TOKYO (TR) – A woman who committed suicide after testing positive for the novel coronavirus had expressed concern about the well-being of her family, persons familiar with the matter revealed on Friday, reports NHK (Jan. 22).
On January 15, the woman, aged in her 30s, used unspecified means to take her life at her apartment in the capital.
In a note the woman left behind, she expressed concern about whether she had passed the coronavirus to her daughter. “It is inexcusable that I have become a nuisance,” she wrote.
The woman showed no symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. At the time of her suicide, she was recuperating at home.
Also living in the residence is the woman’s husband. Both he and their daughter have also tested positive, the sources said.
“Many people feel pressure”
Michiko Ueda, an associate professor at Waseda University, is investigating the psychological effects of the spread of the novel coronavirus. The associate professor says there are measures that need to be taken as the number of persons receiving care at home increases.
“Many people feel pressure when they become infected,” Ueda says. “This could be with regards to activities or whether they are causing trouble.”
For example, a person doing household chores will have to also worry about their health, says Ueda.
“There is also the fact that you are restricted from interacting with others, which may mentally drive you into a corner,” the associate professor says. “We need a system that understands how to care for them.”
