In the fifth wave, when the infection of the new coronavirus spread rapidly, infection of the visually impaired was also confirmed.
In some cases, we face challenges peculiar to the visually impaired, such as not being able to grasp the measured value of oxygen in the blood by ourselves. It is. "
According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, there are about 330,000 visually impaired people nationwide as of two years ago, with only those who have been issued a disability certificate.
According to the Japan Association of Visually Impaired Persons, the new corona infections of the visually impaired have been occurring one after another since last year, and multiple infections were confirmed in the fifth wave of this summer when the infection spread rapidly.
According to the group alliance, visually impaired people often find it difficult to prevent infection because they get information by touching things and are guided by the elbows of supporters when they go out. is.
Even when taking care of yourself at home, you can measure the oxygen level in the blood with a pulse oximeter and observe your health, but it may be difficult to understand the symptoms because you cannot see your own measurement value.
In addition, even when he was hospitalized, he was uneasy because he did not know the detailed status of the test or the contents of the meal served.
Especially in the 5th wave when health centers and medical institutions were tight, there were some people who could not get enough support, so it is an issue to establish a support system.
Blind women with corona infection
A blind woman who was infected with the new corona in the fifth wave of this summer and was diagnosed with moderate disease was hospitalized after several days of home medical treatment, but she was worried because she could not get enough support at home or in the hospital. It is said that he did.
Midori Tomura (62) from Chiba Prefecture has a chronic illness that causes her eyesight to deteriorate, and she has been completely blind since she was in elementary school.
She lives with her husband, Masashi (62), who is also blind, and her elderly mother-in-law.
It is said that there are many occasions when it is difficult to prevent the infection of the new corona, such as when going out for shopping, etc., by holding the arm of a guide helper or the like to guide them.
Under these circumstances, Midori had a fever around August 19th, felt pain in her back, and underwent a PCR test at the hospital on the 21st, and the infection was confirmed.
I called an ambulance because my symptoms worsened, but the destination was not decided and I was forced to take care of myself at home.
I don't know the measured value of the pulse oximeter
During home medical treatment, I was instructed to measure the oxygen level in the blood with a pulse oximeter delivered from the health center and observe the health, but both couples are visually impaired and it is not possible to know the measured value by looking at the screen. I could not do it.
The device did not have a function to read the measured values by voice, and when my husband Masashi contacted the health center, he said, "Please have someone look at me," and I had no choice but to have my eldest daughter, who lives in a remote place, come.
Midori recalls, "I wish I could measure it myself. I was really sorry for my daughter even though I was at risk of infection."
The eldest daughter looked back at the time and said, "I'm having a hard time with a corona infection, and when I don't know the important information to know my physical condition, my mother's teeth are swaying in my head and I can't stop crying. I also had a job and a family, and I was worried about the infection, but I decided that I had to go. "
The eldest daughter took all possible infection control measures, such as wearing rubber gloves and a raincoat in addition to the mask, but the infection was confirmed after that.
Midori's symptoms worsened, and Masashi called many times to call a health center and finally decided to be hospitalized on the 25th.
The health center told me to go to the hospital where I was hospitalized by private car, and my eldest daughter, who had been confirmed to be positive for corona, went by car.
At the hospital, my pneumonia was getting worse and I was diagnosed with "moderate 2" requiring oxygen inhalation, and I was hospitalized for 3 weeks until last month.
I don't know what I'm eating without enough explanation at the hospital
I lived in an unfamiliar place at the hospital, but I didn't have enough explanations, so I didn't know the location and operation method of the toilet, and sometimes I couldn't explain the meals that were served. I didn't know what I was eating.
In addition, even if the medical staff measured the oxygen level, they did not tell me the measured value, and there was no detailed explanation of the test, so I could not grasp my physical condition and felt uneasy.
Midori said, "I tried to ask what I didn't understand even at the hospital, but sometimes I didn't understand well and gave up thinking that I was busy. I was sad and anxious about it. I can't see it, so I wanted to help the part I see with my eyes, and I hope that the support will be in place. "
The eldest daughter said, "It was a situation that we had to do something with our family. I hope that we will be able to take a closer look at the situation of visually impaired people and help them."
A pamphlet summarizing the necessary support
Efforts are underway to put together a pamphlet to let healthcare professionals know what kind of support is needed if a visually impaired person is hospitalized with the new corona.
This pamphlet was created last year by a group of researchers and medical and welfare professionals who provide medical information to people with disabilities.
Illustrations are provided for medical professionals and support staff about the specific methods of support and voices that visually impaired people need for hospitalization and accommodation treatment.
For example, when guiding patients at the time of admission, it is introduced that the patient should stand half a step forward to grab his elbows on the side that does not have a white stool, and do not put anything in the passage to the toilet. Notes are also written.
In addition, before the test, it is introduced that the flow of the test and the guideline of the required time will be explained in detail, and that the characters in the explanatory material will be easier to read even for people with weak eyesight if they are in large Gothic font.
In addition, it also describes the content of the call during the PCR test and the reading aloud so that the patient can understand the result during the temperature measurement.
In addition, it is introduced that when you arrive at a room at an accommodation facility, you can explain the size of the room and the positional relationship of the beds, etc., starting from the entrance, and explain the contents of the meal verbally.
In November, the research group decided to send this pamphlet to about 500 health centers nationwide so that it could be used at medical institutions and lodging facilities.
Chikako Yamaki, the representative of the research group, said, "When hospitalized with the new corona, family members cannot accompany them, and visually impaired people should grasp the surrounding situation by themselves in a place that they are not accustomed to. It is difficult. I think it is more important than usual for medical staff to be aware of their needs, so I would like them to be useful at medical institutions around the world. "
Expert "Now that the infection is calm, consider support measures"
Professor Yasushi Nakano of Keio University, who is familiar with support for the visually impaired, said, "It is often difficult for visually impaired people to receive medical treatment at home, and it is necessary to create a system that gives priority to hospitalization. Even in such cases, I would like the government to consider countermeasures, such as visiting staff who have been trained in infection countermeasures. "
Regarding support after hospitalization, he pointed out that "when the infection spreads, it is necessary to establish a system to support visually impaired people in the hospital in cooperation with the government, not just leaving it to medical institutions."
On top of that, he said, "Even in the situation where we could normally provide polite support, in the 5th wave, the government and medical institutions were so tight that we couldn't get close enough to the problems of people with disabilities. We prepared for the 6th wave. Now that the infection situation has settled down a little, it is important to think about support measures while listening carefully to the voices of the parties concerned. "