Actress Kumiko Okae, 63, dies of pneumonia after coronavirus infection

Once Famous Japanese people start dying, the locals tend to take the virus lock down more seriously.

My local Garden center was doing a brisk trade today... which is an indication that people in the area won't be travelling anywhere over Golden week.

To anyone suggesting that she died with coronavirus rather than of coronavirus, the statements released by her office suggest she had treatment for breast cancer with an intent of cure. If she had surgery followed by radiotherapy, this means she would of had surgery to remove the cancer followed by adjuvant radiotherapy after this to to reduce the chance the cancer returns. If a person in this situation got influenza then died, then their cause of death will be the flu, not cancer. The cause of death here is due to COVID-19 (the pneumonia is directly caused by the coronavirus).

The statement that the majority who die from COVID-19 have underlying conditions is correct, in the data that is available, of total deaths, only a small percentage are people without known conditions under the age of 65. With regards to cancer or undergoing cancer treatment, the risk of death is higher, but from what has been seen, lower than say heart disease.

The bottom line is, her death is a tragedy.

@London_Bhoy

That would be THE Coronavirus, not Coronavirus.

Covid-19, bro.

She died of pneumonia not coronavirus. Does anyone die from heart attacks, cancer, liver disease, traffic accidents, the flu etc. anymore? If you're 81 with cancer, get the flu and die - cause of death is cancer. If you're 81 - with cancer and have a strain of CV (and it may not even be the killer strain of coronavirus as there is lots of strains of CV), then your cause of death is coronavirus. Mad.

Not to make light of her death, but it should be noted that like the vast majority of people who succumb to corona-related symptoms, they had underlying conditions.

so they probably would have lived many more years if it wasn't for the virus, and no the elderly are not expendable

My wife like Okae is going through breast cancer treatment so this hit close to home.

I hope people wear a mask and wash hands as I would in a flu outbreak. But still we know the risk of either catching or dying from corona is very low

So we won't stop going for walks or letting our kids play outside.

I hope people stay close to home for a few weeks and we can finally move past this the same as I would if it was a flu outbreak.

We definitely don't expect the country to stop just for us especially when we dont plan to spend the rest of the year in our house.

Sensible caution is how we have lived the last year and will live the next six months until her treatment is finished.

but it should be noted that like the vast majority of people who succumb to corona-related symptoms, they had underlying conditions.

Yeah and if they never caught the virus the odds are that they would still be alive!

Bugs the hell out of me that people seem to think that the folks who are dying from this illness are some how to blame for their own deaths because they had some other illness or "condition".

Pray tell how many people DONT have "underlying conditions?"!

Look hard enough and I'll bet just about EVERYONE has something, somewhere! Get you heads out of the sand!

drlucifer.... not everyone with an underlying condition knows they have the condition.

The first my friend knew about his underlying heart condition was when it stopped.

The vast majority of deaths from corvid 19 have underlying conditions. 74% in the UK.

Not to make light of her death, but it should be noted that like the vast majority of people who succumb to corona-related symptoms, they had underlying conditions.

There are also many who have died from the virus witnout an underlying illness. That you should know as well

A lot more famous, prominent Japanese people will die. Shinzo Abe is a fool!

Rest In Peace.

What I wonder is Tokyo with officially 3440 active cases, how come many celebrities and announcers got the Coronavirus...

She was also a regular contestant on NHK's weekly "Inspiration Game" (the Japanese equivalent of Password) from around 1980. I recall her as being bright and funny (and very pretty). I think she may have met her husband, Baku Owada, on that show. It's sad to lose her like this.

Virus never "kills". They induce a fall in the functioning of the immune system.

But fact is covid19 killed her and shall be counted as a covid victim, not pneumonia victim.

RIP to this actress, too young to die.

Harsh.

To endure that surgery and treatment, only to get this virus.

RIP Kumiko.

Condolences to her family, maybe this will resonate with the Japanese and make them sit up and take notice. Finally realize this virus potential and threat to them.

Sad news. RIP.