Towards campus life in the fourth wave of COVID-19

April 20, 2021

Hokesen Letter, No 217 (English ver.), April 20, 2021.
Health Care Center, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
Yasuhiro Yamauchi, MD, PhD.

We hope everyone is spending their daily life performing the counter measures for COVID-19 infection prevention every day while incorporating a “new lifestyle” and paying attention to “5 situations”. As for infection control that incorporates a "new lifestyle," we have already mentioned in the previous Hokesen Newsletter No. 214.
It has not been long since the third wave was overcome with the end of the second state of emergency, but the spread-out of the new coronavirus variants is getting wider, and the signs of the 4th wave of COVID-19 will be recognized. In particular, it has been pointed out that the new variants are highly infectious, and that the number of infected young people is increasing, and also the risk of infection in the younger generation would be higher.
In such a society where COVID-19 infection is widespread, it is important to continuously and thoroughly implement infection control on campus together with students, faculty members, and university staffs, in order to maintain and develop the function as a university and continue learning opportunities for students.
About “Response to Coronavirus”, it has already been mentioned in the “Coronavirus: Information & Precautions” on the homepage, but please check again the following points in particular.

First, if you have any symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, general malaise/fatigue, or a body temperature of over 37.5 °C (even without other symptoms), please call your family doctor, and consult how to see a doctor and how to get COVID-19 test. If you have trouble consulting your family doctor, please contact a local call center*, such as Tokyo Coronavirus Support Center (TOCOS) **. Also, if you experience this cold-like symptoms, please do not come to the university and do no attend classes.
In addition, if you have any cold-like symptoms, please go to a medical institution and have a diagnosis at the doctor's discretion instead of taking a private PCR test yourself.
Next, measures to be taken when the cold-like symptoms improve are also mentioned on the website. Please be aware that even if your physical condition, including symptoms such as fever, cough, and general malaise, has completely recovered without taking any medication, please keep staying at home until at least 2 days. After 2 days and your condition has been stable without taking any medicine, you can come to school and attend classes.
As there are much information about how to response to COVID-19, including if you are diagnosed with COVID-19 or if you are identified as a closed contact, please check again the TUFS website and take measures according to your situation.

＊　: “local call center” about COVID-19 in each region in Japan
https://www.c19.mhlw.go.jp/area-en.html

＊＊: TOCOS
https://www.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/english/topics/2020/0430.html

If you have any questions, please consult the Health Care Center, TUFS.