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Japan set to extend state of emergency for up to another month

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I’m curious to know how much amplification is used in the PCR test in Japan. Is this the only way “cases” are being corroborated. If so then until a chest X-ray is taken they are still only suspected cases.

4 ( +12 / -8 )

I'm curious to know whether the tests, as shown in the photo, are conducted while the people are in the safety of their own cars, or whether they must park, get out of their cars and then enter a potentially dangerous and probably very crowded medical facility, breathing each other's air.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Testing is STILL a problem!

Two cases here, first case, a young woman, and her family of 5 all contracted the virus, Mom and Dad were hospitalized, and the three siblings were "ordered" , by the hospital staff, to stay home. Fortunately all recovered, BUT before they were "allowed" back into the world, all 5 had to take a second test and because they all tested negative, they were ok.

Second case, a young man, who attended a "Coming of Age" party with his friends, after the ceremony, contracted the virus, tested positive, along with a few others. People he was in contact with, were tested, and fortunately were negative, and the young man was "ordered" to stay home, as he had relatively mild symptoms, much like the siblings in the first case I shared here.

He stayed home at the orders of the local health center, and they checked up on him every 2 or 3 days, according to him, BUT the very large difference here, and one I personally find more than troublesome and puzzling to say the least, after two weeks the health center (hoken jyo) told him he was fine and ok to return to "normal" activities. WITH NO TEST to show he was negative!

Reason given from the health center, to get the test, he would have to pay out of pocket! And down here, the PCR test can cost anywhere between 20,000 yen and up. But if the health center authorized his test, it would be covered by insurance, and his out of pocket expense would have been under 2,000.

In the first case, BOTH tests were covered by national insurance. (Still scratching my head on this one!)

15 ( +17 / -2 )

There needs to be more than just urging. Urging is just enough to cause issues with people’s schedules, but not enough to actually be effective against the virus.

The over use of the word "urge" or any of it's variants, is the problem of the translators here. They really need to use a thesaurus and I for one would entreat them, no impel them, to stop overusing this word. There is a lot of misunderstanding because of it! (Not saying you misunderstand it here! Just an observation about it's total over use)

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Of course. as the virus effects people differently, then the duration may also be longer in some cases.

A test should be given in after two weeks of diagnosis.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Let me guess. The state of emergency will be miraculously lifted just before the start of the Olympics

16 ( +18 / -2 )

I think I recognize the guy holding the sign from parking the last time I was at the beach.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Japan has really dropped the ball on this. As soon as they lift this current SOE numbers will once again go up forcing another SOE, further destroying the economy. As I said before, there is only one way out of this: Vaccines. And yet Japan is the only G7 country that has yet to roll them out. Sorry to say it but we are in for another year of misery here at least.

11 ( +13 / -2 )

just 2 weeks to slow the spread they said...

The worst thing you can do is naively cede power to politicians. They don't willingly give it back.

That the younger generation are the weakest in human history with the fewest coping skills is not helping.

9 ( +15 / -6 )

Extend or not!

No difference for me.

Life has go on...just with Mask and social distance where it is possible.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Yubaru... its really very simple, two weeks after contracting the virus, the victim is no longer contagious so is no longer a problem.

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

again, its easy to say "stay home" if your income does not depend on going outside and working per hour.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

@Monty

Extend or not! 

No difference for me.

Agree. Haven’t seen anything changes since SOE started. Life is as “normal” as before.

People just need to keep doing their best prevention to protect themselves, as no one will otherwise.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

@Yuabru. It is regrettable that they are limited in vocabulary for translation. Totally regrettable. Regrettable to say the least.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

I’m just astounded people up there are paying for tests!

Have it covered completely by Suga and Co!

10 ( +11 / -1 )

It's a sensible move. One-month-extension will almost cover the entire duration of the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays, turning away tourists from the country where the virus originated.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

asking restaurants and bars to shorten their opening hours.

Rocket Science. Cram loads of healthy people into enclosed spaces for a short period of time where if one unsympathetic person can spread.

restaurants and bars should open later with staggered times.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

How does extending the unenforceable and ignored SoE help the situation. People are tired and don't care anymore, this virus has a recovery rate of more than 99%.

