The Scientist Who Saved Japan Once Now Battles a New Virus Surge

Having mocked him at first for his theories on how the coronavirus spread, the world came to recognize the effectiveness of Japanese scientist Hitoshi Oshitani’s “Three C’s” approach to the pandemic: avoiding closed spaces, crowded places and close contact situations where the virus thrives. It’s a strategy that’s helped Japan avoid thousands of deaths without a lockdown -- but one that’s now being challenged with infections rapidly escalating as cold weather sets in. Oshitani fears the nation may not be ready. “People’s concern is decreasing,” Oshitani, a virologist and infectious disease specialist, said in an interview with Bloomberg News. “We may see a sudden increase in severe cases and deaths.”