Japan to revise criteria on symptoms for being tested for virus

People who feel they have developed a high fever would be able to immediately consult local a health care center, which will then refer them to an outpatient clinic or medical institution. If the doctors deem it necessary, they can then take a polymerase chain reaction test.

South Korea: Anyone who wants a test can get one right away.

Japan: Check out our new and super easy testing regime! All you have to do is get sick first, then go to two different places for consultations after which you might be sent for a test. Or not!

The Korea that can do no wrong; lies, damned lies and Korean statistics slowly emerging.

I’m not holding Korea up for doing no wrong, I’m holding them up because on this one thing they happen to be doing better and the comparison illustrates the absurdity of even the updated Japanese protocol which also seems designed to be so cumbersome that not many people will get tested.

Would it make you feel better if I chose Germany instead? There is a whole stack of other countries with better systems available if you don’t like Korea.

"Body temperatures are different for every person," health minister Katsunobu Kato said.

Happy that's finally been discovered!

Good thing he's in charge of 130 million people's health!

The Korea that can do no wrong; lies, damned lies and Korean statistics slowly emerging.

Whether you like Korea or not (and I guess you don't), when it comes to testing they have done about the best in the world and managed to contain a virus that was on the verge of spiralling out of control.

Pathetic

Been saying this for weeks now the testing criteria was excessive

I was referred to our local hokenjo after trying to find out how to get a test. After asking where I lived, I was told - and I quote - ‘You probably don’t have the virus, because there are no cases in your town’.

If the doctors deem it necessary, they can then take a polymerase chain reaction test.

So you still need a doctor to ok the test. If he does not agree and sends you home, which you know most will be pressured to do, then no test for you! Still a joke!

How long has Abe been saying we can test up to 20000 a day. But in this article it states they hope to be able to test that many soon. So he was telling a bold face lie to the people. So he is no different than his buddy Donald!

@Peeping_Tom

"South Korea: Anyone who wants a test can get one right away."

The Korea that can do no wrong; lies, damned lies and Korean statistics slowly emerging.

"South Korea: More recovered coronavirus patients test positive

At least 116 people cleared of the virus have tested positive again, raising questions for authorities."

Your post does not make sense. If anything what you have posted actually reinforces the fact that South Korea is doing a very good job testing. I believe South Korea and Taiwan have had two of the best responses to this crisis. I believe Japan should try to model the programs in South Korea and Taiwan. Regardless of anyone's feelings toward other countries science and empirical data (i.e. what is shown to work) should be used in this case.

My Father-in-Law just spent 10 days in hospital with a build-up of fluid in his lungs and a high fever.

He wasn't tested for COVID-19. In 10 days.

"Don't worry, there is no Corona in this hospital"

This place is medieval.

They only changed the criteria because they're still unable to do a high volume of testing. 20,000 tests a day... at that rate it would take almost 17 years to test everyone in Japan. Heck, by that time Japan's population will have dropped by around 10 million.... so I revise my estimate to 13 years.

Doesn't matter anymore. Any findings this government will soon find out was already studied, researched, and addressed in other nations. Japan is just too slow to act on this one. They are just too afraid to be wrong.

People who feel they have developed a high fever would be able to immediately consult local a health care center, which will then refer them to an outpatient clinic or medical institution. If the doctors deem it necessary, they can then take a polymerase chain reaction test.

Pathetic. They have now reduced this to 3 fiery hoops to jump through with associated queues and transport etc to get the test.

Many other countries have reduced this down to"

1) Telephone your local clinic and tell them your symptoms. If any resemble those of Covid-19 then. . . .

2) You then go to your local drive through testing facility and get swabbed. You stay in the car, they collect the sample, you then drive directly home and self-quarantine and await the results.

Even if they are negative, you are still urged to stay home for a full 14 day quarantine period. Positive and the local authorities/health services will arrange strict monitoring. It's not rocket science Japan!

