A tight medical field.

In hospitals that accept critically ill patients infected with the new coronavirus, even if the patient's symptoms improve, there are cases where there is no transfer destination and the bed is blocked.

Under such circumstances, in Hachioji City, Tokyo, about 40 medical institutions and long-term care facilities have formed a network and have begun efforts to solve this problem.


Its name is also "10days rule".

Even after the treatment ...

At the Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center in Hachioji City, Tokyo, about 60 people were hospitalized, including critically ill patients who were infected with the new coronavirus and required a respirator and ECMO, as well as patients with moderate or suspected infection. I am.



However, even after the symptoms improved and the treatment was over, there were cases where the bed was blocked because rehabilitation was required and I could not return to my home immediately, and I could not find a hospital where I could transfer to another hospital.



Therefore, Dr. Takao Arai of the Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center Emergency and Critical Care Center will play a central role in building a network with local medical institutions and nursing care facilities from December last year to secure recipients for patients. Did.



The name is "10days rule".

"10days rule"

That's how it works.


Patients with the new coronavirus are said to have an extremely low risk of infecting other people about 10 days after the onset, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has included it in one of the discharge criteria.



Based on this, in principle, patients who have been treated for more than 10 days after the onset and whose symptoms have subsided have been thoroughly transferred to another hospital or facility without performing a PCR test.



Behind the birth of this rule was a web conference every Thursday, with Dr. Arai playing a central role and about 200 people including nearby medical institutions, medical associations, nursing homes, and city officials.

Correspondence throughout the region

At the conference, while sharing the acceptance status of patients at the medical center, Dr. Yuji Hirai of Tokyo Medical University Hachioji Medical Center, who is an infectious disease specialist, will give notes on infection control and various research data in Japan and overseas, etc. I have explained the information about.



Under these circumstances, the momentum to respond to the new coronavirus has increased throughout the region, and it is said that the "10days rule" has been launched.



Beginning in earnest this month, on the 26th, two elderly patients were transferred to a private hospital in the city based on this rule.

There are currently about 40 private hospitals and long-term care facilities that have announced that they will accept patients.

Dr. Hirai


"I am trying to facilitate acceptance by telling other medical institutions and facilities as soon as possible which patients are scheduled to be transferred. In addition, local officials have been involved in viruses at previous web conferences. Since I have the correct knowledge, I think that I am not overly afraid to cooperate. "

Dr. Arai


"You can't overcome it unless you decide the division of roles in the area and confront Corona. The operation has just begun, but I would like to further cooperate with the area for treatment in the future."

The private hospitals that cooperate

This "10days rule".

As the infection spreads, the number of private hospitals that cooperate is gradually increasing.

Shiroyama Hospital in Hachioji City has decided to accept patients from the medical center from this month and has prepared four beds.

Originally, this is a medical treatment type hospital that specializes in rehabilitation, etc., and does not accept patients with the new corona.



Even so, we decided that it would be acceptable if the patient had stable symptoms and could not infect other people.

This month, we have already accepted 6 people, and 1 person has been transferred to the hospital on the 28th.

Atsushi Sugimoto, Director of Shiroyama Hospital


"The infection is spreading so much that it cannot be said that it is not related because it is a medical treatment type hospital. I would like to cooperate as a logistical support hospital."

Even in a long-term care facility

In addition, 28 long-term care facilities have participated in this network so far.

At one of the special nursing homes for the elderly, "Fujijuen," we invited infectious disease specialists and nurses from the medical center to learn about the characteristics of the new coronavirus and infection control measures.



In the future, if an elderly person who moves in is infected with corona and is admitted to a medical center, he / she will be returned to the facility if his / her symptoms are stable after 10 days.

Yusuke Ono, Director of Facility Fujijuen


"Since it is an unknown disease, I would like to accept any request for cooperation in the community while receiving expert advice."