Clinical outcomes after tracheostomy in patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a single-center experience in Japan.

PURPOSE: Many patients with coronavirus disease 2019 require mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy. However, the timing and indications for tracheostomy are controversial. This study assessed 11 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who underwent tracheostomy with clinical information and retrospective analyses. METHODS: A single-center retrospective observational study was performed on patients with coronavirus disease 2019 who underwent tracheostomy between 2020 and 2021. RESULTS: Failure to wean was the most common indication for tracheostomy, followed by extracorporeal membrane oxygenation decannulation and the need for secretion management. After tracheostomy, six patients (54.5%) were liberated from the ventilator. The time from intubation to tracheostomy (21.1 ± 9.14 days) was correlated with the duration of ventilator dependency (36.83 ± 20.45 days, r2 = 0.792, p = 0.018). The mean Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II score was significantly lower in the ventilator-liberated group (23 ± 2.77) than in the non-ventilator-liberated group (31 ± 6.13, p = 0.0292). Furthermore, patients with Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II scores of < 27 points achieved ventilator liberation and a long-term survival (p = 0.0006). CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the outcomes of a cohort of patients who underwent tracheostomy after intubation for coronavirus disease 2019. The Acute Physiological and Chronic Health Evaluation II score predicted whether or not the patient could achieve ventilator liberation.

Actual situation of handling Tokyo 2020 Games-related patients at a designated hospital during COVID-19 pandemic.

In preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, our hospital was responsible for accepting mainly media representatives, marketing partners, and other Games staff. Given that restricting our regular capacity to treat certain groups of patients could potentially result in social losses, to avoid this we made rigorous preparations for the entire hospital to accept Games-related patients. It was rational to set up a single 24-h contact point at the Emergency Department for making the decision on whether to accept the patient or not and for coordinating the patient's medical care. With respect to language support, International Health Care Center staffs were made available as interpreters on weekdays. Multilingual support was available all day via an application run on tablet devices. During a 67-day period, the hospital accepted 31 Games-related patients (mean age 43.4 years, male: female ratio 25:6). Eighteen patients were from Europe, 4 patients each were from North America and Asia, 2 each were from Central America, South America, and Africa, and 1 was from Oceania. The most common cause of visits was COVID-19, but none were severe cases. Other causes were diverse and included moderate and severe conditions. We summarized the challenges and experiences in handling Tokyo 2020 Games-related patients at a designated hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Infection control of COVID-19 in operating theaters in a designated hospital for specified infectious diseases in Japan.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, many hospitals around the world recommended stopping elective surgery as a precaution to stop the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The number of elective surgeries was reduced in Japan due to several waves of the pandemic. This work describes the management of COVID-19 and actual polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening in operating theaters at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM), a designated hospital for specified infectious diseases in Japan. The following three steps for COVID-19 infection control were taken to maintain the operating theater: i) Do not bring COVID-19 into the operating theater, ii) Infection control for all medical staff, and iii) Surgical management of surgical patients with COVID-19. We introduced checklists for surgical patients, simulations of surgery on infected patients, screening PCR tests for all surgical patients, and use of a negative pressure room for infective or suspected cases. We determined the flow and timing of surgery for patients with COVID-19. However, many aspects of COVID-19 infection control measures in the operating theater are still unclear. Therefore, infection control measures require further advances in the future to manage new infections.

Liver resection in a patient with persistent positive PCR test for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): a case report.

BACKGROUND: The perioperative mortality rate is high in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and infection control measures for medical care providers must be considered. Therefore, the timing for surgery in patients recovering from COVID-19 is difficult. CASE PRESENTATION: A 65-year-old man was admitted to a hospital with a diagnosis of moderate COVID-19. He was transferred to our hospital because of risk factors, including heavy smoking history, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obesity (BMI 34). Vital signs on admission were a temperature of 36.1 °C, oxygen saturation > 95% at rest, and 94% on exertion with 3 L/min of oxygen. Chest computed tomography (CT) showed bilateral ground-glass opacities, predominantly in the lower lungs. Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT incidentally revealed a liver tumor with a diameter of 80 mm adjacent to the middle hepatic vein, which was diagnosed as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After being administered baricitinib, remdesivir, dexamethasone, and heparin, the patient's COVID-19 pneumonia improved, his oxygen demand resolved, and he was discharged on day 13. Furthermore, the patient was initially scheduled for hepatectomy 8 weeks after the onset of COVID-19 following a discussion with the infection control team. However, 8 weeks after the onset of illness, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test was performed on nasopharyngeal swab fluid, which was observed to be positive. The positive results persisted till 10 and 11 weeks after onset. Both Ct values were high (≥ 31) out of 45 cycles, with no subjective symptoms. Since we determined that he was no longer contagious, surgery was performed 12 weeks after the onset of COVID-19. Notably, medical staff wearing personal protective equipment performed extended anatomical resection of the liver segment 8 ventral area in a negative-pressure room. The patient had a good postoperative course, with no major complications, including respiratory complications, and was discharged on postoperative day 14. Finally, none of the staff members was infected with COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: We reported a case regarding the timing of surgery on a patient with persistently positive PCR test results after COVID-19, along with a literature review.

