COVID-19: Recovery at Home Procedures and Information for COVID-19 Patients

​With the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases in Hiroshima City, our health centers are under considerable strain. As such, it is currently taking more time than usual for our health centers to contact those who test positive for COVID-19

We ask that those diagnosed with COVID-19 please read the following carefully and recover at home (or other designated facilities). According to the Infectious Disease Control Act, there will be restrictions on going to work while in quarantine in the interest of preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Quick Reference

1) Different methods of contact depending on risk
2) Recovery (quarantine) period
3) Health observation method
4) What to do if your health suddenly worsens
5) Information for close-contacts
6) City care packages
7) Certificate of Home Recovery
8) Rules for those recovering at home
9) Consultation center

1) Different methods of contact depending on the risk of developing severe COVID-19

In order to give priority to patients who run the risk of developing severe COVID-19, as a rule, the City of Hiroshima is currently contacting those with a low risk of developing severe COVID-19 via SMS (short message service) only. These patients will not receive phone calls from their local health centers. As a rule, these patients are asked to quarantine at home without leaving their house until the end of their quarantine period.

Those deemed at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 will receive phone calls asking about their health, and if necessary, arrangements for care (hospitalization, recovery at lodgings) will be made.

2) Recovery (quarantine) period

The recovery period differs depending on whether or not you have symptoms.

Please note that as those who have been released from recovery at home are no longer contagious, they do not need a negative test result certificate.

Important information regarding refraining from leaving your home during recovery:

If you a) had symptoms and it has been over 24 hours since they have lessened or b) did not have symptoms, you will be allowed to leave your house to shop for food and other essentials ONLY provided you comply with the following rules:

1. Keep the time spent outside your home and interactions with others at a bare minimum.
2. Strictly adhere to infection prevention measures, such as wearing masks, etc.
3. Do not use public transport when traveling between places.

Those with symptoms

As a rule, your recovery period will be 7 days from the beginning of your symptoms. However, if your symptoms lessen (see Note 1) on the 7th day or later, your recovery period will be extended until 24 hours have passed since symptoms have lessened (see Note 1).

For those who are in hospital or in an elderly care facility: your recovery period will be 10 days from the beginning of your symptoms. However, if your symptoms lessen (see Note 1) on the 8th day or later, your recovery period will be extended until 72 hours have passed since symptoms have lessened (see Note 1).

If your recovery period has been extended and you need a Certificate of Home Recovery: you must contact your ward health center before the end of your original (nonextended) period so the health center can confirm details such as symptoms and date of release from recovery. If you do not contact your health center, the recovery period printed on the Certificate of Home Recovery will be your original (nonextended) period and cannot, as a rule, be changed.

Note 1: “Symptoms have lessened” means that your fever has broken without taking fever reducers and that your respiratory symptoms are improving.

Those without symptoms

Your recovery period will be 7 days from the day you had a sample taken to be tested. However, if you did not have symptoms when first diagnosed, but developed symptoms during recovery, the day you developed symptoms will be treated as Day 0 and you will need to follow the procedure above for a) Those with symptoms.

If your quarantine has been extended or changed and you need a Certificate of Home Recovery: you must contact your ward health center before the end of your original (nonextended) period so the health center can confirm details such as symptoms and date of release from recovery. If you do not contact your health center, the period printed on the Certificate of Home Recovery will be your original (nonextended) period and cannot, as a rule, be changed.

​3) Health observation method

While in quarantine, use the health observation system My HER-SYS (English User Guide＜外部リンク＞ from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare) to report your health condition every day.

About My HER-SYS

My HER-SYS is an online health observation system that allows COVID-19 patients to report on their health or their families’ health from their smartphone or computer at a time of their choosing. Please use it to keep a record of your health during quarantine. After release from recovery, you can also use the My HER-SYS site to display your Certificate of Home/Lodgings Quarantine.

Note 2: Looking at the risk of developing severe COVID-19, we will be lending pulse oximeters (devices to measure the oxygen level in your blood) to those who need them.

