TOKYO: As the new coronavirus continues to spread in Japan, hospitals that are not designated for infectious disease treatment are scrambling to find ways to cope with the situation.

On Monday, the health ministry announced a set of guidelines on when a person should contact consultation centers dedicated for the new coronavirus originating in China, showing specific examples of symptoms, such as having a fever of 37.5 degrees Celsius or higher for at least four days.

The creation of the guidelines is likely to lead to a surge in the number of people seeking consultations and wishing to be tested for the virus. "We'll gather as much information as possible and do the best we can," one hospital official said.

An official of a general hospital in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, which is not a designated infectious disease treatment institution, voiced concern. "It would be impossible to handle all of the cases as the guidelines are too broad," the official said. "We will be flooded with patients beyond our capacity."

The hospital plans to set its own criteria for symptoms, based on which the institution will select patients to be accepted because its virus test system and equipment for infectious disease treatment are not sufficient.

As the situation surrounding the novel coronavirus is changing rapidly, with new patients found every day in various parts of the country, the official said, "We have no choice but to act flexibly."

In the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, a hospital designated as a core institution in times of disasters is considering a review of its work regulations for staff members to prevent the spread of in-hospital infections.

Staff members whose infection is suspected are required to be away from work for about two weeks, which is believed to be the incubation period of the novel virus.

"We need to create new criteria on specific symptoms requiring staff members to take time off work," an official of the hospital said.

The hospital intends to move quickly as its operations would be seriously hampered if many of its staff members are forced to stay at home for a long period of time. "We hope to come up with the new criteria within this week," the official said.

JIJI Press