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Aim: Owing to the stress caused by the behavioral restrictions and lifestyle changes during the COVID‐19 pandemic, suicide rates have increased in Japan, especially among young people. This study aimed to identify the differences in the characteristics of patients hospitalized for suicide attempts in the emergency room, requiring inpatient care before and during the pandemic over 2 years. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis. Data were collected from the electronic medical records. A descriptive survey was conducted to examine changes in the pattern of suicide attempts during the COVID‐19 outbreak. Two‐sample independent t‐tests, Chi‐square tests, and Fisher's exact test were used for data analysis. Results: Two hundred one patients were included. No significant differences were found in the number of patients hospitalized for suicide attempts, average age, or sex ratio before and during the pandemic periods. Acute drug intoxication and overmedication in patients increased significantly during the pandemic. The self‐inflicted means of injury with high fatality rates were similar during the two periods. The rate of physical complications significantly increased during the pandemic, while the proportion of unemployed individuals significantly decreased. Conclusions: Despite studies predicting an increase in suicides based on past statistics of young people and of women, no significant changes were observed in this survey of the Hanshin‐Awaji region, including Kobe. This may have been owing to the effect of suicide prevention measures and mental health measures implemented by the Japanese government after an increase in suicides and after past natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Japan, several local strong winds that are unique to a particular region are known by names such as "oroshi," "dashi," and "kaze," including Akagi‐oroshi and Kiyokawa‐dashi. In the area around Kobe City, northerly downslope winds from Mt. Rokko, or "Rokko‐oroshi," blow. However, there have not been many studies on Rokko‐oroshi, and its nature is not yet fully known. In particular, the nature of Rokko‐oroshi in the middle of Mt. Rokko (34.7321°N, 135.2539°E) and temperature changes induced by the blow of Rokko‐oroshi have not been studied so far. For example, during the blowing of Rokko‐oroshi, wind speeds up to 12 m/s can be recorded at the downwind while experiencing a rapid temperature decrease of between 5 and 8°C. In this study, winds and temperatures in the middle of Mt. Rokko were observed to investigate the characteristics and temperature reduction effect of Rokko‐oroshi. First, characteristics of wind speed and direction in the middle of Mt. Rokko were clarified to determine the intensity and duration in which Rokko‐oroshi blew. Second, hourly changes in temperature, wind speed, and wind direction were analyzed to relate variations in wind speed and direction with temperature reductions upwind and downwind of Mt. Rokko and within Kobe City. Lastly, radiosonde measurements upwind and downwind of Mt. Rokko were inspected to elucidate the physical mechanisms necessary for the generation of Rokko‐oroshi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Please cite this paper as: Ninomiya-Mori et al. (2010) Genetic evidence for containment of viruses in the first outbreak of influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in Kobe, Japan. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Doi: 10.1111/j.1750-2659.2010.00188.x. On 16 May 2009, a high school student in Kobe with no history of overseas travel was reported as the first case of influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus infection in Japan. Subsequently, it was revealed that the infection had spread to some cities in the Kansai region and most patients were high school students. The number of patients decreased rapidly within a week; however, it began to increase in the middle of July. We phylogenetically analyzed viral characteristics using 27 viruses isolated from patients living in Kobe. We demonstrated that viruses isolated in the early phase of the outbreak were distinguishable from those after the reappearance of patients. These findings provide genetic evidence for the effectiveness of public health containment measures in the Kansai region in preventing the progression of the outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In order for hospitals to work efficiently in a pandemic, it is important to know how a pandemic affects the hospital staff. The aim of the present study was to investigate the psychological impact of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 on hospital workers and how it was affected by the characteristics of the hospital, gender, age, job and work environment. Methods: In late June 2009, soon after the pandemic had ended in Kobe city, Japan, a questionnaire was distributed consisting of questions on sociodemographic characteristics, 19 stress-related questions and the Impact of Event Scale (IES) to all 3635 employees at three core general hospitals in Kobe. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to the 19 stress-related questions, and this produced four factors for evaluation (anxiety about infection, exhaustion, workload, and feeling of being protected). Multiple regression models were used to evaluate the association of personal characteristics with each score of the four factors and the IES. Results: Valid answers were received from 1625 employees. Workers at a hospital with intense liaison psychiatric services felt less psychological impact. Workers at a hospital that provided staff with information about the pandemic less frequently, felt unprotected. Workers in work environments that had a high risk of infection felt more anxious and more exhausted. The total IES score was higher in workers in high-risk work environments. Conclusions: It is important for hospitals to protect hospital workers during a pandemic and to rapidly share information about the pandemic. Liaison psychiatric services can help to reduce the impact of the pandemic on hospital workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]