Yesterday, I had a sizeable gathering with my Japanese friends and our families at someone's house, no masks o social distance involved, no mention of the 'rona or anything, we've had enough. We are not the only ones, a lot of people are fed up with all this nonsense and just want to go on with life regardless the virus situation.

-11 ( +9 / -20 )

I’m curious to know how much amplification is used in the PCR test in Japan. Is this the only way “cases” are being corroborated. If so then until a chest X-ray is taken they are still only suspected cases.

The number of cycles is completely irrelevant, there are many other kinds of fail-safes to make sure a positive report is a true positive, and since the purpose is to detect cases of infection then the X-ray is also completely unnecessary.

this virus has a recovery rate of more than 99%.

The experts contradict you, so it would be safe to discard your opinion about it. Responsible adults also tend to act with consideration and care for others even if it is (gasp!) not illegal to stop doing so, fortunately the majority of people are like that.

10 ( +19 / -9 )

Social distance or masks, personal hygiene. Let’s get on with life.

0 ( +8 / -8 )

The number of cycles is completely irrelevant,

Fact check: Not just false, but Spectacularly false. The WHO themselves just last week advised that PCR cycles be adjusted (re:lowered) to avoid the number of false positives.

The experts contradict you, so it would be safe to discard your opinion about it.

Fact check: False. The recovery rate, by the WHO's own admittance, is greater than 99%.

Just educating yourself a little bit with a few minutes of research will expose the poseurs who have enjoyed a few months of stolen valor by pretending to be someone they're not.

-6 ( +10 / -16 )

Japan, Brazil, the UK followed the trump administration's lead of playing "Whack a Mole" with the pandemic by denying the problem exists or pretending to have a plan. Now Abe fled like the weakling that he is, and he has left Suga to take the fall for his incompetence. Anyone see those Abe masks in public?

Suga is surrounded by other no nothings, so he has no real resource for fresh ideas. He is waiting for the US to take the lead, but they have their own issues.

At this point, until an effective vaccine is rolled out, every resident and business owner/company must do their part to avoid spreading the virus. If people wore their masks properly all the time and washed their hands then there would be less spreading the virus. If companies did more to allow some personnel to stay at home then less risk. If companies did more to make the work environment safer for workers who must show up then there would be less transmission. If young teenagers and young adults would stop being stupid!

There are too many selfish people making it hard for everybody. We are bringing this on ourselves because our decisions are being made based on our own personal benefit.

That is the only way to survive without a lockdown.

Is this ironic for the "This is Japan!" and "We Japanese" crowds?

1 ( +11 / -10 )

There are too many selfish people making it hard for everybody. We are bringing this on ourselves because our decisions are being made based on our own personal benefit.

Not only is mask usage universal in Japan, its nearly universal outdoors.

Oh, by the way, they don't have any effect whatsoever. The single, most comprehensive study last summer done by Dutch researchers proved that.

Your post ignores two facts that the hysterics always have; The virus is gonna virus no matter what. And, Japan has fared much better than just about any country wether the govt had anything to do with it or not.

-12 ( +7 / -19 )

The PCR test in Shinjuku is ¥2900 less than $30. There wasn’t a long line or anything. Just five or six people on a Saturday afternoon.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I’m curious to know how much amplification is used in the PCR test in Japan. Is this the only way “cases” are being corroborated. If so then until a chest X-ray is taken they are still only suspected cases.

The number of cycles is completely irrelevant, there are many other kinds of fail-safes to make sure a positive report is a true positive, and since the purpose is to detect cases of infection then the X-ray is also completely unnecessary.

...

no this absolutely relevant. A COVID case is defined by a positive PCR test. As stupid as this is, most of the world has done so, even at 35-40 cycles. There are false positives for PCR, but not infection.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

In other news today:

Only 37% of firms met Japan gov't target of cutting commuters by 70%

Gee, I wonder why the first month didn't bring down the numbers?

