In late December, Su fell ill with Covid-19.
The single mother of two had persistent fever and difficulty breathing. She knew that her asthma and chronic bronchitis had left her vulnerable to the worst effects of the disease.
“I wonder if he would wake up tomorrow,” said the 32-year-old, who asked not to be named because of the stigma that Covid-19 carries in Japan.
When her condition worsened, she called the public health center in Hyogo prefecture for help, but she said no one answered your calls.
Instead, she had to isolate herself in her tiny bedroom, while her children, aged 3 and 6, slept alone in the living room for almost two weeks. Her mother left food for the family, but she could not stay because the children had been exposed to the virus and they were unable to get tested for almost a week. Su said he communicated with his children via a tablet – and used to hear them fighting.
“My young children were trapped in the small living room alone, without leaving the house for 10 days.” I was feeling bad, in very bad condition, but I felt more pain when leaving my children alone.
A representative from the Hyogo Prefecture Health Center was unable to speak directly about Su’s case, but said that while they try to contact isolated patients daily, the vacation period was incredibly hectic.
The pandemic has pushed Japan’s national health system to its limits, while the country is dealing with its worst wave since the outbreak began. Cases have more than doubled in the past two months, to more than 406,000 cases.
On February 4, more than 8,700 people in 10 city halls, tested positive for Covid-19, were waiting for a hospital bed or vacancy in an isolation center. In the previous week, more than 18,000 people in 11 city halls were waiting, according to city health ministries.
This means that people are dying at home because of Covid-19, fighting alone against deteriorating conditions and spreading the virus to their families.
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