The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has started full-scale consideration of the lifting of the ban on sales to the general public, such as the Internet and pharmacies, for antigen test kits that can simultaneously check for the presence of new coronavirus and influenza infections.
Amid concerns about the simultaneous epidemic of the new coronavirus and influenza, the government is asking people who have symptoms such as fever but who are at low risk of serious illness to be tested with a new coronavirus antigen test kit sold at pharmacies and online. I am asking you to do
However, in order to check for influenza infection, it is necessary to undergo a test at a medical institution, and in preparation for future increases in infection, simultaneous test kits that are currently used only at medical institutions will be available for sale at pharmacies and online. There was an opinion that it should.
Regarding this, at an expert meeting of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare held on the 22nd, there were points such as "I'm worried about the accuracy of the test" and "There is a possibility that the positive reaction to influenza may not be detected immediately after fever." It means that there were many opinions in favor of it.
Based on these opinions, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare will hold a subcommittee of experts to seriously consider the lifting of the ban on the sale of simultaneous test kits to the general public, on the premise of giving top priority to the supply to medical institutions. I am going to do it.