A woman in her 30s infected with the novel coronavirus died by suicide earlier this month while self-isolating at her home in Tokyo, local officials said Friday, at a time when many hospitals are overloaded with COVID-19 patients and thousands of infected Tokyoites remain on hospital waiting lists.
A note was found suggesting that the woman, who was living with her husband and their daughter, was worried that she might have transmitted the virus to her daughter, they said.
The woman tested positive for the coronavirus but had shown no symptoms, the officials said.
"It is a truly regrettable incident. I realize how important it is to provide care for the mental health of patients," Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike told reporters.
"We will see if there are ways to improve" support for people seeking help amid the pandemic, Koike said.
Over 8,900 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus were self-isolating at home as of Thursday, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, while 860 were staying in lodging facilities designated for COVID-19 patients and more than 6,800 were on waiting lists for hospitals and accommodations.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency in Japan, please call 119 for immediate assistance. The TELL Lifeline is available for those who need free and anonymous counseling at 03-5774-0992. For those in other countries, visit https://bit.ly/Suicide-Hotlines for a detailed list of resources and assistance.