At the end of December, Su fell ill with Covid-19.
The single mother of two had persistent fever and shortness of breath. She knew that asthma and chronic bronchitis had left her vulnerable to the worst effects of the disease.
“I wondered if I would wake up tomorrow,” said the 32-year-old, who asked not to be identified because of the stigma that Covid-19 has in Japan.
When her condition worsened, she called the Hyogo Prefectural Public Health Center for assistance, but she said no one answered his calls.
Instead, she had to isolate herself in her small bedroom, while her children, ages 3 and 6, slept alone in the living room for almost two weeks. Her mother would leave food for the family, but she could not stay because the children were exposed to the virus and could not be tested for almost a week. Su said she communicated with her children through a tablet – and often heard them fighting.
“My young children were trapped alone in the small living room, without going out at all for 10 days.” I was feeling sick, in a terrible condition, but I felt more pain leaving my children alone.
A representative from the Hyogo Prefectural Health Center could not speak directly about Su’s case, but said that while trying to contact isolated patients on a daily basis, the holiday period was incredibly busy.
The pandemic has pushed Japan’s national healthcare system to the brink, as the country faces the worst wave since the outbreak began. Cases have doubled in the last two months, reaching over 406,000 cases.
As of February 4, more than 8,700 people from 10 prefectures, who tested positive for Covid-19, were waiting for a hospital bed or space at an isolation center. One week earlier, more than 18,000 people from 11 prefectures were waiting, according to the prefectures’ health ministries.
This means that people die at home from Covid-19, fighting only the deteriorating conditions and spreading the virus to family members.
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