Three years have passed since the spread of the new coronavirus infection, and discussions on revising the classification under the Infectious Diseases Act are in full swing.
The focus is on whether to continue to cover medical expenses with public funds, and the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare wants to determine the timing and direction of the review as soon as possible, based on the future infection status.
The new coronavirus was first confirmed in Japan three years ago in January, and according to a summary by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, the cumulative number of people infected so far has reached 29 million, and the number of people who have died has risen to 57,000. It's climbing
Due to its high infectivity, it is classified as "type 2 equivalent" for which strict measures can be taken under the Infectious Diseases Law. Therefore, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is proceeding with discussions to review the classification.
Regarding this, within the government, there is a plan to reduce it to "5", which is the same as seasonal influenza, as early as this spring, but among experts, it is similar to seasonal influenza. There is an opinion that it is too early to judge that correspondence is possible.
In addition, when reviewing the classification, it is necessary to ask whether medical expenses such as examinations and hospitalization, which are borne by the government at public expense, should be borne by the public, and whether medical examinations and hospitalization can be performed at general medical institutions. The focus will be on whether to pay for free vaccinations that are up to the month.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is expected to hold a subcommittee of experts to discuss the classification of the Infectious Diseases Law in the middle of this month. I want to make a decision about when