My friend/neighbor had a high fever and sore throat, and when he went to the hospital they refused to test him for COVID-19, and then determined he didn't have it (without even testing for it). They just told him to go home and rest.

His conditions got less intense for a couple days, but now his throat and fever are raging again, even worse than before, so he is going back to the hospital. Hopefully this time around they'll determine what it is that he has.

I don't know if it's the coronavirus or not, but either way it's disappointing that hospitals in some parts of Japan are still reluctant to even test for it. My friend has shown symptoms for a week now, luckily he can self-quarantine for the time being.

About time and a step in the right direction.

Four days still seems a long time to be waiting while seriously sick. Isn't better to fight this disease ASAP?

mild cold-like symptoms such as fever 

I don't consider fever a "mild" symptom. When I've a cold and it develops into a fever, then I know it's turned into something more serious like influenza.

"In some cases, their conditions worsened." Don't forget to add, 'and died without treatment.' Testing is still abhorrently low, and I doubt if the government really knows the exact number of infected, and if you don't have the right numbers you're not going to be able to enact an effective plan.

Don't understand what's the challenge in conducting more test in Japan? Many developing countries have conducted far more tests than Japan.

"You probably don’t have the virus, because there are no cases in your town."

Exactly! This interesting quote precisely illustrates the See-No-Evil-Hear-No-Evil predisposed mindset afflicting the PCR testing criteria application process.

On the subject of the unavailability of rapid tests for Covid-19, I wonder if Japan's Abe is doing something similar to what Trump is doing. Over here, Trump has everyone who enters the White House take a rapid test for the pandemic. He himself and those around him are repeatedly tested, while the rest of the nation suffers from a lack of testing. It is obviously very shameful, and I am surprised that the main stream media is not making a bigger issue out of it. He offered to supple a thousand rapid test kits to Congress, but the leaders of that body refused to take him up on his offer, stating that it is more important to get those test kits to the front line workers in the pandemic. I sincerely doubt that Mr. Trump turned around and then gave the test kits to hospitals or others in need.

Yesterday on the news there was a video of Trump touring a mask factory. When one of the workers tried to hand him a mask to look at, he hurriedly back up out of range of the worker, who, like almost everyone else in America, does not have rapid testing available. It is amusing to see Trump back away from someone who might be infected, with obvious fear on his face, while telling the rest of the nation to be brave and go back to work.

We have to keep in mind that doctors here tell you to stop taking antibiotics when “you feel better,” which is definitively not how antibiotics should be taken. This demonstrates a level of incompetence amongst the medical community here that makes the current situation regarding the coronavirus unsurprising.

Does anyone get the distinct feeling that disfunction leads the system?

"The number of PCR tests carried out in Japan has been very low due to a lack of human resources and advanced preparation. The government is hoping to ramp up its capacity and conduct 20,000 such tests a day." Therein lies the problem. From January to the latter half of March, abe could have ramped up the capacity and manpower for testing. He did not; the olympics had priority. He's playing catch up. One thing I'd like to see is wide spread testing in Iwate, the only prefecture without any infections. I can bet there are a lot of asymptomatics walking around up there. If they find out what's going on in Iwate, they'll know just far how off or on the mark they've been.

Where I live people say to me, it's still OK here.

I reply, how do you know? Have you been tested? Do you know anyone who has been tested? Answer No and no. Then I say, so nobody know if it is OK around here then...

@changamangaliay

Don't understand what's the challenge in conducting more test in Japan? Many developing countries have conducted far more tests than Japan.

It also has puzzled me. Japan has enough money, equipment and people to test at least 60,000 people per day by automatizing the PCR test. https://youtu.be/1yyZHfypTIY

They can do it at anytime if the government is willing to do. They just don't do it, making me think the low number of tests is actually intentional.

According to data disclosed by a government panel of experts, Japan has conducted 188 PCR tests per 10,000 people, while many other countries have done more than 1,000.

