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The government says it will ask patients at low risk of becoming seriously ill to recuperate at home, but that effectively means it is abandoning them.

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Yukio Edano, leader of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, calling the government’s new hospitalization policy “unbelievable.” Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said this week that patients with mild or moderate coronavirus symptoms will be asked to recuperate at home, if they are considered at low risk of developing serious symptoms, instead of being hospitalized.

© Asahi Shimbun

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In recent times Japanese governments are experts in abandoning its own people.

It sounds more like a sensible policy to manage limited resources. You can't conjure staff for facilities out of thin air after all

I'd agree with you... if the government hadn't had 18 months to sort out a worthy plan of action, including ways to increase the number of hospital beds, ICUs, and other resources which they are now saying are limited.

They cannot claim that they didn't see this coming, and they cannot possibly excuse their scandalous lack of preparation for possible worst case scenarios.

The likelihood is it's going to get significantly worse too. Sure vaccinations 'should' mean some people contracting the virus don't develop the most serious symptoms, but there is little being done to actually stop the spread of the virus, and so numbers will go up as will serious cases.

I cannot believe that 18 months down the road with all the evidence around us that those running this country still don't understand this.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

This is something that requires the decision to be made by someone that can actually take the responsibility, not politicians but actual experts in epidemics, infectious diseases, respiratory problems, etc.

There is nothing sensible about reducing the standard of care and increasing the risk for patients just because the actual sensible measures have been abandoned from months ago, this is just giving up trying to solve the problem so you swept it under the rug and hopes nobody notices it.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

Their classifications are also ridiculous. They call people with pneumonia who need supplemental oxygen “moderate.”

9 ( +9 / -0 )

It should not be up to the government to determine the health status of a potential patient. That should be entirely in the power of the medical staff. But okay, so be it. But if the government is really serious about this move, then it is indirectly telling everyone "we can't handle it" and "our health care system is not doing very well". Even poorer countries in Europe were coping with the onslaught on hospital beds than here.

This is something trully unbelievable

9 ( +9 / -0 )

HBJ- right on the ball.

18 months to prepare for worst case scenarios.

And with the added knowledge of an Olympic games to be held.

Classic ldp ineptness.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Get sick, go home, burden your family who are already struggling and probably infect some of them too.

When or if you get worse, and you do need admission to a hospital, face an extremely high rejection rate, as they don't want to take care of you or admit you.

A highly Spartan, certainly not Olympic strategy; a sure way to dispose of the old and sick.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

The government says it will ask patients at low risk of becoming seriously ill to recuperate at home, but that effectively means it is abandoning them.

Was anybody actually under the impression that the LDP held the health of the populace as one of its' priorities?

7 ( +7 / -0 )

n1k1Today 12:08 pm JST

The important question being : What is the point of paying the super expensive medical insurance ?

Being originally from a European country, I am used to a certain standard for the money I pay in health insurance. I mean, it should be always "you get what you pay for", right? Everyone assumes that Japan will be even better off. However, the amount of health insurance tax here is completely out of proportion to the quality of health care in here. I mean, not to be misunderstood - I am by no means saying that the level of healthcare as such in Japan is bad. No, I'm not saying that. We have a lot of experts, good technology... It's more about the level of healthcare as a service offered but paid for by our taxes.

When I asked the same question about 20 years ago, I got the following answer - "you pay health insurance so you can only pay 30% of a medical procedure and not have to pay the full amount". And then the classic tirade of false arguments along the lines of "but health care isn't free" or "but you pay for it in your taxes". Yes, exactly.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

For the LDP, people less than 65 are not their supporters, and are therefore irrelevant. Especially those in big cities like Tokyo, where votes = 0.5 of those in the countryside.

All their supporters are fully vaccinated and taken care of.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

The government says it will ask patients at low risk of becoming seriously ill to recuperate at home, but that effectively means it is abandoning them.

And what else can the government do ? Nothing !

You are more less on your own , the doctors and hospitals won't do much either.

The important question being : What is the point of paying the super expensive medical insurance ?

5 ( +6 / -1 )

You should know that Japanese definition of moderate would be considered severe in other countries, and what Japan considers severe would actually be considered critical.

This definition for severe under NIH would actually be classified under moderate

https://www.covid19treatmentguidelines.nih.gov/overview/clinical-spectrum/

Severe Illness: Individuals who have SpO2 30 breaths/min, or lung infiltrates 50%.

Under Japan's definitions (page 29 of the source)

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000712473.pdf

Even patients with SpO2

5 ( +5 / -0 )

In other words, die at home.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

@Reckless,

Spot on as usual.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

''But if the government is really serious about this move, then it is indirectly telling everyone "we can't handle it"''

No. They've DIRECTLY stating as much since the beginning. So we can't attack them for being secretive. Here are some paraphrased examples...

'The Games will go ahead at any cost.'

'We must preserve the Economy.'

'We can't order strict measures'

'We request restaurants to close at 8.'

'Yound people need to be vaccinated'

'Vaccinations are only available to selected groups with 'tickets'.'

'We don't consider this to be urgent.'

and on and on, They have been completely open about leaving the Japanese public to fend for themselves.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

When I asked the same question about 20 years ago, I got the following answer - "you pay health insurance so you can only pay 30% of a medical procedure and not have to pay the full amount".

If you are lucky and there are hospitals and doctors, else you just pay

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Most Covid non serious appearing non serious change to critical within 30 minutes: Stanley MD ICU

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Stay home and die quietly....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For the LDP, people

0 ( +0 / -0 )

t has been known for a long time already that any infected person should be treated early. They don't all need to be hospitalized but they should at the very least be given certain safe and effective drugs at the first sign of infection, whether its ivermectin, HCQ+azithromycin, ..

The problem is that according the the scientific and medical consensus the examples you give are NOT safe and effective drugs at all, at least with respect with COVID, the evidence for HCQ is clear and the drug is completely worthless for the patients, and ivermectin evidence keeps dwindling the better studies are made and the more closely the experts look on those few reports that show anything of use for the drug.

It is completely understandable to intentionally avoid using drugs that offer no significant advantage to patients, it is a waste of money and unnecessarily increases the risk for them to use active compounds as placebos.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

A leaked contract between Albania and Pfizer has a clause that precludes contract termination in the event of finding alternative drug. This could be the reason for discouraging treatment of early cases with repurposed drugs (like ivermectin).

Of course, the contract could be fake.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It is not news at all-this policy was in place by many hospitals at the start of the pandemic

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It has been known for a long time already that any infected person should be treated early. They don't all need to be hospitalized but they should at the very least be given certain safe and effective drugs at the first sign of infection, whether its ivermectin, HCQ+azithromycin, ...

It really does look like they are intentionally not making these available because they want to push everyone to get the vaccine.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

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