The health ministry plans to make only elderly and chronically ill patients subject to hospitalization for the novel coronavirus, in principle, according to a ministry draft plan.
As part of a review of the handling of designated diseases under the Infectious Diseases Law with regard to the coronavirus, the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry intends to stipulate the revision primarily in a government ordinance. It was expected to present the plan to a working group of its advisory body on Friday, with the aim of implementing it in October.
Under the envisaged plan, people infected with the virus will not be subject to hospitalization across the board. The plan will call for hospitalizations only for those 65 or older who are likely to develop serious symptoms, chronically ill patients and those who need to be hospitalized regardless of age. But it will also stipulate that local governments can make flexible decisions to better respond to their circumstances.
Currently, the ministry requests that virus patients without symptoms or with mild symptoms recuperate at designated hotels or other suitable places to prevent a shortage of hospital beds. However, it has been pointed out that medical workers are facing an increased burden because some local governments strictly abide by a government ordinance that enables all infected people to be hospitalized.
The ministry also plans to reduce the burden on medical institutions of making reports to public health centers.
Currently, the institutions submit reports on all people tested for suspected infections with the coronavirus.
However, such reports will be limited to those who will be hospitalized after taking a test, as the number of patients who cannot be confirmed to be infected could rise if influenza simultaneously spreads in autumn or later. If an influenza patient is confirmed to have the coronavirus, the institution will report their case to a public health center.
When the ministry designated COVID-19 as a designated infectious disease in February, it was categorized under the Infectious Diseases Law as a disease equivalent to those in Category II, which include tuberculosis and severe acute respiratory syndrome. After that, the ministry made it possible to take the strictest measures for COVID-19, such as allowing people with no symptoms to be hospitalized, in a similar manner for diseases under Category I, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
In its review, based on opinions from those in relevant fields, the ministry intends to establish a system that can focus on treating seriously ill patients by reducing the burden on medical institutions and public health centers.
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