COVID-19 in Japan: An update on national policy, research, clinical practice, and vaccination campaign.

As countries worldwide take steps such as vaccination campaigns to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, academia is actively promoting the timely sharing of scientific information across borders. As an international academic journal, Global Health & Medicine (GHM) has quickly accepted COVID-19-related papers and published results of series of studies since the beginning of 2020. In particular, the "First Special Issue on COVID-19" (April 2020) and the "Second Special Issue on COVID-19" (April 2021) included a wide range of articles presenting frontline data on the COVID-19 response in Japan, China, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, West Africa, and other various countries and areas worldwide. This "Third Special Issue on COVID-19" (April 2022) features the practical experiences of front-line clinicians, researchers, and other healthcare professionals from Japan and it presents updated data on i) national policy, ii) research, iii) clinical practice, and iv) the vaccination campaign. Our hope is that the rapid publication and sharing of information will help, in any way possible way, in the global fight against COVID-19.

Poor prognosis of patients with severe COVID-19 admitted to an infectious disease intensive care unit during the pandemic caused by the Delta variant in Japan.

During the surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) delta variant, our institution operated an intensive care unit (ICU) for patients with severe COVID-19. The study aim was to determine the survival rate and treatment outcomes of patients with severe COVID-19 treated in the ICU during the surge. A total of 23 consecutive patients with severe COVID-19 were admitted to the ICU between August 5 and October 6, 2021. Patients received multidrug therapy consisting of remdesivir, tocilizumab, heparin, and methylprednisolone. The patients were divided into two groups based on the ordinal scale (OS): a non-invasive oxygen therapy (OS-6) group, and an invasive oxygen therapy (OS-7) group. There were 13 (57%) and 10 (43%) patients in the OS-7 and OS-6 groups, respectively. All patients were unvaccinated. Sixteen patients (70%) were male. The median age was 53 years; the median body mass index (BMI) was 30.3 kg/m2; and the median P/F ratio on admission was 96. The 30-day survival rate was 69% and was significantly poorer in the OS-7 group (54%) than in the OS-6 group (89%; p = 0.05). The prevalence of obesity (p = 0.05) and the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score on admission (p < 0.01) were significantly higher in the OS-7 group. Seven patients in the OS-7 group (54%) developed bacteremia. A low P/F ratio on admission was a significant unfavorable prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 10.9; p = 0.03). The survival rate was poor, especially in patients requiring invasive oxygen therapy. More measures are needed to improve the treatment outcomes of patients with severe COVID 19.

Infectious disease activity during the COVID-19 epidemic in Japan: Lessons learned from prevention and control measures.

In Japan, the Law Concerning the Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Medical Care for Patients with Infectious Diseases (the "Infectious Diseases Control Law") classifies infectious diseases as category I-V infectious diseases, pandemic influenza, and designated infectious diseases based on their infectivity, severity, and impact on public health. COVID-19 was designated as a designated infectious disease as of February 1, 2020 and then classified under pandemic influenza as of February 13, 2021. According to national reports from sentinel surveillance, some infectious diseases transmitted by droplets, contact, or orally declined during the COVID-19 epidemic in Japan. As of week 22 (June 6, 2021), there were 704 cumulative cases of seasonal influenza, 8,144 cumulative cases of chickenpox, 356 cumulative cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, and 45 cumulative cases of rotavirus gastroenteritis; these numbers were significantly lower than those last year, with 563,487 cumulative cases of seasonal influenza, 31,785 cumulative cases of chickenpox, 3,518 cumulative cases of mycoplasma pneumonia, and 250 cumulative cases of rotavirus gastroenteritis. Similarly, many infectious diseases transmitted by droplets or contact declined in other countries and areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. One can reasonably assume that various measures adopted to control the transmission of COVID-19 have played a role in reducing the spread of other infectious diseases, and especially those transmitted by droplets or contact. Extensive and thorough implementation of personal protective measures and behavioral changes may serve as a valuable reference when identifying ways to reduce the spread of infectious diseases transmitted by droplets or contact in the future.

