There is a fear that pneumonia caused by the new type of coronavirus could spread on a large scale in Japan. It is important to properly receive treatment at medical institutions.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has announced guidelines on visiting medical institutions for people who are suspected of having been infected with the virus.
If a person has a fever of 37.5 C or higher for more than four days, or if their body feels very heavy or they have difficulty breathing, they are advised to call a consultation service section at a public health center.
Older people and people with chronic illnesses are at high risk of getting worse if infected. Therefore, the ministry is calling for such patients to seek early consultation when they have had a fever for about two days, rather than waiting four days.
It is significant that the guidelines illustrated tips on how people should react according to their symptoms.
The consultation center will listen to patients describe their symptoms and refer them to specialized outpatient clinics if they need treatment. Specialized outpatient clinics are not publicized.
When a new strain of influenza broke out in 2009, a large number of patients with mild symptoms rushed to the clinics, hampering medical examinations of the seriously ill. The system of using the consultation center is designed to prevent such confusion. It can be said that the decision was based on lessons learned from the past.
Find ways to limit exposure
At a hospital in Wakayama Prefecture, multiple people, including doctors and patients, were confirmed to have been infected with the virus. What is worrisome is that hospital-acquired infections will occur as more and more patients are treated for the pneumonia.
Hospitals with large numbers of patients tend to be a stage for the spread of infection. If the virus spreads outright to hospitals, welfare facilities and other places where people are in declining health, it could lead to a spate of deaths.
When doctors and nurses are absent from work due to infection, local medical services cannot be provided. It is desirable for medical workers to thoroughly implement basic preventive measures such as hand washing and disinfection.
The disease is believed to be in the early stages of an epidemic that began with person-to-person transmission. What is important at this time is to reduce the chance of infection as much as possible.
The Imperial Household Agency canceled a visit by the general public to the Imperial Palace on Sunday to celebrate the Emperor's birthday. At the Tokyo Marathon to be held in March, participation by runners from the general public will also be scrapped. This is expected to have a certain effect in preventing the spread of infection.
Companies also need to be prepared for infection among their employees. NTT Group, which has 200,000 employees, recommends staggered working hours and teleworking from home. There is probably room in some workplaces to devise ways of working, such as through videoconferencing.
There is no need to exercise excessive self-restraint, but it is effective for each person to postpone unnecessary and nonurgent gatherings and avoid crowds, within reason. Society as a whole should make efforts to reduce the risk of infection.
-- This article appeared in the print version of The Yomiuri Shimbun on Feb. 19, 2020.
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