In late December, Su fell ill with Covid-19.
The single mother of two had persistent fever and trouble breathing. He knew that asthma and chronic bronchitis had left him 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 carries in Japan.
When his condition worsened, he called the Hyogo Prefecture Public Health Center for help, 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 nearly two weeks. His mother left food for the family, but could not stay because the children had been exposed to the virus and could not be tested for nearly a week. Su said she communicated with her children through a tablet and often heard them fight.
“My little kids were stuck in the little living room without going out for ten days.” I felt sick, in a terrible state, but I felt more pain leaving my children alone. “
A representative of the Hyogo Prefecture Health Center could not speak directly to Su’s case, but said that while trying to contact isolating patients on a daily basis, the holiday period was incredibly busy.
The pandemic has pushed Japan’s national health system to the brink, as the country is dealing with its worst wave since the outbreak began. Cases have doubled in the last two months, to over 406,000 cases.
As of Feb. 4, more than 8,700 people from 10 prefectures, who tested positive for Covid-19, were expecting a hospital bed or space in an isolation center. The previous week, more than 18,000 people from 11 prefectures were waiting, according to prefecture health ministries.
This means that people are dying at home because of Covid-19, fighting the deteriorating conditions alone and spreading the virus to family members.
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