The sudden passing of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu has sent shockwaves across the globe, especially after it was revealed that she succumbed to an influenza infection contracted during her Chinese New Year holiday in Japan.
Prior to Barbie's untimely death, a Japan-based Chinese content creator known as Kiki had posted a warning on her Douyin account, urging people to reconsider travel plans to Japan due to the escalating influenza outbreak.
Photo via TikTok (kiki在东京)
In her post dated 7 January 2025, Kiki described the situation as "truly terrifying." The video has since resurfaced in light of Barbie's death, serving as a stark reminder of the ongoing health crisis in Japan.
"The Japanese government has issued a red alert. This is the worst flu outbreak in the past decade," Kiki stated in her video.
Recounting her own experience, Kiki shared that she fell ill shortly after returning to Japan. "My entire body felt sore, and soon after, I noticed I was running a fever. When I checked, my temperature was 38.3°C," she said. She described enduring persistent body aches and has been on medication since the onset of symptoms.
Highlighting the severity of the outbreak, Kiki mentioned, "Nine out of ten of my friends are down with influenza. It's really bad, and honestly terrifying."
Her heartfelt plea concluded with, "If you can avoid travelling to Japan right now, please do."
For context, Japan has been battling a significant influenza outbreak since December 2024, compounded by a surge in COVID-19 cases, making the situation even more concerning.
