A Japanese woman was infected with the coronavirus after having recovered. An unprecedented case in this country.
A woman working on a tourist bus in Japan has been diagnosed with coronavirus for the second time, said the government of Osaka prefecture, a new case in the country of growing concern over the spread on Thursday of the epidemic.
The announcement comes as the number of confirmed contamination cases in Japan climbed to 186, up from 170 the previous day.
Authorities have called for the cancellation of all major sporting and cultural events planned in the next two weeks to contain the spread of the virus while promising that the Tokyo Olympics will take place as planned next summer.
Seven people who died in Japan
The report reported by the Ministry of Health does not include the 704 cases of infection recorded onboard the cruise ship Diamond Princess , which was placed in quarantine at the beginning of the month in the port of Yokohama, near the capital. Seven people died after contracting the virus, including four passengers on the boat.
Although a first in Japan, cases of a second positive diagnosis for the coronavirus have been reported in China, where the epidemic started last December and infected more than 78,000 people.
In a statement, the Osaka prefecture government said the patient was in her 40s and was discharged from hospital on February 1 after being diagnosed with the virus in late January.
“The virus could stay dormant”
Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told parliament that the central government in Tokyo should review the patient list and keep track of the health of those who have left hospitals, as health experts study what implies a positive test after an initial recovery.
Once you’ve been infected, the virus could remain dormant and with minimal symptoms, and you can then get worse if it gets to the lungs
, said Philip Tierno Jr., professor of microbiology and pathology at New York University School of Medicine.
