On the 5th of the new year, the number of newly confirmed cases of the new coronavirus reached a record high in 12 prefectures, mainly in western Japan, and exceeded 220,000 nationwide.
What is the current situation of medical institutions facing the new corona?
At university hospitals in Tokyo, the beds for severely ill patients have been almost full since the end of December, making it difficult to accept new patients.
Doctors in the field are growing a sense of crisis, as it may affect emergency medical care other than corona.
Some hospitals in Tokyo find it difficult to accept new critically ill patients
Nippon Medical School Hospital in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, has secured six beds for severe corona patients, but it has been almost full since late December.
According to the hospital, there is a series of nosocomial infections of Corona at nearby hospitals, and even if severely ill patients recover, they cannot find a place to accept them.
For this reason, it is becoming difficult to accept new patients, and we are forced to refuse emergency transport of patients who need hospitalization.
On the 5th, doctors were seen wearing protective clothing and getting into a doctor car and going directly to a patient who could not be accepted at the hospital.
In winter, there are many cases of myocardial infarction and stroke, and if the number of corona patients increases further, general emergency medical care may be affected, and doctors on the ground are feeling a sense of crisis.
Shoji Yokobori, director of the Advanced Emergency and Critical Care Center, said, "After the new year, the movement of people will return, and the number of severely ill patients may increase in the future. Since the frontline is expected to become even more stressful, infection control is of course necessary, as well as other injuries and illnesses. I want you to be careful not to use medical care due to illness."
Public health centers also become more vigilant, and it takes time to adjust hospitalization
At the public health center in Hachioji, Tokyo, the number of confirmed new corona infections in the city began to increase around November last year, and it has been taking time to adjust the hospitalization of patients since the beginning of the year.
In some cases, it is said that there are cases in which a hospital that accepts patients cannot be found in Hachioji City, and that they are looking for hospitals outside the city.
At public health centers, there is a growing sense of caution that the number of infected people will increase rapidly after the year-end and New Year holidays when people come and go, and that medical institutions will be overwhelmed by the simultaneous epidemic of influenza.
In order to prevent further strain on medical institutions, Hachioji City is calling for those who have symptoms such as fever and cough to first test themselves with a new corona test kit and then see a doctor based on the risk of aggravation.
Yuko Takahashi, deputy director of the Hachioji City Public Health Center, said, "I have a sense of crisis about the increase in the number of infected people in the future. I will share the situation of the tightness of medical institutions against the simultaneous epidemic and make it appropriate for hospitalization and treatment of patients with a high risk of aggravation. I would like to connect to it," he said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno ``Beware of the simultaneous epidemic of corona and influenza after winter break''
At a press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno said, "The downward trend is continuing, but the number of inspections during the year-end and New Year holidays may also have an effect.In the future, it is necessary to pay attention to the impact of the increase in contact opportunities during the year-end and New Year holidays on the infection situation. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to the simultaneous epidemics of the new coronavirus and influenza, especially after the winter break when schools resume."
After that, he said, "The government will continue to work with relevant parties such as local governments to secure hospital beds and outpatient medical systems, and to work on early vaccination." He called for thorough implementation of basic infection control measures.