"Numbers" Change Awareness: Infectious Disease Control Seminar Held for 20 Medical and Welfare Professionals in the Iwanuma Region of Miyagi Prefecture
In February 2026, Moraine Corporation jointly operated a training booth at the "FY2025 Infectious Disease Prevention Seminar," co-hosted by the Iwanuma branch of the Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Public Health Center and the Natori-Watari Area Regional Medical Care Countermeasures Committee. About 20 participants, including nurses, caregivers, and administrators from facilities for the elderly and disabled in the Iwanuma area, attended the seminar.
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- 📰 Published: March 30, 2026 at 11:04
Moraine Corporation (Headquarters: Nakano-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tsuneki Kusaba; hereafter Moraine) jointly operated a hands-on training booth at the "FY2025 Infectious Disease Prevention Seminar" in February 2026, an event co-hosted by the Iwanuma branch of the Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Public Health Center and the Natori-Watari Area Regional Medical Care Countermeasures Committee. Approximately 20 individuals, including nurses, care workers, and administrators from elderly and disabled facilities in the Iwanuma region, participated.
**Strengthening "Collaboration from Peacetime" in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic**
In the jurisdiction of the Iwanuma branch of the Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Public Health Center, the number of group outbreaks of respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza has been rapidly increasing since late October 2025. Particularly in facilities for the elderly and disabled, there is a risk that once an infection source is introduced, it can spread to all residents. Strengthening measures to prevent infections within facilities and reduce the burden on regional healthcare has become a critical issue. In response to this situation, the seminar was co-hosted by the Iwanuma branch of the Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Public Health Center and the Natori-Watari Area Regional Medical Care Countermeasures Committee.
**Three Exercises to Turn Knowledge into "Felt Experience"**
Moving beyond traditional lecture-based training, a "circuit-style training" model was introduced, allowing participants to engage proactively.
**[N95 Mask Fit Test] (Led by Moraine)**
Using a specialized quantitative fit tester, the particles leaking through the gaps between the mask and the face were quantified. By visualizing that leaks occur even when one "thinks they are wearing it correctly," participants confirmed the importance of proper size selection and fitting.
**[PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Donning and Doffing Training]**
Participants simulated the correct procedures for putting on and taking off PPE without touching contaminated areas, including actual disposal. The timing for incorporating hand hygiene was thoroughly instructed under the guidance of a Certified Nurse in Infection Control (CNIC).
**[Zoning and Environmental Maintenance Workshop]**
Using floor plans of both traditional and unit-style facilities, participants conducted a workshop where they drew the boundaries for "Red, Yellow, and Green" zones with pens. Concurrently, they identified high-touch surfaces to discuss cleaning priorities.
**Voices from the Field: Interviews**
**[Host: Iwanuma Branch, Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Public Health Center]**
**Q. What was the background and purpose of conducting a joint seminar between hospitals and the public health center?**
"We have been collaborating with regional Certified Nurses in Infection Control through joint conferences on regional infection control. When planning the public health center's training, we believed that combining lectures with practical exercises would be effective. We consulted with a CNIC at the cancer center and gained significant cooperation through their network. Our aim was for facility staff to learn specialized infection prevention techniques and for the medical side to understand the reality of infection control measures in regional facilities."
**Q. What were the participants' reactions to the fit test exercise?**
"In the survey, all respondents answered that they 'understood' the material. We received many comments like, 'I felt reassured by confirming with numbers,' and 'I realized its effectiveness anew,' which showed us the significant impact. The participants were so enthusiastic that we spent a lot of time on it, and unfortunately, our own staff didn't get a chance to try it. However, this high level of interest demonstrated the value of the exercise."
**Q. What are your future prospects and the ideal form of regional collaboration?**
"We hope that the attendees will become the core of their organizations, reporting back and continuing what they've learned to raise the quality of the entire area. The ultimate goal is for staff to be able to protect lives with knowledge, ensuring that facility residents and children do not suffer severe illness or death from infectious diseases. In the future, we want to expand training to the clinic level, which has fewer opportunities, not just well-equipped hospitals. The ideal collaboration is a relationship where we can all consult with one another to improve the entire region."
**Q. What do you expect from Moraine?**
"Being able to 'visualize' the role of masks and the correct fitting methods was extremely valuable and reassuring. We plan to continue this next fiscal year and would be grateful for your assistance again."
