Japan reports 70,396 new coronavirus cases

Not sure but numbers seem significantly more than yesterday's

For comparison with US, see

Seems less cases but a lot more deaths

Big ba da BOOM!

vaccines prevent serious illness so no need for lockdowns

Oh..They are still counting the new cases?

Close the borders. Lock things down. Issue more proclamations. This is serious.

For comparison with US, see

Seems less cases but a lot more deaths

Some experts have made comments about this contrast,

https://erictopol.substack.com/p/the-marked-contrast-in-pandemic-outcomes?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

It makes an interesting read

Oh..They are still counting the new cases?

Why not? some people like to be informed on how the pandemic is behaving in the country.

In the first years of the pandemic Ive always kept little bottles of alcohol in the car and in my bag to use immediately after leaving a supermarket, restaurant, etc., my wife never really liked me pestering her to sanitize her hands after doing the groceries etc. and I eventually gave up the alcohol thing altogether.

It's been almost an year I guess and we are still alive.

I can't believe the cases are risingvlike this.

Most people I see on the trains or even outside on the streets are fully masked up. Surely they are effective?

High vaccination rates so I guess some of these can be attributed to rare breakthrough cases but maybe not eveyone is boosted enough?

Perplexing.

Some experts have made comments about this contrast,

https://erictopol.substack.com/p/the-marked-contrast-in-pandemic-outcomes?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

It makes an interesting read

Yes, interesting

A piece in The Economist this week about masks, and how at least half of the people in Japan are planning to continue to use masks indefinitely (where there was never a mandate), prompts a deeper look into what has been the secret of Japan’s extraordinary success in the pandemic. Over time it has the least cumulative deaths per capita of any major country in the world.

This news is not settling. "Japan reports 70,396 new coronavirus cases."

I must again ask what is going on. We in Japan have been largely obedient. Masks. Alcohol. Making safe spaces between people. No rebellions. More people cooperating. Practically everybody getting their shots.

The only thing I can think of is that people have gotten lax. Recently I've seen a number of nose jobs--mask wearers who pull their masks below the noses--which kills the reason masks.

Had dinner in Kobe a few days ago--first time in over 2 yrs. The restaurants were not packed; a lot of places were closed.

What is going on? It's not diseased foreigners come in (if they are sick they stay home).

Something is being left out.

What is going on?

A focus on reducing the complications and risk from the disease instead of the hugely much more difficult (and less productive) task of stopping the infections in the first place.

This is how the measures have been planned to evolve since the moment it was clear eradication was no longer a realistic goal. Very strict measures until vaccines and effective treatments were developed, then a (hopefully gradual) relaxation of the measures to reduce their cost while keeping the problems caused by the disease at low levels. Not every country is getting the balance right but the trend is the same around the world.

Endemic です

Was a big deal way back when it was killing less than 50 daily.

Killed 70 now

But there is one thing you can know for sure:

this virus caused quite a damage on some people's mental health.

I started hating my mother-in-law coming over because she keeps pestering my 1 year old son "not to touch anything" when we're out, he touches a freaking couch in the mall and the next moment she's rushing to swipe his hands.

I also know a lady from a company I go a few times a month that swipes her OWN desk phone after every single call. I'm sorry but all this looks mental to me.

How do you know that the people who died, were not going to die anyway regardless as to their vaccination status ?

Still news?

Who does not clearly see and understand the situation? People stop mitigating the spread and it is spreading .!. It’s not a single issue or cause .!. Masks help … they don’t prevent .!. Vaccines are mostly reducing the severity of cases .!. But they do nothing to stop the spread.!. And NO.!. This isn’t some or the same as a cold .!. 70,000 people don’t go to the Dr in a single day for some mild cold symptoms.!. There’s 135,000 people in 2 days who are genuinely sick .!. We know this because Japan is ONLY testing symptomatic people.!. 480k people still currently hospitalized from the 7th wave and the 8th wave has arrived.!. Mask up people.!. Help stop the spread or yourself becoming another burden on the collapsed healthcare system.!. If possible, avoid public transportation.!. Certainly avoid the bars .!. Drink at home .!. If you’re in the vast majority of responsible people who are eligible, get your mRNA booster scheduled asap.!.

Ive always kept little bottles of alcohol in the car and in my bag to use immediately after leaving a supermarket, restaurant, etc.,

I keep large bottles of alcohol at home and disinfect my throat everyday after returning from work.

A new wave