That is widely incorrect. Japan has tested just over 180,000 people (188 per 10,000 people would mean more than 2 millions tests, which would actually be a good thing). That is around 15 tests per 10,000 people. Which is way lower than any other country.

My Father-in-Law just spent 10 days in hospital with a build-up of fluid in his lungs and a high fever.

He wasn't tested for COVID-19. In 10 days.

"Don't worry, there is no Corona in this hospital"

This place is medieval.

I guess his high fever wasn't for 4 straight days.

Keep thinking, Japan. Keep thinking. Thinking always brings good ideas. At this rate of thinking, I am sure the powers that be will come up with one idea by the end of this decade. And since that idea would have been rendered obsolete by then, they would need even more time to do even more thinking. So the circle of thought continues.

Given that a high percentage of infected people, who are capable of transmitting the disease, are asymptomatic, the only way to get a handle on the pandemic is to test everyone, repeatedly, until either herd immunity has been established, the virus mutates into something less dangerous, or a vaccine is developed and becomes widely available to people smart enough to use it. Testing only people who are obviously sick, or who have passed away, is not good enough if we want to open up businesses and sports safely.

Whatever happened to the (2) masks per household? Just asking.

My Father-in-Law just spent 10 days in hospital with a build-up of fluid in his lungs and a high fever.

He wasn't tested for COVID-19. In 10 days.

I hope he’s doing better.

"Don't worry, there is no Corona in this hospital"

This place is medieval.

This place is all about form over substance. Foul, innit.

Yeah, go and sit in a doctor’s waiting room for an hour or two with 50 other people who may or may not have corona virus. That makes perfect sense, NOT! Doctors here in Australia are doing telephone and video consultations to avoid having waiting rooms full of infected people. DING!

My Father-in-Law just spent 10 days in hospital with a build-up of fluid in his lungs and a high fever.

He wasn't tested for COVID-19. In 10 days.

"Don't worry, there is no Corona in this hospital"

This place is medieval.

I hope he is fully recovered.

Were the staff treating him in PPE and was he isolated, or in a regular ward with other patients? If patients with Covid-19 like symptoms is not being tested, they're going to have to handle all of them as potential carriers.

@derek.

at least he got into the hospital, test or no test. He was lucky. My hospital refuses entry if you have a fever. Patients have to go home and maybe? Die and spread?

AlexBecuToday  12:47 pm JST

Japan is doing better then most countries. Fact

Unless, through some hospital or government policies, deaths which could be attributed to COVID-19 are not being reported as such. Having lived here for more than a decade it wouldn't surprise me if there was some policy that says if the patient was admitted with a broken leg and subsequently contracted COV-19 the death has to be attributed to the broken leg.

guy who has an idiot id, doesn't deserve to be call out,

Just that he makes no common sense times like this where information and case studies are critical, just to bash some country because that country is South Korea.

I told ya all, South Korea had its struggles initially, being #2 infected in the world going from 31 to 5000 in weeks.

their hospitals in Daegu, shutting down one after another, shortage of ICU, equipments, masks, everything,

PM Abe needs should of study them to find out what was working, and what was not. and implemented in Japan,

it's not late now to provide easy testing for mass who has any of the key symptoms

So, it's only taken them a few months. Great. At this pace, we can look forward to maybe 2% of the population having been tested by 2022? Japan is doomed.

Yeah, go and sit in a doctor’s waiting room for an hour or two with 50 other people who may or may not have corona virus. That makes perfect sense, NOT! Doctors here in Australia are doing telephone and video consultations to avoid having waiting rooms full of infected people. DING!

Using technology to ensure safety and crease efficiency?! What a nice idea.

since1981:

Why is it that the news makes Japan look like New York even though Japan has just over 15,000 cases. I see the Japanese people doing a great job preventing a New York style explosion. I know we shouldn't let our guard down but I can't stop thinking that the J-Gov is not telling us the whole story.

