＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
・自宅療養者急増！「2類相当から5類へ変更」が病床逼迫への対応に最も有効！
On August 2, 2021, the government held a “Ministerial Meeting on the Medical Care System for COVID-19” and abruptly decided on a policy to “limit hospitalization to severely ill patients.”
The policy states that moderately ill patients with symptoms such as pneumonia, who are at low risk of developing severe illness, will be allowed to recuperate at home. If there is a risk of household transmission or if home recuperation is difficult, hotel or other accommodation-based recuperation will also be permitted.
With the spread of the Delta strain leading to over 10,000 new infections on some days, “concerns about a shortage of hospital beds are growing,” making this a de facto policy shift.
Previously, “mild or asymptomatic cases were treated at home or in accommodation-based recuperation,” while “moderate or severe cases were, in principle, hospitalized.” The aim is to efficiently utilize the limited number of hospital beds by making hospitalization requirements stricter. However, there are concerns that “an increase in home recuperation could make it difficult to respond quickly to sudden changes in a patient’s condition,” and “the development of a health monitoring system is urgently needed.”
Prime Minister Suga stated at a cabinet meeting that “the basic principle will be home care for everyone except severely ill patients and those at high risk of severe illness, and a system will be put in place for hospitalization if symptoms worsen.” He also stated that regarding the new “antibody cocktail therapy,” which is effective in preventing severe illness, “we will actively administer it to people aged 50 and over and those with underlying medical conditions, and will promote efforts that include home-care patients.”
I have several questions about this government policy shift.
1. The priority should be to change the classification of COVID-19 from “equivalent to Category 2” to “Category 5.”
I believe there’s no need to be overly afraid of COVID-19. This is because I think the hypotheses of Professor Yasushi Takahashi of International University of Health and Welfare and Associate Professor Takayuki Miyazawa of Kyoto University are more accurate.
Furthermore, the top priority measure to avoid a shortage of hospital beds and prevent medical strain and collapse is to change the classification of COVID-19 from “equivalent to Category 2” to “Category 5.”
This would allow general clinics and hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients, just like influenza.
Since healthcare workers have already received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, general clinics and hospitals should be increasingly treating COVID-19 patients.
Japan has a high number of hospital beds per capita compared to other countries. The number of hospital beds per 1,000 people in Japan is 13.1 (2017), significantly higher than the OECD average of 4.7.
In the first place, it’s absurd to make such a fuss about “medical strain and collapse occurring in Japan.”
2. The current system of “seeing a fever clinic via the public health center” must be abolished and changed to “direct visit to a medical institution.”
My family member had a high fever, and we suspected it might be COVID-19, but we had a bitter experience where we couldn’t get through to the public health center by phone.
The public health center was overwhelmed; while we could get through to emergency medical centers and acute care hospitals, we couldn’t get through to the public health center, which was a very difficult experience.
This system of “seeing a fever clinic via the public health center” should be immediately abolished, and “medical institutions should be able to accept patients directly at fever clinics.”
3. The system for ensuring timely and appropriate home visits for those recovering at home should be clearly communicated to the public.
Given that COVID-19 remains classified as “equivalent to Category 2,” I have serious doubts about whether a system is in place to ensure that doctors can immediately visit patients at home if their condition suddenly deteriorates.
Will “family doctors” be able to make house calls? If a patient’s condition suddenly worsens on a holiday or at night, will doctors from “emergency medical centers” or “general hospitals specializing in acute care” make house calls?
I believe the government needs to provide a clear and detailed explanation of these points to the public.
4. Repeatedly issuing and extending “states of emergency” is ineffective.
The current cabinet and government leaders should know better than anyone that the traditional “state of emergency” is no longer effective.
If they don’t know this, or don’t believe it, then they are “completely incompetent and helpless,” and should resign immediately.
If they are being brainwashed by the opinions of Chairman Omi of the “Government Subcommittee” and Chairman Nakagawa of the “Japan Medical Association,” they should break free from that spell immediately. They are merely speaking on behalf of the interests of the hospitals they manage and the pressure group known as the “Japan Medical Association,” without considering “what they can do to deal with the spread of COVID-19,” and instead focusing solely on “imposing hardship on the public.”
Prefectural governors, influenced by the opinions of Chairman Omi of the “Government Expert Panel” and Chairman Nakagawa of the “Japan Medical Association,” are also requesting an expansion of the “state of emergency,” but I completely fail to understand the thinking of these leaders. This is because they lack the perspective of “preventing the collapse of the Japanese economy.”