Japanese princess hospitalized for COVID-19, pneumonia

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – The first member of Japan’s imperial family infected with the coronavirus has been hospitalized after being diagnosed with pneumonia.

Princess Yoko, 38, was reported to have caught COVID-19 on Tuesday but the latest medical reports showed doctors diagnosed her with pneumonia, Japan’s Imperial Household Agency said in a statement on Wednesday to Tokyo-based Kyodo News.

Yoko is the first member of Japan’s imperial family to have been infected with the coronavirus.

She was being treated inside the imperial palace before being shifted to the University of Tokyo Hospital after her fresh medical reports came.

Yoko is the daughter of the late Prince Tomohito, a cousin of former Emperor Akihito.

Akihito stepped down from the throne in 2020, a historic first in Japan’s imperial history.

The princess complained of a sore throat on Monday and her test came positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday.

No infection in her family nor in her staff has been found yet.

She serves as head of Yuai Jujikai, a social welfare corporation based in Tokyo. She also leads Japan Universal Sound Design Association, a non-profit organization that helps people with hearing loss.

Japan is undergoing an intense sixth wave of COVID-19 and the government is set to expand quasi-state of emergency to 12 more provinces. For now, 34 of 47 provinces are under enhanced restrictions to stem the spread of the infection.

The country of 126 million people has reported 3.4 million COVID-19 cases and 19,587 deaths since the 2019 outbreak.