What news? All I see is you making things up. There is a continuing upward trajectory in the number of new cases in Japan. People just don't want it to continue to go up. So what exactly is the government not telling us? That the numbers are higher or that the numbers won't get much higher? Your points raises even more questions about what exactly you're trying to say.

People will follow the data and the data says that Japan is doing very good in fighting this China Virus.

Yes, dear, we know where the first cases originated from, as you so kindly keep on reminding us. But I personally don't call AIDS or the West Nile virus or H1N1 the American virus. And what name should be give BSE? The UK disease or the North American disease.

Peeping Tom:

The Korea that can do no wrong; lies, damned lies and Korean statistics slowly emerging.

After the responses from Ah_so and Toky_Engr, all I hear are grasshoppers and crickets.

May I add, Hong Kong has done well too. Far the past week or two, like Taiwan, they have managed to have very very few local cases. And HK, on top of making sure masks are available in shops, is now giving out a free washable mask to all residents. Certainly nothing like the ordinary Abenomask, but of a high standard:

https://www.qmask.gov.hk/about

The UK government is now started to advise ordinary people to wear masks, but as with Japan, I'd like to ask, where the hell can you find masks?

Sorry for all the typos above. Fingers get slippery when you get mad about some people's ignorance.

The trouble with this elaborate, complicated system, is exactly that, the criteria is to narrow, although you might not have the correct temp you could still have it, it could be that your body has fought the virus off quickly, also not having a test could allow the asymptomatic people to still walk around unknowingly infecting people, but if every one got tested, the heath authority could have picked up this or that person, told them that they are infectious, and to stop at home etc.

I wonder if the Japanese heath authority take a look at any other country to see how they have handled this screening process? or did they just say we will do it our way and s*d everyone else?

Good, Glad to see some progress in this area, butter sloooooooow than never.

The changes will be introduced after many people were unable to be tested because they did not meet the existing guidelines

Many people = 110,000,000 people.

still my hospital no tests. I forced my wife to demand eye protection and complain about how doctors can get two masks a week. At least my partner can get surgical masks, as paper ones spread/limit 5-10% Covid19 virus and the new strain.

Promises but nothing.

social distancing, wash hands, don’t touch your face peeps

Many people here seemed to go to hospitals directly, maybe that's one of the problems?

When I was new here I went directly to a hospital and they explained to me that I need to get a referral from a local clinic

justasking Today  08:03 am JST

Doesn't matter anymore. Any findings this government will soon find out was already studied, researched, and addressed in other nations. Japan is just too slow to act on this one. They are just too afraid to be wrong.

Just to correct one sentence:

"Japan is just too slow to act."

For comparison, up to date figures, 6th May 2020, Australia - tests 722549 deaths 97 cases positive 6896 recovered 6035. Population 25,000,000. In some states now anyone can ask and receive a test.

That picture does not exactly announce that this is a testing Covid-19 centre. No signs, stuck at the back of the 'kei' car parking area, it is almost as it they do not want people to be tested!

since1981Today 07:17 am JST

Why is it that the news makes Japan look like New York even though Japan has just over 15,000 cases. I see the Japanese people doing a great job preventing a New York style explosion. I know we shouldn't let our guard down but I can't stop thinking that the J-Gov is not telling us the whole story. People will follow the data and the data says that Japan is doing very good in fighting this China Virus.

I know increasing the testing will increase the numbers but I think a combination of so many people wearing mask in the early Spring in combination with many following the social distancing guidelines have slowed down the infection rate. Here in this country it has almost become a political issue about mask. We still have some people who think the coronavirus is a hoax.

real genius here

Anyway, i for one, would like to know of any country that has emulated or followed South Korea's approach as many people here seem to want Japan to do so, even if it's probably not possible.

Nobel laureate!

Damn

So under the revision only asymptomatic covid-19 positive carriers will be responsible for spreading the virus? Oh, you won't be able to test them will you?

From my observations of various ways how countries reacted to this unprecedented crisis, Japan has a unique challenge at the moment.

Realistically, Japan can't start testing as many as she should. Too late.

