ABSTRACT

Japan’s initial response to COVID-19 was similar to that of the US. However, the number of deaths in Japan has remained very low. Japan also stands out for the relatively low incidence of viral transmission in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) compared to both European countries and the United States. We argue that Japan’s institutional decision to lockdown Long-Term Care facilities as early as mid-February – weeks earlier than most European countries and the US – contributed to lowering the number of deaths in LTCFs. We highlight a few lessons from the Japanese experience: (i) the presence of hierarchically organized government agencies whose sole missions are elderly care; (ii) the presence of effective communication channels between LTCFs and the regulatory authorities; and (iii) the well-established routine protocols of prevention and control in LTCFs.

摘要

日本对 COVID-19 的最初反应与美国相似。然而，日本的死亡人数仍然很低。与欧洲国家和美国相比，日本的长期护理设施 (LTCF) 中病毒传播的发生率也相对较低。我们认为，日本最早在 2 月中旬（比大多数欧洲国家和美国提前数周）关闭长期护理设施的机构决定有助于降低 LTCF 的死亡人数。我们强调从日本的经验中吸取的一些教训：(i) 存在等级森严的政府机构，其唯一使命是照顾老年人；(ii) LTCF 与监管机构之间存在有效的沟通渠道；