|
 The government is making "preparations so that clinical trials using
HIV medication on the novel coronavirus can start as soon as
possible," Yoshihide Suga told a briefing, but added he could not
say how long it might take to approve a drug's use.
A further 88 people tested positive for the virus on the Diamond
Princess cruise ship quarantined off the port of Yokohama, bringing
the total number of infected passengers to 542, the Health Ministry
said.
Elsewhere, three more cases were diagnosed in Wakayama Prefecture,
including the son of a doctor infected with the virus, local media
said.
As the contracting economy deepens recession fears, the spread of
the virus has prompted Tokyo to curb the size of public gatherings,
while some companies are telling employees to work from home.
HIV drugs have been touted as a potential cure for the coronavirus,
which has killed almost 1,900 people in mainland China. No therapy
has yet proven fully effective against the infection.
People in China have begun exploring unorthodox ways to get treated,
with some appealing to HIV patients and unauthorised importers for
medicine.
In Thailand, doctors said they appeared to have had some success in
treating severe cases of the virus with a combination of medications
for flu and HIV.
As demand for surgical masks surges in Japan, police were
investigating the theft of 6,000 masks reported by the Kobe Red
Cross Hospital in the central city, a hospital official said.
Japanese officials have promised to work hard to avoid disruption to
the Olympic Games starting in Tokyo in July, but concern about the
virus led Mongolia's Olympics archery team to cancel training in
Japan, the Kyodo news agency said.
DIAMOND PRINCESS EVACUATIONS
U.S. government evacuation flights on Monday flew home more than 300
Americans who had been on board the Diamond Princess.
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With more than 3,000 passengers and crew, the ship has been in
quarantine since early this month, after a passenger who had left it
in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus.
The vessel will receive meals from World Central Kitchen, a
non-profit set up by celebrity chef Jose Andres, in a bid to reduce
the burden on crew, said Rai Caluori, vice president of vessel
operator Princess Cruises.
Passengers still on the ship, about half of whom are Japanese, have
expressed frustration over the quarantine and authorities in
Australia, Canada, Italy and South Korea are also planning to
evacuate citizens from the cruise liner.
A plane chartered by the Canadian government has left for Japan to
evacuate its nationals, TV Asahi said. Canada has said 14 days of
quarantine await them on their return.
South Korea is also sending a government charter flight on Tuesday
to take home four citizens, and a Japanese spouse, who have no
symptoms, a South Korean official said.
Japanese who test negative will begin disembarking as early as
Wednesday, Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said.
"Everyone wants to return home as soon as possible, so considering
that feeling, we are making preparations," Kato told reporters.
Disembarkation was set for Feb. 19 to 21, Japan's vice health
minister said, according to a copy of a letter circulated on Twitter
by a passenger using the handle @daxa–tw. The letter said local
health authorities would take passengers' temperatures before they
left the ship.
(Additional reporting by Hyonhee Shin in Seoul and Chris Gallagher
in Tokyo; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell, Clarence Fernandez and Helen
Popper)
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