It will take many months to contain it even if she locks down completely 100 percent.

Prime minister Abe has only one choice but to maintain current level of testing and treatment. Economy won't be able to survive this state of emergency, if it lasts many months.

Reality is that Japan will not be able to control it with this kind of state of emergency.

Open all the businesses. Japanese people will do their best to keep it checked.

Here in Japan masks can still be bought from the usual stores but you have to be very lucky because they put in on the shelves at irregular times

So, many people just make their own.

It is not the doctors playing’God’-it is the government that controls the testing procedures for the virus.

@Pukey2

I loved your comments. Keep up the good fight against the trolls and idiots here with that same wit, please.

Changing the requirements for calling to consult isn't going to increase testing. Many people call the consultation lines and most are refused testing even if they have all the symptoms because they haven't been in contact with a 'confirmed case'. But they're not testing anyone, so there are almost no 'confirmed cases'. Hospitals here in Hakodate are refusing to test because they don't have the resources to deal with COVID patients. Ridiculous situation.

I'm just wondering what if people carrying a virus without any symptoms keep refusing the test (and obviously keep spreading it around). Except for checkpoints such as international airports with compulsory testing, this "active negligence" could happen. Unlike in authoritarian regimes, you can't force them to take a test against will in Japan, nor can they be punished.

A while ago JT surveyed whether or not you would take the test when it is more widely available (and say free of charge). I remember the overall responses remained split and equivocal. Of course, it doesn't necessarily represent actual public views, but the proposed widespread testing program is still limited in this regard.

The old guidelines were signing a legal document that you wouldn't tell anyone you tested positive so the government could continue to keep the numbers artificially low.

From my previous comment:

"According to data disclosed by a government panel of experts, Japan has conducted 188 PCR tests per 10,000 people, while many other countries have done more than 1,000."

That is widely incorrect. Japan has tested just over 180,000 people (188 per 10,000 people would mean more than 2 millions tests, which would actually be a good thing). That is around 15 tests per 10,000 people. Which is way lower than any other country.

It looks like the article has been corrected. It know reads "188 PCR tests per 100,000 people". Feels like it was a case of converting "man" into "thousands".

That also seems more realistic regarding the second figure "many other countries have done more than 1,000". That makes it 1% of the population for a lot of countries instead of 10%, which only a few (and usually small one such as Iceland) have already achieved.

People who feel they have developed a high fever would be able to immediately consult local a health care center, which will then refer them to an outpatient clinic or medical institution. If the doctors deem it necessary, they can then take a polymerase chain reaction test.

If anyone thinks the revised criteria will result then they will be in to a rude awakening. It was initially thought coverage of the pcr test with health insurance would greatly increase testing but it wasn't case.

So far as one has to pass through the health centers (hokenjos) to get the test, don't expect any improvement at all. Presently the hokenjos are understaffed and overwhelmed by the workloadl and relieving them of some responsibilities is what is really needed. The present functions of the hokenjos just off my head are.

Receiving calls from the public

and deciding whether the caller deserves a test or not.

Arranging for the test to be taken

Receiving the test swabs, checking them and delivering them to the testing labs.

4, Relaying the test results

Calling hospitals for infectious disease and begging them to admit the infected and calling those quarantining at home regularly to check on their health.

Arrange for the cremation of those that pass away..

From the above, you will get a gist of why the hokenjos aren't enthusiastic approving many tests.

They really be blamed.

Meant, they really can't be blamed.

rainydayMay 7  06:51 am JST

South Korea: Anyone who wants a test can get one right away.

Great. But South Korea still has a higher number of cases and deaths per population than Japan.

The only way to get a real grasp of how this is affecting Japan is to find a source for excess deaths. I have been looking, but unfortunately I can't read Japanese well enough.

Of course, the excess deaths will not precisely follow Covid mortality - there will be other positive effects (less traffic deaths and less regular flu/infectious diseases), and negative effects (stress-related death, deaths due to overwhelmed hospitals or deaths due to patients being afraid to use the health care system) - but overall the numbers should correlate quite well.

