SARS-CoV-2 infection among returnees on charter flights to Japan from Hubei, China: a report from National Center for Global Health and Medicine

Abstract

Due to the significant spread of a new type of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection in China, the Chinese government blockaded several cities in Hubei Province. Japanese citizens lost a means of transportation to return back to Japan. The National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) helped the operation of charter flights for evacuation of Japanese residents from Hubei Province, and this article outlines our experiences. A total of five charter flights were dispatched, and the majority of returnees (793/829 [95.7%]) were handled at NCGM. A large number of personnel from various departments participated in this operation; 107 physicians, 115 nurses, 110 clerical staff, and 45 laboratory technicians in total. Several medical translators were also involved. In this operation, we conducted airborne precautions in addition to contact precautions. Eye shields were also used. The doctors collecting the pharyngeal swab used a coverall to minimize the risk of body surface contamination from secretions and droplets. Enhanced hand hygiene using alcohol hand sanitizer was performed. Forty-eight persons were ultimately hospitalized after the triage at NCGM operation, which was more than the number of persons triaged at the airport (n = 34). Of those hospitalized after NCGM triage, 8.3% (4/48 patients) ultimately tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, significantly higher than the positive rate among subjects not triaged (4/48 [8.3%] vs. 9/745 [1.2%]: p = 0.0057). NCGM participated in a large-scale operation to evacuate Japanese nationals from the COVID-19 epidemic area. We were able to establish a scheme through this experience that can be used in the future.

Lessons Learned from Japan’s Response to the First Wave of COVID-19: A Content Analysis

“…COVID-19 response headquarters were launched on 30 January 2020 [ 45 ], and thereafter, Japan managed two quarantines related to COVID-19: a Wuhan repatriation mission (evacuation flights from Wuhan) and a quarantine on the Diamond Princess. Between 29 January 2020 and 17 February 2020, five chartered flights returned to Japan to repatriate citizens from Wuhan [ 46 ]. Moreover, the quarantine of the cruise ship Diamond Princess, that started on 3 February 2020, was critically controlled [ 47 , 48 ].…”

Seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in a large national hospital and affiliated facility in Tokyo, Japan

“…National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM), due to its special role in the control of infectious diseases in Japan, has been taking a leading role in combatting Covid-19 since early phase of its epidemic, and many NCGM staff have being involved in various missions with potential exposure to SARS-CoV-2, including health check of returnees on charter flights from Hubei, China 5 and infection control on cruise ship Diamond Princess. 6 We designed a study comprising repeated cross-sectional surveys among staff of NCGM.…”

Effect of evacuation of Japanese residents from Wuhan, China, on preventing transmission of novel coronavirus infection: A modelling study

“…We collected pharyngeal swab specimens to determine the number of COVID-19 cases among the Japanese evacuees who returned on the chartered flights. All evacuees initially went to a quarantine station, and from there with suspected COVID-19 were transported directly to a hospital in Tokyo and all others except two who declined a clinical examination were sent to the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM), which is a designated infectious disease medical institution [ 6 ]. The evacuees at NCGM answered a questionnaire about their symptoms and contact history and provided the pharyngeal swab specimens for PCR testing at that time.…”