By SHUICHI DOI/ Staff Writer
April 3, 2020 at 14:24 JST
The building in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward housing the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Coronavirus patients who show no symptoms or only minor ones will be allowed to recuperate at home or in special facilities under a health ministry notice dated April 2 sent to all prefectural governments.
The measures are designed to alleviate the burden on medical institutions as they prepare for more patients who develop serious symptoms from the coronavirus.
Under the directive, those infected but who have no visible symptoms or minor ones would be allowed to recover at home or at a facility provided by the local government if their doctor decides that hospitalization is not required.
The measure will not cover the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions and pregnant women.
Patients who are allowed to recover at a facility outside of their home would be accommodated in single rooms and would have their health monitored by officials from the local public health office based full time at the facility.
Those who recuperate at home must first receive an explanation from their doctors about ways to prevent further infections. In addition, local public health officials would conduct home daily visits to check on the individual’s health. If their symptoms worsen, the individual would be transported to a medical institution.
The facilities to accommodate those individuals would be facilities operated by local or central governments as well as hotel rooms that the prefectural government leases.
Decisions about leaving the facility or having the home recuperation measures lifted would be based on similar standards for determining if patients can leave the hospital.
However, in line with the latest directive, the health ministry also relaxed its standards for discharge from hospitals. Once symptoms are no longer found, the patient will receive tests for the coronavirus at 24-hour intervals and if two consecutive negative results are confirmed, the individual may leave the hospital.
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