Akihito Hospitalized With Bronchitis

[Dennis Donovan]

http://www.thirdage.com/news/akihito-hospitalized-with-bronchitis_11-06-2011

Japan's Emperor Akihito was hospitalized late Sunday with worsening symptoms of bronchitis, the royal palace said, according to an AFP report.

The emperor, 77, also had a high fever, the report says.

Akihito, who will turn 78 next month, developed a fever Thursday and has refrained from royal duties since, The Associated Press reports.

A spokesman for the imperial household agency told reporters that Akihito "will be hospitalized from tonight because he has had a persistent fever and begun to show more concerning symptoms of bronchitis.”

According to AFP, television footage later showed the emperor arriving by car at the University of Tokyo Hospital accompanied by Empress Michiko.

Akihito’s granddaughter, Aiko, the only child of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, was treated at the same hospital for pneumonia just days ago and was released Saturday, AFP says.
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[lonestarnot]

1. Radiation?

[malaise]

3. My first thought n/t

[TheWraith]

4. Because 77 year olds never get bronchitis?

These absurd radiation claims have absolutely no basis in science.

[lonestarnot]

2. Granddaughter too.

Money can't protect one from radiation.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

5. Uh, maybe Aiko, being a kid who goes to school with other kids, got

pneumonia first and spread it to her grandfather at a family gathering?

It's common knowledge that older people are more susceptible to complications from respiratory infections than younger people.

You may not realize that the imperial family lives in central Tokyo. If they're getting sick enough from radiation to have to go to the hospital, as some of you theorize,why aren't all the residents of central Tokyo crowding into hospitals?

[lonestarnot]

6. No, did not realize he lives in Tokyo.

But still concerned re radiation. Even in Tokyo.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. Sounds serious.

I had bronchitis a couple of weeks ago, but was just given prescriptions. For someone who's almost 78, this could be very serious. :(