Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston: democratic, mountains, teams)

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I've been to Japan several times...most recent was 2017. I rode the trains a lot (Shinkansen and others), and a large (but minority) number of people were wearing masks even then.

Yes, not only is their overall health better, but they actually LISTEN to their government! They don't protest en masse that their liberties are being trampled on, or threaten violence because they're asked to wear masks.

People in china wear masks and yet they had a good amount of deaths. I know it did come from china but china is a total dictatorship.

People are not threatening violence because they are told to wear masks but because of buisnesses have been shut down.

In Japan less buisnesses have been shut down. I know about Japanese culture they are taught not to stick out in front of the crowd and have very low crime. I know someone who went to Japan and you can drop your wallet in the street with 200 dollars and chances are no one will steal it.

Ill still take a country where the people question the goverment taking of rights. It can be a slipery slope. You tell people to wear masks then the next enforcement is everyone must get a vaccine . They will hold you down and shoot you up against your free will.

Japan its more cultural brainwashing then a dictatorship like china.

[bohemka]

Originally Posted by justyouraveragetenant

People in china wear masks and yet they had a good amount of deaths. I know it did come from china but china is a total dictatorship.

People are not threatening violence because they are told to wear masks but because of buisnesses have been shut down.

In Japan less buisnesses have been shut down. I know about Japanese culture they are taught not to stick out in front of the crowd and have very low crime. I know someone who went to Japan and you can drop your wallet in the street with 200 dollars and chances are no one will steal it.

Ill still take a country where the people question the goverment taking of rights. It can be a slipery slope. You tell people to wear masks then the next enforcement is everyone must get a vaccine . They will hold you down and shoot you up against your free will.

Japan its more cultural brainwashing then a dictatorship like china.

You sound like an old man on a porch talking about the good old days, yet I suspect you are young and are being fed this perspective. Get out and see the world and find out who's figured this out. Spoiler: not us.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I've been to Japan several times...most recent was 2017. I rode the trains a lot (Shinkansen and others), and a large (but minority) number of people were wearing masks even then.

Yes, not only is their overall health better, but they actually LISTEN to their government! They don't protest en masse that their liberties are being trampled on, or threaten violence because they're asked to wear masks.

Slightly OT but sometimes but from looking at the history of technology being with UI and UX the difference with documentation can be significant. In Japan they will take a manual and read it front to cover and try to master it. In the USA they toss it and want it to be used right outside the box. I'm not saying Japan made products with bad quality, not by a longshot but if you look at what the general expectations are simplification was not one of them. Look at Apple products and Kodak back in the day.

I'd also note that a decade or so ago Japan had a fashion trend of looking injured. I have no idea why but it was happening.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

I've been to Japan several times...most recent was 2017. I rode the trains a lot (Shinkansen and others), and a large (but minority) number of people were wearing masks even then.

Yes, not only is their overall health better, but they actually LISTEN to their government! They don't protest en masse that their liberties are being trampled on, or threaten violence because they're asked to wear masks.

It's not only that. It's a culture with almost no physical contact despite the congestion. You bow rather than handshake or kiss on the cheek. It's always been a place obsessed with personal hygiene. People wash their hands. As you say, masks are normal in good times and pretty ubiquitous during flu season.



The country went all out germ-o-phobe in mid-February when the pulled the plug on schools and started the 14 day quarantine for people coming into Japan. Wearing a mask and using hand sanitizer became a public duty. They also have an excellent public health system for everyone.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by bohemka

Italy has a very large older population. Possibly the largest.



Wouldn't that be something. Muppets on parade.

Believe me...not advocating blind followership. It's only when the government is putting forth common-sense directives based on safety recommendations for the entire population.

[BostonMike7]

1000 new cases and 86 deaths.

Decent decline in hospitalizations too. Net hospitalizations -78

https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-da...-2020/download

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by justyouraveragetenant

In Japan less buisnesses have been shut down. I know about Japanese culture they are taught not to stick out in front of the crowd and have very low crime. I know someone who went to Japan and you can drop your wallet in the street with 200 dollars and chances are no one will steal it.

I've been to Japan 4 times between 2012 and October 2019. I was there during Typhoon Hagibis last fall and actually got to experience what a stay at home order looks like over there, and see how people responded. It's certainly not the same as a months-long lock down, but the level of compliance blew me away. Especially considering that the Typhoon itself in Central Toyko was little more than what we'd call a typical rainy/windy day (it was deadly and disastrous along some of the waterways on the outskirts, and in the mountains). There was nobody in streets. Not a soul. And the situation at stores was orderly and relatively stress free. No hoarding.

But I would argue one of the bigger differences (apart from health - Japan is far healthier) is that Japan is, frankly, a hell of a lot cleaner than the U.S. And it's especially cleaner than China. You almost never see litter outdoors, you will never see garbage cans overflowing, train stations (and the trains themselves) are cleaned constantly throughout the day by teams of workers who clearly take pride in their work. Businesses are also cleaned regularly. Restaurant and bar surfaces are meticulously cleaned, and crowds are different. There are plenty crowded bars in Japan, but they are largely far smaller than the average bar in Boston, and nothing even close to the size of the bigger sports bars and clubs you'll find all over the country here. Many bars and restaurants in Japan have fewer than 10 seats. A "crowded" bar may only have 10-15 people. So even if an infected person went into that bar and infected everyone, it doesn't have same impact that an infected person going into standing room only bar with 100 people.

Finally,personal hygiene habits are just better in Japan. It's been mentioned that masks are far more common, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. People largely keep their mouths covered and shut in public. No boisterous laughing, and many people cover their mouths when they smile (mostly women). There's far more effort to not sneeze, cough, or even sniffle in confined public spaces (like trains). Hand washing is done far more frequently over there. Many restaurants have packaged towelettes at the table, or come around with towels for hand washing pre and post meal. Toilets? The bidet is king, so hands are less likely to come in contact with other bodily fluids throughout the course of "business." It's just all-round cleaner.

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by BostonMike7

1000 new cases and 86 deaths.

Decent decline in hospitalizations too. Net hospitalizations -78

https://www.mass.gov/doc/covid-19-da...-2020/download

Also, new high in tests conducted yesterday (16k+), so the 1,000 new cases is even more impressive. Hard to be happy about 78 new deaths, but that's also a significant decrease over previous days.

I've been cautiously looking for optimism in the data over the past several weeks and found bits and pieces here and there. The percent positive of tests conducted have been on the decline for a week or so, and hospitalizations have been consistently declining. But they were small gains and we had generally plateaued for around 7-10 days. This is the first update where I've actually let myself feel a bit of optimism. Of course, that could all go out the window if we get another significant spike over the next few days. But for now, this is a good, good sign.

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by bohemka

Italy has a very large older population. Possibly the largest.



Wouldn't that be something. Muppets on parade.

Japan has a huge older population.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by justyouraveragetenant

People in china wear masks and yet they had a good amount of deaths. I know it did come from china but china is a total dictatorship.

People are not threatening violence because they are told to wear masks but because of buisnesses have been shut down.

Check your facts:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...oyees-n1198736

But anyway...even if they were threatening violence because of businesses being shut down, that would somehow be better?