**[Instructor/ICN: Mr. Yoshihiro Kikuchi, Certified Nurse in Infection Control, Miyagi Prefectural Cancer Center]**
**Q. What are the challenges in the field regarding the use and management of N95 masks?**
"Ensuring proper wearing technique is a matter of course, but another major challenge was dealing with the mindset of 'excessive use due to anxiety' during the pandemic."
**Q. Did the quantitative fit test (numerical confirmation) change your perception?**
"Previously, we focused on cost, but now we select masks based on ease of fit. Every time we conduct a quantitative fit test, I am reminded of its necessity, but I also feel there is a hurdle in the field of it being 'not easy to implement casually.'"
**Strengthening "Collaboration from Peacetime" in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic**
In the jurisdiction of the Iwanuma branch of the Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Public Health Center, the number of group outbreaks of respiratory infectious diseases such as influenza has been rapidly increasing since late October 2025. Particularly in facilities for the elderly and disabled, there is a risk that once an infection source is introduced, it can spread to all residents. Strengthening measures to prevent infections within facilities and reduce the burden on regional healthcare has become a critical issue. In response to this situation, the seminar was co-hosted by the Iwanuma branch of the Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Public Health Center and the Natori-Watari Area Regional Medical Care Countermeasures Committee.
**Three Exercises to Turn Knowledge into "Felt Experience"**
Moving beyond traditional lecture-based training, a "circuit-style training" model was introduced, allowing participants to engage proactively.
**[N95 Mask Fit Test] (Led by Moraine)**
Using a specialized quantitative fit tester, the particles leaking through the gaps between the mask and the face were quantified. By visualizing that leaks occur even when one "thinks they are wearing it correctly," participants confirmed the importance of proper size selection and fitting.
**[PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Donning and Doffing Training]**
Participants simulated the correct procedures for putting on and taking off PPE without touching contaminated areas, including actual disposal. The timing for incorporating hand hygiene was thoroughly instructed under the guidance of a Certified Nurse in Infection Control (CNIC).
**[Zoning and Environmental Maintenance Workshop]**
Using floor plans of both traditional and unit-style facilities, participants conducted a workshop where they drew the boundaries for "Red, Yellow, and Green" zones with pens. Concurrently, they identified high-touch surfaces to discuss cleaning priorities.
**Voices from the Field: Interviews**
**[Host: Iwanuma Branch, Miyagi Prefecture Shiogama Public Health Center]**
**Q. What was the background and purpose of conducting a joint seminar between hospitals and the public health center?**
"We have been collaborating with regional Certified Nurses in Infection Control through joint conferences on regional infection control. When planning the public health center's training, we believed that combining lectures with practical exercises would be effective. We consulted with a CNIC at the cancer center and gained significant cooperation through their network. Our aim was for facility staff to learn specialized infection prevention techniques and for the medical side to understand the reality of infection control measures in regional facilities."
**Q. What were the participants' reactions to the fit test exercise?**
"In the survey, all respondents answered that they 'understood' the material. We received many comments like, 'I felt reassured by confirming with numbers,' and 'I realized its effectiveness anew,' which showed us the significant impact. The participants were so enthusiastic that we spent a lot of time on it, and unfortunately, our own staff didn't get a chance to try it. However, this high level of interest demonstrated the value of the exercise."
**Q. What are your future prospects and the ideal form of regional collaboration?**
"We hope that the attendees will become the core of their organizations, reporting back and continuing what they've learned to raise the quality of the entire area. The ultimate goal is for staff to be able to protect lives with knowledge, ensuring that facility residents and children do not suffer severe illness or death from infectious diseases. In the future, we want to expand training to the clinic level, which has fewer opportunities, not just well-equipped hospitals. The ideal collaboration is a relationship where we can all consult with one another to improve the entire region."
**Q. What do you expect from Moraine?**
"Being able to 'visualize' the role of masks and the correct fitting methods was extremely valuable and reassuring. We plan to continue this next fiscal year and would be grateful for your assistance again."
**[Instructor/ICN: Mr. Yoshihiro Kikuchi, Certified Nurse in Infection Control, Miyagi Prefectural Cancer Center]**
**Q. What are the challenges in the field regarding the use and management of N95 masks?**
"Ensuring proper wearing technique is a matter of course, but another major challenge was dealing with the mindset of 'excessive use due to anxiety' during the pandemic."
**Q. Did the quantitative fit test (numerical confirmation) change your perception?**
"Previously, we focused on cost, but now we select masks based on ease of fit. Every time we conduct a quantitative fit test, I am reminded of its necessity, but I also feel there is a hurdle in the field of it being 'not easy to implement casually.'"