4) What to do if your health suddenly worsens during recovery

Those with regular doctors

Please consult with your regular doctor.

Those without regular doctors or whose regular doctors do not offer online consultations

Please contact one of the medical facilities listed in the List of Medical Facilities Offering Telephone/Online Consultations for COVID-19 on the Hiroshima Prefectural Government＜外部リンク＞ website (Japanese).

Other places offering consultations

If it is difficult to consult with the two options above, you can also contact the Hiroshima Prefectural Online Medical Consultation Center＜外部リンク＞ (Japanese).

• Monday-Saturday from 1:30 to 7 pm (reception hours: 1-6 pm)
• Sunday/National Holidays from 10:30 am to 5 pm (reception hours: 10 am-4 pm)

How to contact the center

Those diagnosed with COVID-19 will be informed of contact information for the center via SMS (available for those quarantining at home only).

Afterhours consultation

The City of Hiroshima has established an After-hours Follow-up Center so that those who are at low risk of developing severe COVID-19 will be able to consult about their health afterhours. For those who are at high risk of developing severe COVID-19, please contact the Hiroshima Prefecture Follow-up Center.

If you develop highly urgent symptoms

If you develop any of the following urgent symptoms, call 119 and request an ambulance. When calling, please be sure to tell the responder that you have COVID-19.

If you are unsure whether to call an ambulance, please consult with the Hiroshima Regional Urban Area Emergency Consultation Center (#7119; Japanese).

Highly Urgent Symptoms

* Indicates symptoms confirmed by family members, etc.

5) Close-Contacts

Those who live with you will be considered close-contacts as a rule. Close-contacts will be asked to monitor their health (taking their temperature, etc.) and stay home as much as possible.

In addition, if someone has eaten or met with you for more than 15 minutes without a mask within a distance of approximately one meter during the period when COVID-19 is contagious (2 days before symptoms appeared or since then), it is possible that they have COVID-19. If there is someone who you think may fit this criteria, please contact them and suggest they be PCR tested.

6) City Care Package (food and sanitary items)

For those quarantining at home with COVID-19: if you would like, the City of Hiroshima will provide you with a free care package of food and sanitary items.

Only those who received a notice from the City of Hiroshima about their My HER-SYS ID can apply for a care package. Close-contacts and others not eligible for a My HER-SYS ID cannot apply.

Please note that with the rapid increase of COVID-19 cases, our health centers are under considerable strain. As such, it is currently taking more time than usual for our health centers to contact those with COVID-19, and there are also delays in sending out care packages. We apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your patience while we prepare and send out your care package.

7) Certificate of Home Recovery

For those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and recovered at lodgings or at home: if you wish, you can apply to receive a Certificate of Home/Lodgings Recovery.

For those who would like to receive a certificate, you can find information here (Japanese). Please be sure to apply after your recovery period ends.

Please note that Certificates of Recovery will be issued in the format mandated by the national government as per your application. We cannot issue certificates in any other format (i.e., those used by insurance companies, etc).

8) Rules for those recovering at home

• Do not leave your house during your recovery period.
• Separate your living space from those you live with (those recovering at home should try not to leave their room as much as possible).
• When leaving your room, wear a mask and wash your hands with soap or disinfect them with alcohol.
• Regularly ventilate your room several times per day.
• Take your meals in your room. If it is not possible to do so, eat at a different time than those you live with.
• Those quarantining at home should be the last to bathe/shower.
• When disposing of garbage, such as masks or tissues that have mucous on them: (1) do not touch the garbage directly, (2) seal the garbage bag completely by tying it tightly, (3) remember to wash your hands after taking out the garbage. If during (2), the trash touches the outside of the bag, cover the garbage bag with another garbage bag.
• Drinking alcohol and smoking is strictly prohibited during your recovery at home as it may make it difficult to correctly ascertain your health and may aggravate your symptoms.

9) Consultation center

The City of Hiroshima has established a consultation center for those recovering at home so that they can recover with peace of mind. A link to information such as the telephone number for the consultation center and operating hours can be found in the link in the SMS sent to those who test positive for COVID-19.