Abe, needs to find a new job.

But the low number of testing was intentional. it waspolicy. and now they are saying they are making changes to the policy.

Guess I got "lucky".

Before they implemented this irregular hours of putting masks onshelf, people have been lining up for hours before stores open. I think it's basically the same people who always gets the masks not to mention that it's added risk for everyone on the line

My prayer, there will be a home kit like this one where we as individuals can find out our status whenever we feel a concern over our own health and not rely on doctors who are playing, "God ".

I think this kit was simar to the ones sold by rakuten but was selling was stopped for some reason.

In the first place, Japan doesn't focus on a complete census of COVID-19. Whether it is administrative inspection or health insurance treatment, Japan's strategic plan is designed to diagnosis seriously coronavirus patients and hospitalize serious coronavirus patients for treatment and isolation. 

it should be no surprise that "Japan doesn't recognize all coronavirus patients situation." Japan doesn't care to grasp all Coronavirus patients’ situations. There is nothing wrong with fully aware of Coronavirus patients’ situations. In fact, the same situation holds The U.S., European nations, and Asia.

There are no countries in the world, aiming at a” complete grasp of coronavirus patients’ situation.”

WHO also doesn't want to it.

There are a lot of diseases that have yet to be fully realized. Japan doesn’t know the total number of flu. Japan has done nothing but fixed-point observations" about flu. It's OK because This way is furnished with sufficient information about the flu. 

"complete understanding of illnesses " are an inefficient way to grasp the patients’ conditions.

Also, 1. The novel coronavirus is discovered soon by CT scanning.

Japan is one of the most producers of CT scanners and leads the world in the number of CT scanners. Both private hospitals and general hospitals have CT scanners.

In Japan, the cost of CT scanning is cheaper than other advanced nations. The cost of CT scanning is 60 dollars at most.

So, In Japan, patients suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus get a CT scan. 

5.If the CT scanner discovered viral pneumonia (is the novel coronavirus ) doctor conduct the PCR test soon.

Also, the PCR test possess lower reliability. The accuracy is 70% at most.

https://i.imgur.com/VmVKM0g.jpg

PCR tests cannot/do not test for Corona virus, they are testing a genetic material.

In addition, PCR test is notorious for poor test results.

PCR is used for the diagnosis of the novel coronavirus. The sensitivity of the PCR test is 50％ to 70％.

Sensitivity 90％ is the ability can make diagnose 90 infected people with positive out of every 100 people.

If the PCR test's sensitivity is 50％, the doctor wrongly diagnoses 50 infected people as Negative.

 Nonetheless, those 50 infected people have coronavirus. They were walking around and give someone coronavirus. This is a big problem.

Japanese epidemiologists more trust in CT scans than PCR tests.

Like every other country in the world... better late than never.

Infection levels are low in Japan and more people recovering than new infections now. Japan is headed in the right direction.

Wider testing is a must I think to keep things going in the right direction.

Perfect timing. Now they can inflate the numbers and force us all back into our houses, prolong the emergency.

What are the numbers

Even if the testing numbers are not enough How many people have died so far... 577.

If you listen to what they're talking about you would think Japan is one of the worst affected countries. Lies

Japan is doing better then most countries. Fact

Why is it that the news makes Japan look like New York even though Japan has just over 15,000 cases. I see the Japanese people doing a great job preventing a New York style explosion. I know we shouldn't let our guard down but I can't stop thinking that the J-Gov is not telling us the whole story. People will follow the data and the data says that Japan is doing very good in fighting this China Virus.

"South Korea: Anyone who wants a test can get one right away."

The Korea that can do no wrong; lies, damned lies and Korean statistics slowly emerging.

"South Korea: More recovered coronavirus patients test positive

At least 116 people cleared of the virus have tested positive again, raising questions for authorities."

"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/200413110301074.html"