TOKYO -- Young children in Japan made 20% fewer doctor visits last year. Some experts credit widespread mask-wearing but others say many parents kept their children away from hospitals out of fear they would not be able to work if their kids contract the novel coronavirus.
The number of outpatient visits by children younger than 10 fell 23.8% in 2021 from 2019, before the outbreak of the pandemic, compared to a 15% drop among 65- to 70-year-olds and an average 7.4% decline for all age groups, according to research by the Nikkei based on medical payment data from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.
