Coronavirus testing guidelines leaving potentially infected stranded in Japan: Report
There are more than 900 confirmed cases in Japan
As coronavirus cases in Japan climb, confusion over testing criteria for the illness is causing some patients to be turned away from hospitals.
According to a report from The Japan Times, unclear guidelines have left medical staffers perplexed because the test is being limited to two groups of people: those who have come into close contact with confirmed cases, and those who have recently traveled to affected area in China and have a fever in addition to pneumonia-like symptoms that require hospitalization.
According to the publication, one man who had a fever, had recently been in contact with a person who had traveled to Wuhan, China, was turned away. There are a number of reported instances of similar nature.
There are 931 confirmed cases in Japan.
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Ten people from Japan have died. That tally includes people on the Diamond Princess cruise ship on which passengers were quarantined.
The virus has infected more than 83,000 people across the globe, and it has caused more than 2,700 deaths.
In the United States, at least 60 people had been infected, including people that have been returned to the United States from affected areas. The first case of an individual infected without a known cause was identified by the CDC on Wednesday in California, which has sparked fears of the virus spreading through the community.
As previously reported by FOX Business, testing is an issue in the United States as well.
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Less than 500 people in the U.S. have been tested for the virus – which President Trump said includes “testing everybody that we need to test.”
There are concerns that more people should be tested, though regulatory hurdles have prevented that from happening. The U.S. has struggled to develop an accurate test that can be more widely distributed to labs, while others believe the CDC’s guidelines for who needs to be tested should be expanded.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the only body that can conduct testing for the virus. About a dozen state and local health departments can conduct the test, but the results still need to be confirmed by the CDC.
According to the CDC, people who develop symptoms should contact their health care professional, who will work with their state's public health department and the CDC to determine whether a test needs to be administered.