New corona spreading self-funded inspection Cases not reported to the government one after another

New Corona Spreading self-funded inspection Cases not reported to the government One after another October 22, 23:31

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An increasing number of private laboratories are able to take PCR tests for the new coronavirus at their own expense even if they have no symptoms.

According to interviews with public health centers, it was found that there are a number of cases in which people who test positive at their own expense are not properly reported to the government.

In the testing of the new coronavirus, apart from the "administrative testing" that is carried out at public expense for people suspected of being infected, the number of medical institutions and testing institutions that can undergo PCR testing at their own expense even if they have no symptoms is increasing. I will.

According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, it is legally required to report the new coronavirus to the government when a doctor confirms the infection, but in the case of self-financed inspection, if you do not see a medical institution, even if it is positive, it will be reported to the government. There are no rules such as reporting.

According to a meeting of people in charge of health centers in the 23 wards of Tokyo, there were cases in which at least 17 wards of health centers did not report positive people who tested positive at their own expense by a private laboratory. It means that.

Of these, at the Chuo Ward Public Health Center, there were cases in which the telephone was connected even though the inspection institution was contacted, and there were cases in which there was no explanation as to which medical institution to consult.

Hideo Yoshikawa, chief of the Health Promotion Division of Chuo Ward Public Health Center, said, "If there is no notification, the public health center will not be able to isolate patients or investigate contacts, and the spread of infection may progress. Businesses that conduct self-financed tests cooperate with medical institutions. I want you to take responsibility for the notification by doing so. "

There is no rule for inspection agencies to submit "outbreak notification"

According to the health center, the health center usually receives the "outbreak report" submitted by the medical institution based on the law, and responds to the infected person by investigating close contacts.

However, in the case of self-financed tests, even if the test is positive, the infection is not confirmed until the doctor diagnoses it, so there is no rule for the testing institution to issue an "outbreak report".

For this reason, there are many cases in which it is difficult for the health center to grasp the "outbreak report" until the medical institution is consulted.

According to the health center, if there is no "outbreak report", the response to infected people may be delayed, and the health center will need to confirm each person again within a limited system. Furthermore, if the number of self-funded inspections increases, there is a concern that the original administrative inspections and other operations will be affected.

Increasing self-expense inspection

Due to overseas travel and business, the demand for tests to confirm negatives is increasing, so from this summer onward, services for performing PCR tests at your own expense will be released one after another for people without symptoms. It's coming.

In many cases, not only private testing companies but also medical institutions such as clinics perform the tests. If you make a reservation in advance and perform the test at the facility, or if you send the test kit with saliva, the result will be obtained. There are various ways to receive inspections, such as what is sent to you.

In late September, the SoftBank Group announced that it will be able to take saliva PCR tests for local governments and companies for 2000 yen each time.

Inspection company "If there is a support system"

Some testing companies that accept self-financed tests are requesting that they develop rules for dealing with positive people and support cooperation with medical institutions.

The inspection company in Chuo-ku, Tokyo has been accepting self-funded inspections by companies and organizations since July, and recently, the number of requests for inspections to confirm negatives has increased.

Sometimes the test is limited to people who have no symptoms, most of them are negative, but in rare cases they are positive.

The company has contracts with multiple medical institutions, and if it becomes positive, it has a system in place to receive medical examinations immediately, but it was not easy to find a medical institution that can handle it even on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

In addition, medical insurance is not applied to the medical examination fee when the self-financed test is positive and you visit a medical institution, so the cost is borne by the company.

Takashi Murakami, president of the inspection company "Prevent Science", said, "I think it is obligatory to follow up when a positive person appears, but it costs a certain amount to maintain the system. An inspection organization that takes appropriate measures. It would be helpful if there was a system to support. "

Expert "Making a mechanism"

Regarding the response after a positive test at his own expense, Professor Hayato Miyaji of Tokai University School of Medicine, who specializes in clinical laboratory studies, said, "As soon as a positive test is found, the laboratory, medical institution, and health center work together. It is desirable to have a system that can be shared with other people. If the government issues guidelines, the efforts will expand, but there are inspection institutions that have already expanded nationwide, and it will take some time before the cooperation system is established. It is necessary to proceed in a way that does not burden the health center as much as possible, such as making it. "