Kozo Tashima, president of the Japan Football Association (JFA), left hospital on Thursday after treatment for COVID-19.

The news that Tashima tested positive for the new coronavirus on March 17 almost caused a panic in the JFA headquarters building. The organization believed that he was infected with the virus outside Japan.

Tashima went on a business trip on February 28 and visited Belfast in Northern Ireland and Rotterdam in the Netherlands. On March 3, Tashima attended the UEFA conference during which there was much hugging and hand shaking. On March 5, Tashima arrived in the U.S. before returning to Japan on March 8.

Having participated in more JFA meetings in the following six days, Tashima learnt on March 14 that Slavisa Kokeza, president of the Football Association of Serbia who also attended the UEFA conference, tested positive for the virus. Soon after, Tashima began to show symptoms of COVID-19 and went to hospital on March 16.

One day later, he too tested positive. Fortunately, he did not have any contact with any Japanese athletes.

After 18 days of treatment, Tashima was cleared to go home. At a press conference he held, the Japanese football chief revealed that he suffered from low-grade fever in the first week but his condition began to stabilize the net week.

As a former COVID-19 patient, Tashima witnessed the work of front-line medical staff. "They are doing everything they can to keep out medical system from falling apart," said Tashima. "Both the economy and sports can restart as long as we live on."

In order to protect his wife, who is the national team's doctor, and his 89-year-old mother, Tashima will be in self-isolation for another two weeks after being discharged from hospital.