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Fact check: Not just false, but Spectacularly false. The WHO themselves just last week advised that PCR cycles be adjusted (re:lowered) to avoid the number of false positives.

Bring a reference it would not be the first time you understood something spectacularly wrong. The PCR machines already come with extra extra controls applied automatically to avoid the need to adjust the number of cycles.

Fact check: False. The recovery rate, by the WHO's own admittance, is greater than 99%.

The last time I asked you to document that you did not bring anything to do it, I remember clearly because even at that time more than 1% of the population of the US died of the disease, so the only way for that fantasy percentage to be true would be for people to come back from the grave.

Just educating yourself a little bit with a few minutes of research will expose the poseurs who have enjoyed a few months of stolen valor by pretending to be someone they're not.

Sorry, that would be you again, that pretended to know better than the doctors that diagnose COVID cases because they contradicted every point you were trying to make. And since you cannot quote me even once trying to "be" anything in this case it is even easier to prove you mistaken.

Oh, by the way, they don't have any effect whatsoever. The single, most comprehensive study last summer done by Dutch researchers proved that.

Again trying to misrepresent the study? the authors themselves contradict you, so it is safe to believe them over you, that obviously did not even understood it.

no this absolutely relevant. A COVID case is defined by a positive PCR test. As stupid as this is, most of the world has done so, even at 35-40 cycles. There are false positives for PCR, but not infection.

No, that mistaken opinion comes from not understanding the PCR technology, you could have 600 cycles and you would never increase the number of positives because other things like correlated results from different primers, melting curve analysis, cycle numbers above negative controls, etc. Would make easy to discard any systematic false positive. There is no reason other than infection for a PCR to result positive (in general) no matter the number of cycles.

7 ( +12 / -5 )

The number of new infections has not changed since they introduced the state of emergency. I fail to see how extending it is going to make any difference. Japan is going to have to up its game with more strict and drastic measures to control the spread of the virus.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Do the hustle.... the number of infections has come down a little. Also of importance is that it hasn’t continued its rise.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Quite upsetting to say the least. At least bring back go to travel for those prefectures not under marshal law.

Not worried about money, although some nice savings lost, we are still going to

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1022436-d3243254-Reviews-Okunoshima_Island-Takehara_Hiroshima_Prefecture_Chugoku.html

Someone has to help those poor little cute bunny rabbits and their poor little babies in this cold.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

I will stick with the scientists who say wear a mask. Although the Dutch are very good looking and have nice beer.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Not worried about money, although some nice savings lost, we are still going to

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1022436-d3243254-Reviews-Okunoshima_Island-Takehara_Hiroshima_Prefecture_Chugoku.html

Someone has to help those poor little cute bunny rabbits and their poor little babies in this cold.

Oishisou!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I’m curious to know how much amplification is used in the PCR test in Japan. Is this the only way “cases” are being corroborated. If so then until a chest X-ray is taken they are still only suspected cases.

I have been PCR tested twice, at a hospital, when presenting with fever. On both occasions I was also given a chest x-ray. Both times I was negative.

You can't have it both ways. If you defend the current testing regime on the basis of its narrow focus on symptomatic individuals, as many here do, you can't also claim that most of those symptomatic patients who test positive are false positives

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I’m curious to know how much amplification is used in the PCR test in Japan

The number of cycles is completely irrelevant

I'll admit my ignorance on this. I read the document below to try and get some information.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/926410/Understanding_Cycle_ThresholdCtin_SARS-CoV-2RT-PCR.pdf

This is my (simplistic) understanding:

a. The number of cycles is something that is measured rather than set for a test. (But there will be an upper limit that is set and no further cycles are done when this limit is reached.)

b. A low cycle count (i.e. a measurement threshold is reached after a low number of cycles) indicates a high level of infection.

c. A high cycle count indicates a low level of infection.

d. The low infection level is harder to interpret. The person may be newly infected and so may develop serious symptoms soon or the person was infected some time ago and has passed through the serious stage. (Further information is needed in such cases to interpret the results.)

e. Not all testing systems/devices are the same. Some give detailed results and some give a simple negative/positive result.

