Tokyo Nurses Document Hospital Coronavirus Outbreak in Manga

Tokyo, May 8 (Jiji Press)--Nurses who experienced a major novel coronavirus outbreak at a hospital in Tokyo published a book last month detailing that time through manga comics and illustrations. The book, "Shingata Coronavirus Kansensho Outbreak no Kiroku" (A Record of Novel Coronavirus Outbreak), was written by three nurses at Eiju General Hospital in Tokyo's Taito Ward. "We hope the experience can be helpful" during the fourth wave of the coronavirus epidemic, said Hiromi Takano, 53, deputy director of nursing at the hospital and one of the co-authors of the book. The hospital, which has 400 beds and plays a key role in the local community, witnessed in-house infections of patients and nurses in March last year. Although the hospital responded to the situation in line with its conventional infectious disease countermeasures manual, the virus continued to spread, infecting more than 200 people and killing 43. The book portrays in realistic detail the extreme conditions at the hospital using images based on photographs taken at the time. For example, the hospital staff left doors open to minimize contact, and posted notices on the wall to share information as the situation changed rapidly. Nurses were even instructed to pull their protective suit pants completely down when in the toilet so that the hems would not touch the toilet bowl. The book also depicts the nervousness of patients and their families, as well as the distress that nurses experienced due to discrimination against those battling the disease. There were people who sought to support nurses at the time, with some locals creating banner cheering them on while others donated foods and ice creams. "We were saved by the massive support," Takano said. "We wanted to express our gratitude by publishing the book." Takano said she was motivated to pen the book because she thought that small and midsize hospitals do not know how to respond to in-house infections, after Eiju General Hospital also struggled to deal with its outbreak. "(The fight against the coronavirus) is hard, but it will definitely come to an end," she said. "We have to work hard without giving up." END