This is going to be a rough week.https://twitter.com/japantimes/status/1254462766003507205 …
-
Show this thread
-
Speaking approximately for the benefit of people not familiar with the medical system: Primary care: neighborhood doctor office. No in-patient or emergency capability. Secondary care: smallish hospitals. In-patient capability. Some limited emergency medicine.
1 reply 0 retweets 9 likesShow this thread -
Tertiary care: Typically large, well-resourced hospitals. Likely first point of call if you have a prompt high-severity emergency. There are less than 300 in the entire nation, so 10 being closed is a Big Deal, particularly because there’s no possible way it is only 10.
1 reply 0 retweets 13 likesShow this thread -
Note that this is particularly concerning news in “the regions” (non-metropolitan areas) because they might have one tertiary hospital covering several cities / a wide territory. It’s very bad news if that one has to turn away ambulances.
1 reply 0 retweets 7 likesShow this thread -
Also note that tertiary care facilities are not coextensive with the specially designated class of facilities which are supposed to treat high-level infectious diseases. That is considered a speciality requiring specialized staff, equipment, and training; not generally present.
1 reply 0 retweets 5 likesShow this thread -
“How are capacity levels at those facilities looking?” http://stopcovid19.jp a reasonably good visual approximation or you can read NHK’s reporting which comes to a very similar conclusion.
2 replies 0 retweets 6 likesShow this thread
Patrick McKenzie Retweeted Patrick McKenzie
NHK’s reporting. In particular, see the tweet immediately after this one.https://twitter.com/patio11/status/1252836409406152709 …
Patrick McKenzie added,
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.