of the total consultation, respectively (P <.001).

Analysis of Observation and Conclusion:

Between the occurrence of these two disasters, Japan implemented COVID-19 preventive measures on a personal and organizational level, such as wearing masks, disinfecting hands, maintaining social distance, improving room ventilation, and screening people who entered evacuation centers by using hygiene management checklists. By following the basic prevention measures stated above, ARI can be significantly reduced during a disaster.

Keywords

acute respiratory infectionCOVID-19Emergency Medical TeamEmergency Medical Team minimum data setJ-SPEED
Type
Field Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 37 , Issue 1 , February 2022 , pp. 142 - 144
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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