is a Japanese physician, professor and

infectious diseases An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...

expert at

Kobe University , also known in the Kansai region as , is a leading Japanese national university located in the city of Kobe, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Hyōgo. It was established in 1949, but the academic origins of Kobe University trace back to the establishment of ...

Career

After his graduation from the Shimane Medical University (present-day Medical Faculty of

Shimane University — colloquially known as — is a national university in Japan. Although formally established as a university in 1949, Shima-dai's origins date back to the late 19th century. In 2003 it merged with the Shimane Medical University (established ...

) in 1997, Iwata became a

medical intern A medical intern is a physician in training who has completed medical school and has a medical degree but does not yet have a license to practice medicine unsupervised. Medical education generally ends with a period of practical training similar t ...

worked at . In the next year, he became a medical intern worked at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital of

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. Iwata started his career as an internist at

Mount Sinai Beth Israel Mount Sinai Beth Israel is a 799-bed teaching hospital in Manhattan. It is part of the Mount Sinai Health System, a nonprofit health system formed in September 2013 by the merger of Continuum Health Partners and Mount Sinai Medical Center, and a ...

in 2001. In 2004, he returned to Japan and hired by , he was appointed the head of Division of Infectious Disease, head of Comprehensive Medical Infectious Diseases. Since 2008 he served as Clinical Department Head Professor of

COVID-19 outbreak

During the

COVID-19 pandemic in Japan Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...

, the cruise ship '' Diamond Princess'' was quarantined in the

Port of Yokohama The is operated by the Port and Harbor Bureau of the City of Yokohama in Japan. It opens onto Tokyo Bay. The port is located at a latitude of 35.27–00°N and a longitude of 139.38–46°E. To the south lies the Port of Yokosuka; to the north ...

in Japan. Iwata strongly criticised the management of the situation in two widely circulated

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

videos published on 18 February. In videos, he described the conditions of quarantined ''Diamond Princess'' as "completely chaotic", and called the ship a "COVID-19 mill". Iwata briefly gained physical access to the ship, saying he observed no infection control measures in place. After being "kicked off" the ship after and then voluntarily quarantining himself, he stated "we have to do something about this cruise. We have to help people inside the ship." On 20 February, he deleted the videos himself, and said "there is no need for further discussing this". He also denied he had been pressured to delete the videos. In April 2020 he expressed pessimism that the Olympics could be held in 2021.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Iwata, Kentaro 1971 births Living people Japanese medical researchers Internists Epidemiologists Kobe University faculty People from Shimane Prefecture COVID-19 researchers