A Japanese expert on infectious diseases has called for society-wide mobilization to make the best use of limited coronavirus testing resources, saying swifter testing of people suspected of infection is needed to ensure they receive timely treatment.
Currently in Japan, people can be tested when doctors suspect they have virus symptoms — an approach some medical experts at home and abroad have criticized for not being aggressive enough.
But for Norio Omagari, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine in Tokyo — who opposes testing people with no symptoms for fear of overburdening the health system — much more needs to be done even within the current parameters to ensure that all people who need checks get tested quickly and smoothly.