In Japan and other parts of Asia, the number of coronavirus deaths per unit of population is markedly smaller than in the United States and Europe. Researchers are increasingly interested in unraveling what Kyoto University Prof. Shinya Yamanaka, a winner of the Nobel Prize, has called "Factor X."
Seven out of every 1 million people in Japan had died as a result of infection with the virus as of Wednesday.
The United States has the highest number of deaths in the world at 327 per 1 million, while Britain and Spain each have 580.
On the other hand, China, Singapore and Indonesia have three, four and six deaths respectively, despite a relatively high number of infections. The one-digit trend is similar to that of Japan.
Some say that the reason fatalities in Asia are lower is that a similar type of coronavirus may have been prevalent in Asia in the past, causing some to develop immunity, or that genetic makeup differs according to race and other factors. However, there is no conclusive evidence.
By elucidating Factor X, "We should be able to make use of it for a strategy down the road," Yamanaka said on his website.
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