Photo/Illutration Yuichiro Hata in July 2019 when he won a fifth term to the Upper House (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The sudden and shocking death of Upper House member Yuichiro Hata has put on display the dangers of COVID-19 to those with pre-existing medical conditions.

Hata, 53, a former transport minister, died on Dec. 27. An autopsy determined the cause of death was complications from COVID-19.

He had suffered from diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.

While the fatality rate for those in their 50s who contract COVID-19 is only 0.3 percent, a study by the Tokyo metropolitan government into COVID-19-related deaths found that 87.5 percent of those in their 50s who died as of Dec. 8 had a pre-existing condition.

Hata's condition at first prompted some concern but grew grave in a very short period of time.

One of Hata’s aides contacted the medical clinic in the Diet building on Dec. 24 after someone close to the Upper House member tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to Tetsuro Fukuyama, secretary-general of the opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, to which Hata belonged. 

The aide asked for the names of medical institutions where Hata could take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. At that time, he showed no symptoms.

But late on Dec. 24, Hata developed a fever of 38.6 degrees and the following day made an appointment for a PCR test at a Tokyo medical institution for 3:45 p.m. on Dec. 27.

His temperature swung up and down in the lead up to the appointment. Hata’s fever dropped to 36.5 degrees on the morning of Dec. 25, but that night it rose again to 38.3 degrees.

The following day, his fever was 37.5 degrees in the morning and 38.2 degrees at night. On the morning of Dec. 27, his fever had again fallen to 36.1 degrees.

Hata rested at home on Dec. 25 and 26. An aide picked Hata up to take him to his PCR test the following day, but his condition suddenly worsened as they drove to the medical institution.

Hata’s breathing became labored. After he said, “I may have pneumonia,” the conversation stopped. The aide realized something was seriously wrong and called for an ambulance.

Hata was taken to the University of Tokyo Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:34 p.m.--nearly an hour after he was scheduled to take the PCR test.

On Dec. 22, before he developed any symptoms, Hata attended a meeting with CDP executives in the Diet building. The following day, he traveled to Nagano Prefecture, which he represented, to meet with officials from the party’s prefectural branch. He also held a news conference before returning to Tokyo that day for a meeting with Finance Ministry officials.

CDP officials have contacted those who met with Hata over those two days and requested they take a PCR or antigen test.

(This article was compiled from reports by Maho Yoshikawa, Hiroshi Ishizuka and Chiaki Ogihara.)

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