Coronavirus Info

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the most common symptoms of COVID-19 or coronavirus are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell.

Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

Useful websites

> WHO advisory on the coronavirus
> Should you wear a mask?

In Japan

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has a multilingual coronavirus hotline in English, Chinese and Korean which is available 24 hours a day. The number is 050-3816-2787.

> JNTO general guide for health care in Japan

If you think you may have the coronavirus

If you think you have the relevant symptoms — a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius (99.5 degrees Fahrenheit), fatigue and trouble breathing — for four days, call your local public health center or a coronavirus hotline, according to the health ministry.

A doctor will determine whether a patient receives a PCR test. Those who test positive are admitted to a hospital with a specialist infectious disease ward. Self-referrals are not accepted.

For more information, click here.

Measures to take to protect yourself against the coronavirus

Wash your hands

Wash your hands regularly with soap and antibacterial agents before touching your face or eating, and after coming in contact with animals and public spaces like restaurants and public transportation.

Avoid crowded places

The virus is spread via respiratory droplets—easily transmitted through coughing and sneezing. Obviously, you want to avoid contact with sick people and try to maintain at least a one-meter distance between yourself and infected persons. Riding the train during morning and evening rush hours in major cities like Tokyo may increase your chance of exposure.

Wipe surfaces before using them

This is important in public spaces with high turnover rates, such as fast-food restaurants.

Hotlines in various prefectures

  • Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Information Center Himawari (03-5285-8181). Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Thai.
  • Saitama Prefecture (048-833-3296). Languages: English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Nepalese.
  • Osaka Prefecture (06-6941-2297). Languages: iEnglish, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Indonesian and Nepalese.
  • Kyoto Prefecture (075-343-9666). Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Portuguese and Spanish.
  • Hyogo Prefecture (078-382-2052). Languages: English, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese.
  • Gunma Prefecture (027-289-8275). Languages: English, Vietnamese, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish.
  • Yamaguchi Prefecture (092-687-6639). Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian, Portuguese, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Malay, Burmese and Khmer.
  • Hiroshima Prefecture (0120-783-806). Languages: English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Portuguese, Indonesian, Thai, Spanish and Nepalese.
  • Shiga Prefecture (077-523-5646). Languages: English, Chinese, Portuguese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Nepalese, Korean, Spanish, Russian and Hindi.
  • Wakayama Prefecture (073-435-5240). Languages: English, Chinese and Tagalog.
  • Mie Prefecture (080-3300-8077). Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Indonesian and Thai.
  • Gifu Prefecture (058-263-8066). Languages: English, Chinese, Portuguese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Nepalese, Korean, Spanish, Khmer, Myanmar, Malay and Mongolian.
  • Kumamoto Prefecture (080-4275-4489). Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, Malay, French, Russian, German, Italian, Burmese, Khmer and Mongolian.
  • Fukuoka Prefecture (092-286-9595). Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian, Portuguese, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Malay, Burmese and Khmer.
  • Okinawa Prefecture (0570-050-235). Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese and Thai.
  • Hokkaido Prefecture (011-200-9595). Languages: English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Russian, Nepalese, Indonesian and Burmese.