Less than 1% of Tokyo residents 'have antibodies'

Feb 06, 2021 | News On Japan

Feb 06, 2021 (NHK) - A Japanese health ministry survey shows that less than one percent of people in Tokyo and four other prefectures are estimated to have had antibodies against the coronavirus last December.

Ministry officials say this means that most of Japan's population have yet to acquire antibodies, and they are urging people not to let their guard down.

Antibodies, which are a type of blood protein, are produced after people become infected with the virus. The presence of antibodies in the blood suggests infection has occurred in the past.

The ministry tested blood samples of about 15,000 residents aged 20 or older from Tokyo, Osaka, Miyagi, Aichi and Fukuoka prefectures, from December 14 to 25.

The subjects were randomly selected from those who wanted to be tested. The ministry released the test results on Friday.

The results show that antibodies were confirmed in 0.91 percent of people tested in Tokyo, 0.58 percent in Osaka, 0.54 percent in Aichi, 0.19 percent in Fukuoka and 0.14 percent in Miyagi.

Antibodies tests had already been conducted in Tokyo, Osaka and Miyagi prefectures in June.

Compared with the June test, Tokyo's figure grew by 0.81 percentage points. The figures increased by 0.41 points in Osaka and 0.11 points in Miyagi.

The officials are urging the public to remain cautious about the coronavirus. They note that antibodies in those who had been infected may disappear over time, meaning they will lose their immunity to the virus.

Typhoons No. 28 and 29 Bring High Waves to Japan's Pacific Coast

Two typhoons moving across the Pacific southeast of Japan are expected to remain well away from the Japanese mainland, but powerful swells could bring rough seas to a wide stretch of the country's Pacific coastline throughout the three-day holiday weekend, according to forecasts updated at 3 a.m. on October 10.

Cyberattacks Spread Across Japan

A series of cyberattacks has disrupted business operations and exposed millions of customer records across Japan, with a ransomware attack on a cloud service provider affecting 495 companies and local governments nationwide, while convenience store operator Lawson has disclosed a separate breach involving more than 2.15 million personal information records.

Japan's First 360-Degree Projection Mapping Opens in Osaka

Japan's first 360-degree projection mapping show will open at the Osaka City Museum of Fine Arts on October 10, transforming the historic building into an immersive world of light, music, and seasonal imagery, with organizers hoping the attraction will also help stimulate the city's nighttime economy.

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Most Sightings of Fugitive Yoichi Hatta Reported in Kanto

Police in Oita Prefecture have revealed that the Kanto region accounts for the largest number of reported sightings of Yoichi Hatta, a fugitive wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run incident in Beppu in 2022, with authorities preparing to distribute new wanted posters nationwide from November as the search enters its fifth year.