Public Service Announcement for Yokohama City

17th January 2024

This week's edition is on influenza and norovirus.

In Yokohama City, influenza continues to spread.

Influenza symptoms typically affect the entire body and can include fatigue and aching joints in addition to the sudden onset of a fever over 38℃, coughing, a sore throat, and headaches.

[To prevent catching it]

• After arriving home, you should wash your hands with soap. The rule of thumb is to scrub for 30 seconds.

Keep rooms humidified.

Get enough sleep and eat balanced meals.

• Those with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes, as well as pregnant women, infants and the elderly are prone to symptoms becoming severe. Please take solid measures to prevent infection.

[To prevent infecting others]

The virus is said to be expelled through the nose and throat for 3-7 days after the onset of illness. For this reason, you should refrain from going out while the virus is being expelled.

Infectious gastroenteritis caused by norovirus is also prevalent in winter. Norovirus infection causes symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fever. Even after the symptoms have gone, the virus will still be present in feces for between a week and a month.

[To prevent catching it]

When cooking bivalve shellfish etc, make sure they are cooked through. The center should be cooked for over 90 seconds at 85-90°C .

Wash your hands regularly.

In the case of norovirus, hot water and sodium hypochlorite are more effective than alcohol for disinfecting familiar objects such as dishes, handrails and doorknobs.

Let’s get through this winter by taking appropriate measures against infection.