Japan marks 2 years since first COVID-19 case confirmed

It's almost over. Get this big omicron wave behind us and I think we are done. No doubt, it will infect a lot, but probably only those whose lives would have been threatened by a normal influenza infection will die of it. Of course, there will be variants after Omicron, but we'll have more and more immunity, maybe not to re-infection, but to serious illness and I just don't see both the virulence and transmissibility increasing at the same time. To increase its transmissibility, Omicron had to change the way in which it infected cells and in doing so, became much more viable in the upper respiratory tract and much less viable in the deep lung tissue - this same change likely resulted in it being a much less dangerous disease. A couple of years from now, COVID will probably be not much different to the other four coronaviruses in endemic circulation, indeed Omicron itself is probably little more than a highly transmissible mild flu-like illness in terms of its threat to public health (that is still quite a threat, especially in places like the US where there are many living with chronic disease and only a mild flu infection away from a trip to the ER) - the data from SA, and now the UK and Denmark bear this out.

Two years in and where is Japan's vaccination?

You have nothing to worry if you are young and healthy, they said.

Thomas

it’s not all about you and your desire to travel and see your mates. Part of the reason we had low levels are the ban on travel. Saving lives is more important than travel king the world, which would be considered a privilege to most of the world.

Elvis is here

its not my generalisation, the stats say the main ICU patients are unjabbed.

In which country? For Japan, I have not seen a breakdown. But for example for NSW Australia, I have seen the opposite:

COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs), as at 9 Jan,2022 159

Percentage who were unvaccinated 49.1%

Percentage who were double vaccinated 50.3%

Ref: https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/698804/20220113-COVID-19-Monitor.pdf

Anyway, the figures are still all over the place. I would just recommend to go easy on the simple talking points.

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stickman1760Today  07:48 am JST

Two years on and the govt still hasn’t learned.”

I am glad the govt hasn’t learned, sickman.

“Japan and other countries will over react, enforce more jabs and quarantines.”

Quarantines, yes. jabs, NO. Jabs are not enforced here.

Happy to hear some of you have found it lucky to be here the last two years. Stay safe and healthy and hope all will be out of this soon so we can free see friends and families outside of Ｊａｐａｎ

A good job done overall. Glad I spent he last 2 years in Japan.

Courtesy of the CCP.

yes.

it seems that actually omicron will kill covid virus as many get infected,with light scenario many get affectively immune against covid once they get well after infection with omicron...

some month or two as max and situation will be calm worldwide...

build your own body immunity,eat well drink well sleep well,dont be overstressed,there is light at the end of tunnel...moo skoshi....

I'm happy to have lived here in the relative normalcy that Japan has been during this whole mess rather than the endless cycles of lockdowns that solved nothing in our home countries.

Initial phases of Japans response to the pandemic was so concerning I think many of us expats expected things to go very bad, very very quickly. Aging population, and J leaders inept at communicating ( understanding? even we all thought ) the situation and strategies to the populace. Personally bought bags full of multivitamins and supplements as I was expected a total societal breakdown in the first few months! Thought supermarkets would go bare the works. A sheeplike population being led to the slaughter!

None of it happened. No major shutdowns, no mandates, no chaos, just the calm under-reaction of the J culture. Resignation to hardship is inbuilt and people basically gammanned like bosses and got on with it. Something to be said for a conservative approach to a global crisis. Don’t act too rashly, don’t panic, don’t talk down to your constituents, let people make their own choices. Got it all right, by doing very little!

Even pulled off the Olympics and once the vaxes finally rolled out it was done quickly and efficiently. Gaijins screaming from the sidelines, Japan being it’s usual stoic self. After two years, personally glad I’ve been here and not in many other countries in the world. So much anger, angst, I’ll informed rash judgments and emotion you see from scenes around the world. Corona life here has been inconvenient, but you have to admit, not too painful. With the new data on Omicron let’s hope we can start the road back to normality very soon. Something tells me Japan will get a fairly high score for their rather minimalist approach to the pandemic. Lotta papers will be written!

The first line of defense in any country should have been and should still be vitamin supplementation.

Agree or disagree the evidence is out there.

The fact that it isn’t and hasn’t been shows that the ‘influence’ is something other than a straightforward concern for health.

I suffer from viral infections and have learned that adding supplements to my diet stops viruses taking hold.

What will Japan do going forward with this virus? 2 years in and still so many questions to be answered. Yet seems like there isn’t a push to find answers. Just do what we say. “The science” says you should. Yet the science isn’t always right. Take a look at Israel and Palestine as an example. Reuters Report: One country heavily vaxxed and one not. Fully vaxxed with 2 shots as of Sept 2021. Israel 60% vaxxed and Palestine 17% vaxxed. Death rate by population was 0.079% for both places. So it seems that “the science” has been influenced by … well you fill in the blank.

Credible sources are quietly saying the beginning of the end has possibly begun in developed countries. One sources has suggested this autumn might be normal (what ever that may be).

I hope this is true, but they are also saying that a new variant will likely emerge by then, in which case, Japan and other countries will over react, enforce more jabs and quarantines.

Time to open up and live again.

Elvis is hereToday  07:56 am JST

its not my generalisation, the stats say the main ICU patients are unjabbed.

Main ICU patients are over 80 year olds with underlying conditions and have been jabbed at leas once. Fixed it for you.

What a coincidence! That's the same amount of time it's been since my son has seen his grandparents!

Thank you for remembering the worst part of our lives. Good job.

Yeah!! Good memories.

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated are getting infected so it's not possible to generalize.

The original comment clearly said ”sickness” not infection, unvaccinated people are at a higher risk for even infection but definetely they are much more likely to end up with s clearly said ”sickness” not infection, unvaccinated people are at a higher

Two years on and the govt still hasn’t learned.

their inability to get the booster shots into arms at a crucial time is just another example of their utter incompetence.

this is not the time to be dithering over red tape.

Both vaccinated and unvaccinated are getting infected so it's not possible to generalize.

Personal immune system and health consciousness definitely makes a difference.

As usual experts will announce what they presume the virus will do next.

And the cases will keep rising, in a month or so cases will be heading down as Japan follows the path other countries have.