As the infection of the new coronavirus spreads, private testing centers that can receive PCR tests at a lower price than before are opening one after another.
Applications are flooding from people considering returning home during the year-end and New Year holidays, and some reservations are almost full until next month.
In front of JR Shinbashi Station in Tokyo, a PCR testing center for the new coronavirus operated by a major construction company group opened on the 4th of this month.
A PCR test is performed on asymptomatic people, and the price is 3190 yen each time.
In addition to procuring inspection kits and maintaining the building within the group, it is said that the price was reduced by conducting a large number of inspections.
The flow of the test is as follows: First, after receiving the special kit at the reception desk, move to the booth and put saliva in the case.
If you hand it to the person in charge, it will be completed, and it will be completed in about 5 minutes at the longest.
It is a complete reservation system and the number of users per day is about 750.
Since its opening, it has been flooded with applications, and reservations are almost full until early next month.
Then, what kind of person will come to the inspection at his own expense?
According to the center, there are many people who are worried about whether to go home during the New Year holidays and meet their families, or who are asked by the company or business partners to undergo an inspection due to work reasons.
The test result will be notified by e-mail the next day, and about 1% to 1.5% of the total people will be "suspected of being positive".
However, this does not confirm the infection, and it is necessary to undergo a publicly funded test at a medical institution.
The center encourages you to refrain from using public transportation and retest at a medical institution as soon as possible, and if you get a positive result, follow the instructions of the health center.
If you cannot get the test because you have no symptoms at the medical institution, we will refer you to the medical institution with which the center is affiliated.
On the other hand, negative people are warned that "the accuracy of the test is not 100% and does not deny the infection of the new corona".
Taro Inagawa, director of the PCR testing center, said, "I think there are many people who are wondering if they are really infected even if they have no symptoms. I think this situation is caused by people who are suspected of being positive. We are working to prevent the spread of infection by sending detailed emails about how to respond to the infection. "
In response to rising demand, the operating company plans to open similar inspection centers in six locations in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
User "For decision material for homecoming"
When I talked to people who used the inspection center, many people came to have an inspection to consider returning home during the New Year holidays.
A man in his twenties who is planning to return to Tokushima Prefecture said, "My family asked me to have a PCR test if I went home. The results will come out the next day, so I will use it as a basis for my decision to go home." Was there.
Parents and children in their 50s and 80s who are planning to return to Kagoshima Prefecture said, "I was tested after I was worried about whether to return home. If it was negative, I told them that it was okay for the time being, but I gathered with my relatives to eat. I'm thinking of quitting. "
A woman in her twenties who is planning to meet a friend in Okayama Prefecture said, "I'm talking with my friends that they will meet each other if they are tested negative. I think that if they are tested, they will not feel confused." I was talking.
Private PCR test Precautions
There are many points to be aware of when taking an inspection at your own expense.
Last month, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare summarized the precautions for self-financed inspections on its website in response to the spread of private inspection organizations.
According to this, due to the nature of the test, the result may be negative even though it is actually infected, or conversely it may be positive even though it is not infected.
In addition, some laboratories only notify the results and do not involve a doctor's diagnosis, so it cannot be said that the person is not infected without a doctor's diagnosis.
In addition, the virus may not be detected early in the infection, and there is a possibility of infection after that, so even if a negative result is obtained, it is necessary to make efforts to prevent the infection.
On the other hand, if the test is positive, if there is no medical institution affiliated with the testing institution, you may be asked to consult with a consultation center or a nearby medical institution, and you may need to test again there. ..
On top of that, it is important to understand the test content, price, and what to do when a positive result is found, and then select a testing institution.
If you have symptoms such as fever or coughing, you may be able to undergo an "administrative examination" conducted at public expense, and we encourage you to consult a medical institution near you first.
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the content and cost of inspections are different for each private inspection institution, and the response when a positive result is found is different, making it difficult for users to understand, and the content and price of services provided by each inspection institution, etc. We will put together a list of the information and publish it on our website.
There are also issues in dealing with "positive"
How many people have a "positive" result in their own expense test?
In fact, the national and local governments do not know the total number.
Even if you get a positive result from your own expense test, there is no rule to report it to a health center.
In addition, there are cases in which an infected person is not counted unless a positive result is confirmed after being tested at a public expense at a medical institution.
In fact, there are cases where people who test positive at their own expense are not properly reported to the government.
At the end of September, a meeting of people in charge of health centers in the 23 wards of Tokyo investigated that there were at least 17 wards of health centers that did not report any positive results at their own expense.
Of these, at the Chuo Ward Public Health Center, there were cases where the inspection institution did not explain which medical institution to visit.
Expert "Inspection accuracy is" cobblestone mixing ""
Regarding the growing needs of private laboratories, Professor Hayato Miyaji of Tokai University School of Medicine, who specializes in clinical laboratory studies, said, "PCR testing was originally expensive, but various business entities have entered the market and access to it. Service competition began due to goodness and quick result reporting time, making it easier for the general public to reach. This tendency matches the needs of this time when we want to confirm negatives for business trips and homecoming. I think it will spread more and more in the future. "
On the other hand, "From the viewpoint of inspection accuracy, we do not know the actual situation such as the number of users, inspection quality, reliability, etc. in a state of mixed boulders, so we know which inspection institution or service to use. The current situation is that it is difficult. "
On that basis, "The government needs to clarify the actual situation regarding the content and quality of the inspection service of each company as soon as possible, and the user side also recognizes that the accuracy of PCR inspection itself is limited. I want you to use it. "
Also, regarding the fact that there is no rule to notify health centers etc. even if the self-financed test is positive at present, "It is not possible to treat the result of the self-funded test in the same way as the original test due to accuracy problems. Data on how many tests have been performed and how many people are suspected of being positive may ultimately lead to information on infected people, such as sharing such information between laboratories and health centers. I think it's okay to have a mechanism. "