COVID-19 and liver surgery in France, Italy, Japan, and the United States: A report of a single topic conference of Eastern and Western Association for Liver Tumors (EWALT) 2021.

The Eastern and Western Association for Liver Tumors (EWALT) is an international association for clinical and basic scientists dedicated to worldwide study on hepatocellular carcinoma. A single topic conference of EWALT on "COVID-19 and Liver Surgery" was held online on April 23th, 2021. The presenters from France, Italy, Japan, and the United States, reported the current situation of COVID-19 in each country and the influence on the clinical practice and education in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery. Here we would like to summarize the core of this single topic conference.

Hospital capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The rapid global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant challenge to various countries in terms of the capacity of hospitals to admit and care for patients during the crisis. To estimate hospital capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians working in tertiary hospitals around the world were surveyed regarding available COVID-19 hospital statistics. Data were obtained from 8 tertiary centers in 8 countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Turkey, Singapore, India, Pakistan, and Japan. The correlation between the number of patients with COVID-19 per 1 million population vs. the maximum number of inpatients with COVID-19 in a representative tertiary hospital in each country was determined, as was the correlation between COVID-19 deaths per 1 million population vs. the maximum number of patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit (ICU). What was noteworthy was that none of the 8 hospitals reduced emergency room (ER) activity even at the peak of the pandemic although treatment of patients without COVID-19 decreased by 0-70% depending on the extent of the epidemic. Although various measures are being actively implemented to slow the spread of the virus and reduce the strain on the health care system, the reality is that there are still a significant number of hospitals at risk of being overloaded in the event of a future surge in cases.

Overview of the characteristics of and responses to the three waves of COVID-19 in Japan during 2020-2021.

The first case of COVID-19 in Japan was reported on 16 January 2020. The total number of the infected has reached 313,844 and the number of deaths has reached 4,379 as of 16 January 2021. This article reviews the characteristics of and responses to the three waves of COVID-19 in Japan during 2020-2021 in order to provide a reference for the next step in epidemic prevention and control. The Japanese Government declared a state of emergency on 7 April 2020, which suppressed the increase in the number of the infected by curtailing economic activity. The first wave peaked at 701 new cases a day and it decreased to 21 new cases on May 25 when the state of emergency was lifted. However, the number of the infected increased again due to the resumption of economic activity, with a peak of 1,762 new cases a day during the second wave. Although the situation was worse than that during the first wave, the government succeeded in limiting the increase without declaring a state of emergency again, and that may be attributed to a decrease in crowd activities and an increase in the number of inspections. During the third wave, the number of the infected continued to exceed the peak during previous waves for two months. Major factors for this rise include the government's implementation of further policies to encourage certain activities, relaxed immigration restrictions, and people not reducing their level of activity. An even more serious problem is the bed usage for patients with COVID-19; bed usage exceeds 50% not only in major cities but also in various areas. On 7 January 2021, 5,953 new cases were reported a day; this greatly exceeded the previous peak, and the state of emergency was declared again. Although Japan has been preparing its medical system since the first wave, maintaining that system has imposed a large economic burden on medical facilities, hence stronger measures and additional support are urgently needed to combat COVID-19 in the coming few months.

Investigator initiated clinical trial of remdesivir for the treatment of COVID-19 in Japan.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originating in Wuhan, China, has spread globally very rapidly. The number of COVID-19 patients increased in Japan from late March to early April 2020. Since COVID-19 treatment methods with antiviral drugs were not established in March 2020, clinical trials began at a rapid pace worldwide. We participated in a global investigator-initiated clinical trial of the antiviral drug remdesivir. It took approximately two months to prepare for and start patient enrollment, 26 days to enroll all patients in Japan, and 32 days from the end of enrollment to the release of the first report, a fairly quick response overall. In the course of this clinical trial, we found some of the critical issues related to conducting an infectious disease clinical trial in Japan need to be addressed and tackled to support a rapid response. These included such things as the necessity of a research network to promote clinical research, a framework for a rapid review system of clinical trial notification, and better cooperation with outsourced teams. Furthermore, for Japan to take the lead in global collaborative research and development in the field of infectious diseases, it is necessary to develop further human resources and organization on a national basis. It is indispensable for Japan to establish a clinical trial system at the national level to prepare for future emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Japanese WHO Collaborating Centres (WHO CCs) fight against COVID-19.

WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) organized an online meeting connecting WHO Collaborating Centres (WHO CCs) in the region on 25 August 2020, to share experiences and promote networking on COVID-19 response. The meeting shared regional update on situation and responses, and COVID-19 related experiences of selected WHO CCs, followed by discussions on opportunities for enhancing collaboration between WPRO and WHO CCs. Priorities of WPROs support to countries included a health systems approach rather than single intervention. On behalf of WHO CCs in Japan, the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) delivered a presentation on the results of a survey about COVID-19 related activities of these WHO CCs. These activities were categorized into collaboration with WHO, research and development, public health responses, and clinical services. Collaboration with WHO included sending consultants through the scheme of GOARN, strengthening of COVID-19 testing, and contribution to development of WPRO guidelines. Research and development involved establishment of a nationwide registry of COVID-19 clinical data. Following the meeting, NCGM further enhanced its activities as WHO CC. Since WHO CCs in the country have a wide range of expertise that could contribute to health system strengthening, it is worthwhile for the WHO CCs to consider amending existing work plans for supporting countries in the region to incorporate a health systems approach as part of COVID-19 response strategies.

SARS-CoV-2 Screening Test for Japanese Returnees From Wuhan, China, January 2020.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was found to be the causative microorganism of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which started to spread in Wuhan, China. This study was to evaluate the effectiveness of questionnaire, symptoms-based screening, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screening of returnees from COVID-19-endemic areas on a chartered flight, to examine the proportion of infected persons and the proportion of asymptomatic persons among infected persons who returned from Wuhan. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was done in 7 tertiary medical institutions in Japan. A total of 566 Japanese who returned from Wuhan participated in the study. RESULTS: Overall, 11 of the 566 passengers had a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result for pharyngeal swabs and 6 were asymptomatic. Only fever differed between SARS-CoV-2-positive and -negative individuals (P < .043). Six of the 11 PCR-positive individuals were asymptomatic; 4 remained positive on day 10, and 1 asymptomatic person tested positive up to day 27. Two of the 11 were negative on the first PCR test and positive on the second. CONCLUSIONS: Our results will be important insights on screening returnees from locked-down cities, as well as providing important data on the proportion of asymptomatic individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2. A 13-day observation period and a second round of PCR may be effective to screen patients, including asymptomatic infections.

Sustaining containment of COVID-19: global sharing for pandemic response.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has rapidly escalated into a global pandemic. One of our significant concerns is that we have no data as to whether people, who acquired immunity against this deadly virus and recovered from COVID-19, are protected from further infections with the same virus. Moreover, we have no data as to whether this pandemic will persist in our societies and continue vexing us for long periods of time. Implementing science-based response strategy is essential to sustain containment of COVID-19 globally. Rapidly sharing scientific information means providing real-time research data and relevant findings. As an international academic journal, Global Health & Medicine publishes this special issue entitled "GHM Special Topic: COVID-19". It includes a range of articles describing COVID-19 based on frontline data from Japan, China, the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and other countries and areas worldwide. Our hope is that the rapid publication and sharing of information contribute, in whichever possible way, to this global fight against COVID-19.

Call for international cooperation and collaboration to effectively tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.

The world is facing an unprecedented challenge in every place that is affected by the spreading COVID-19 pandemic. With China recording fewer and fewer cases, Europe and the Americas have become the epicenter of the pandemic since mid-March 2020, respectively accounting for 54.8% (621,407) and 27.8% (315,714) of 1,133,758 confirmed cases globally as of April 5. Moreover, the number of confirmed cases in the US (273,808), Spain (124,736), Italy (124,632), and Germany (91,714) has exceeded the number in China (82,930) so far. International cooperation and coordination are essential to tackling this pandemic in terms of both assistance with emergency medical supplies and medical technical assistance. Coordinated global action has been called for by the World Health Organization (WHO), G7, G20, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and other bodies. More effective actions are urgently needed to protect the most vulnerable, including older people and people with an underlying medical condition, as well as healthcare workers, who are most frequently exposed and who are vital to the response.