Japan and the Coronavirus (life, cost, country, train)
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I have noticed that Japan has faired well with the Coronavirus, relatively speaking. The outbreaks started early shortly after China. This was also around the time the cruise ship got quarantined in the Yokohama port. But overall life has continued as normal there. Aside from schools closing and cancelling the "hanami" festivals, there were no real quarantines and people still went to work, still packing in the trains, and most restaurants and bars stayed open. Is it the advanced technology and health care system, or maybe their sense of personal hygiene as many of them wear face masks and bow instead of handshakes? Or could it all be just propaganda to make it look like the numbers are low to justify keeping the Olympics as scheduled? Schools are set to reopen in April.
I'm just glad to see it didn't go through the same fate as Italy, and hope it does not. Here in the US might get there within a few weeks, even though it seems the spreading has slowed down since people have been practicing social distancing. I remember a few months ago when I was saying I wouldn't want to be in Japan right now, but now I feel like I'd be better off over there.
I live in Taiwan and Japan. Neither are in a state of free fall and mass panic. The reason is the vast majority of people wear face masks in public, hand sanitizers are everywhere and infrared thermometers/thermal scanners are widely used to help interdict the infected. It also helps that in both countries the health care systems work. Crucial medical supplies are readily available to health care workers and health care is available to everyone equally.
I have noticed that Japan has faired well with the Coronavirus, relatively speaking. The outbreaks started early shortly after China..
faired well relatively is an understatement: they're doing a great job judging by the data online. Note how many Chinese and Koreans live there, how crowdy it is and how cold it is in Tokyo, Sapporo etc around this season.
I don't think the situation there is nearly as ****ed up as in Europe or the US, but their number is fishy af. They were barely testing at the beginning since they didn't want it to affect the Olympics.
Japan, US, and China statistics for infected are likely way too low, but judging by death rate, which I'd figure wouldn't be hidden in the US nor Japan, Japan is doing very well. I'm enjoying my time in Tokyo right now! Better than being stuck in NYC with no food due to the crazy end of the world preppers.
If you believe a notorious liar's lie once, shame on them. If you you believe a notorious liar's lie twice, shame on you. Totalitarian China and the Chinese's way have a very malleable concept of truth, a lie isn't a lie if the other party believes it. Concentration camps in Xianjiang officially do not exist. The Chinese authorities knew about the coronavirus outbreak since at least November 2019, did all it could to hide, failed, and allowed for the pandemic outbreak that will ruin lives and economies all over the world. Then they bragged about the Chinese efficiency being able to put together a hospital in 1 week (!), when in reality all they did was put together modular barracks. Now they claim 81,000 cases and "only" 3261 casualties, which given the circumstances is remarkably low number, yet some sources claim that 7 million cellphone plans have been dropped in China? Is that China's most recent prank on the world? https://www.indiatimes.com/technolog...ct-508957.html
The point is not to point the finger at Chinese nationals all over the world. No individual is responsible for the mayhem we're all in, and any animosity directed at them or their property is unacceptable. However, China is clearly refusing to assume its responsibilities on this enormous problem. China now bragging about how it was competent solving the crisis, and claiming it's "European problem" just to look good on the picture and cover up that they were at the source of the problem shows how much they're full of it.
Japan probably benefited from its insularity, but also has every reason to keep the numbers in the down low, since they want to keep the Summer Olympics at all costs. Had they overlooked a few thousands of cases and deaths in their toll, I wouldn't be surprised.
Also, Japan was the only country allowing Chinese nationals to transit in and out of their airports. Early February when I was trying to get out of China with my family, Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia all but shut their doors to Chinese passport holders (either thru a policy or just not issuing transit/travel visas) with the exception of Japan. I think its amazing that Japan hasn't been more effected by this virus. I assume they did an incredible job and the people took precautions and followed the governments message, unlike Western countries.
I just posted this in the coronavirus thread because I have also been thinking a lot about Japan.
Looks like things are not so bad in Japan. People are out and about looking at the cherry blossoms. I am happy for them that things appear to be calm, but I wonder if it's because they aren't testing or if they are truly not being negatively impacted by the virus.
I was there recently, and I know that testing is almost impossible to get. I also know that people were sick (coughs, flu-like symptoms, severe sore throats) in January and February, but people continued with their regular routines. I would like to see stories about Japan. Tokyo is the most populated city in the world. We need to look at how and why the virus is not affecting it like elsewhere. Plus, Japan has the oldest population in the world. What are they doing right - or appear to be doing right?
I will also add - I don't think the government or the people did anything different. I was living there up until recently, and we did not take any extra precautions.
Plus, I think Japan was doing everything wrong in the beginning (not stopping flights from China, not quarantining Wuhan returnees, not quarantining Diamond Princess passengers after they were allowed to disembark, not testing health workers who would regularly go on the Diamond Princess to test the passengers, etc.)
Life was pretty normal up until around Feb 23, and then when everything got crazy in South Korea, that is when I noticed fewer people out and about. That is when we were told to sanitize things at work.
I really think the virus had made its way through Japan at that point. I was sick in late Jan and early Feb, and other co-workers experienced similar issues. One co-worker had a fever in mid-January, went to the doctor, tested for the flu and was negative. I wonder now if she had the virus.
Anyway, maybe many people had the virus there, thought it was the flu and went on with their lives. Not sure how the elderly, smokers and people with other health conditions have seemed to escape the effects of the virus, but I do think we can learn from it and not automatically think that every country is going to become the next Italy.
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