Long COVID Occurrence in COVID-19 Survivors

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the post-acute consequences of COVID-19. We conducted a self-administered questionnaire survey on sequelae, psychological distress (K6), impairments in work performance (WFun), and COVID-19–related experiences of stigma and discrimination in two designated COVID-19 hospitals in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan, between August 2020 and March 2021. The prevalence of sequelae were calculated by age and COVID-19 severity. Factors independently associated with sequelae or psychological distress were identified using logistic regression analysis. Among 127 patients who had recovered from COVID-19, 52.0% had persistent symptoms at a median of 29 days [IQR 23–128] after COVID-19 onset. Among patients with mild COVID-19, 50.5% had sequelae. The most frequent symptoms were olfactory disorders (15.0%), taste disorders (14.2%), and cough (14.2%). Multivariate analysis showed that age was an independent risk factor for sequelae (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] for ≥60 years vs. <40 years 3.84, p=0.0139). Possible psychological distress was noted in 30.7% (17.9% of males and 45.0% of females). Female sex and the presence of sequelae were independent risk factors for psychological distress. Of all participants 29.1% had possible impairments in work performance. Experiences of stigma and discrimination were reported by 43.3% of participants. This study revealed the significant impacts of Long COVID on health in local communities. A large-scale, long-term cohort study is desired.

Customer Satisfaction with Branch Office Services in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture

This study empirically investigates the major factors that determine customer satisfaction in local government offices in Japan by using three categories of questions. They referred to customer satisfaction studies worldwide, especially to the expectancy disconfirmation model, the SERVQUAL model, and subsequent methods that emphasize customer’s direct experience. The on-site surveys were conducted at the Kurose branch office in Higashihiroshima City. A total of 240 responses were obtained over six weekdays. The regression analysis showed that staff responses and explanations were the most influential, followed by aspects related to the physical office and service delivery quality (adjusted R2 value of .51).

LEARNING PROGRESSIONS IN LOWER-SECONDARY SCHOOL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN JAPAN

This research examined whether incorporating learning progress (LPs) in teaching can help Japanese lower-secondary school students systemically understand science concepts. A teaching plan incorporating the learning progressions (LPs) concept was developed. Next, a lesson was conducted for 36 third-year students of a public lower-secondary school in Japan (Hiroshima Prefecture) from the unit of “Ions and Atoms.” Then, the portfolios used in the class and the assessment questions after the class were analyzed. The results show that some students understood the concepts systemically at the grade level indicated by the LPs; however, some students did not. The results of this study suggest the following: (1) teachers should examine the appropriate teaching methods in the target unit and incorporate teaching to allow students to engage with what they are learning; (2) students should understand the lower-level concepts related to the target unit based on LPs, and if the level of understanding is insufficient, teachers should incorporate time to review and reconstruct the concepts. Keywords: lower-secondary school science, scientific concepts, learning progressions (LPs), systemic learning

The Association between Wearing a Mask and COVID-19

With the widespread and increasing number of cases of Coronavirus Disease (2019) globally, countries have been taking preventive measures against this pandemic. However, there is no universal agreement across cultures on whether wearing face masks are an effective physical intervention against disease transmission. We investigated the relationship between mask wearing and COVID-19 among close contacts of COVID-19 patients in the Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. In the Hiroshima Prefecture, a COVID-19 form adapted from the reporting form, “Japanese Surveillance in Post-Extreme Emergencies and Disasters”, was developed to collect data from COVID-19 patients’ close contacts under active epidemiological surveillance at Public Health Centers. The relative risk of COVID-19 for mask users versus non-mask users was calculated. A total of 820 interviewees were included in the analysis and 53.3% of them responded that they wore masks. Non-mask users were infected at a rate of 16.4%, while mask users were infected at a rate of 7.1%. Those who wore masks were infected at a rate of 0.4 times that of those who did not wear masks. (RR = 0.4, 95%CI = 0.3–0.6; Adjusted RR = 0.6, 95%CI = 0.3–0.9). These findings implied that COVID-19 could be avoided to a certain degree by wearing a mask.

Multiple Regression Analysis of the Number of users of Nurseries for Children with Mild Illness and Trends in Common Infectious Diseases before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hiroshima, Japan

Background: Most Japanese daycare centers do not accept ill children, even if they only have minor symptoms. Nurseries for children with mild illness have been developed (mostly in urban areas), but use of these nurseries dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are two possible reasons for this decrease: efforts to prevent COVID-19 infection reduced common infectious diseases in children and eliminated the need for these nurseries, or parents refrained from using these nurseries because they feared a COVID-19 outbreak. This study aimed to clarify the reason for the decreased use of these nurseries. Methods: Data on trends in common infectious diseases reported by sentinel medical facilities to public health centers in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan from January 2018 to March 2021 were provided by the Hiroshima CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). The number of monthly users of nurseries for children with mild illness in the 23 municipalities in Hiroshima Prefecture over the same period was obtained by a questionnaire survey. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the association between the numbers of nursery users and common infectious diseases before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: The regression coefficient between the number of users of these nurseries and number of common infectious diseases did not change between before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, except for an increase in intercept during the pandemic.Conclusions: The decreased number of children with mild illnesses using nurseries during the COVID-19 pandemic was related to the decrease in common infectious diseases, and not to parents refraining from using nurseries because they feared a COVID-19 outbreak. Many parents may still have wished to use nurseries for children with mild illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Draft Genome Sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae CCI2, Isolated from Leaf Soil

Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae CCI2 was isolated from leaf soil collected in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. The draft genome sequence comprises 78 contigs and contains 5,075,115 bp with a G+C content of 57.7%.

Oyster Cultivation Betting on Foreign Workers: A Study of Indonesian Workers in Hiroshima

One of the reasons foreign workers are looking for jobs abroad is that there are not enough jobs in their home countries. Indonesia is one of the countries that send migrant workers to more developed Asian and Middle Eastern countries. The increasingly rapid flow of globalization in the world goes together with the need for new workers to fill the industry, especially in Japan. This condition has forced Japan to open doors for foreign workers from developing countries to satisfy demand. These workers usually come from developing countries, such as Indonesia, Vietnam, China, the Philippines, and others. In general, they occupy the less desirable working positions over Japanese youth, the so-called 3D work (dirty, dangerous, and demanding). Therefore, the current dynamics of these migrant workers' life in Japan becomes an exciting subject to comprehend, especially for the Indonesian migrant workers. This study aims to determine the dynamics of Indonesian worker's life while working in the Japanese fisheries sector. In particular, the study looks at those who work in oyster cultivation in Hiroshima prefecture. This research was carried out using descriptive analysis methods and field study with in-depth interviews conducted from 2016-2018. The interviews performed in this study were structured to find answers for the following questions: What problems do the workers face while living in Japan? What kind of processes did they go through before coming to Japan? While working in the Japanese fishing industry, how was their life as a Muslim minority?