Regarding point d. above, is that why many places prefer to restrict testing to only those who are symptomatic?

Please correct my misunderstandings, but try to make the corrections understandable to a non-specialist.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

This is my (simplistic) understanding:

Yes, in general that is correct. The only correction necessary would be that the machines always say the number of cycles of a positive result, the problem is that this is not always reported to the patient.

A high number of cycles is not a problem in a situation like in Japan, where the system can have a lot of secondary fail-safe procedures to reduce the appearance of false positives, the high number increases the sensitivity of the test without decreasing the specificity, this means that a positive result is the same as an infection except for very rare cases. A high number of cycles is important for considering the person a risk for others becauseit can indicate the person (at the moment of the test) is not releasing enough viruses to spread the disease.

For the Japanese statistics the interest is to know if the spreading is being controlled or not, so it is of interest to include all people that have been infected, a high number of cycles is not a problem then.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Good decision.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Among the 11 prefectures under SOE, Tochigi may be off the list concerning its numbers.

I'd propose a two-week extension and mid-term review for each prefecture.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I agree with VirusEx with the cyces. It is sort of like a two wheeler or a tricycle. All relative.

zlet them eat cake.

-11 ( +0 / -11 )

Fact check: Not just false, but Spectacularly false. The WHO themselves just last week advised that PCR cycles be adjusted (re:lowered) to avoid the number of false positives.

Bring a reference it would not be the first time you understood something spectacularly wrong.

Your understanding has also been spectacularly wrong a few times, so you might want to soften up your constant insults of people that do not agree with you.

About a week ago, I responded to one of you comments with a quote from the WHO statement:

According to the WHO's updated version of an Information Notice for IVD Users issue Jan 13, 2021:

"WHO guidance Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 states that careful interpretation of weak positive results is needed (1). The cycle threshold (Ct) needed to detect virus is inversely proportional to the patient’s viral load. Where test results do not correspond with the clinical presentation, a new specimen should be taken and retested using the same or different NAT technology."

So many experts world wide are saying that we should not use Ct values over 30 or 35. You are the only person saying otherwise, and your explanations don't really make any sense. Once, you mentioned that does not apply to the new PCR technology, because they use fluorescent probes; wow! that sounds impressive. Seems you think all those experts saying the Ct is critical are doing PCR using beakers and water baths....

But your latest post (7:40) is encouraging, as it suggests that you are finally coming to realize that the Ct is in fact relevant.

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

Not only is mask usage universal in Japan, its nearly universal outdoors.

Oh, by the way, they don't have any effect whatsoever. The single, most comprehensive study last summer done by Dutch researchers proved that.

I believe that masks should be worn by those who have covid or are interacting with covid patients, but I agree that several experts and studies indicate that masks among the general population has little if any effect.

Myself, I carry a mask with me, and I put it on whenever I enter a shop, public transport, or when I talk face-to-face with my students. But I do it mainly to not upset those around me, not because I feel it's making me safer.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

"Suga said Saturday that he needs to "observe the situation a little more" before making a decision, according to officials who met with him. The emergency could remain in place for another three weeks to one month, the sources said."

Yeah, because observing instead of acting has done Japan a world of good thus far. But hey, while he's at it, why doesn't Suga wait and observe the rest of the world giving millions of vaccinations a day while Japanese companies fail to produce one, and hospitals fill up and/or refuse patients, and then claim the first doses "might" be available much, MUCH earlier than the promised end of February start... like, February 25th instead of the 28th! Then they can wait and see again, form a few panels, discuss, suggest it's under control, vow it will be in a week, think about extending it again, wait until the night before and hold a big press conference, to say a conference will be held the next day, announce that going out after 8:00 p.m. to eat, drink, or do anything else except work overtime should be avoided, then go out for steaks and to a hostess bar.

Honestly, keep it on, lift it, with zero restrictions and even less punishment, and with even lawmakers and the PM himself ignoring the suggestions, it makes zero difference. Suga and his cronies are still spitting on the people who actually DO try to follow his sham of "guidelines".

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Your understanding has also been spectacularly wrong a few times, so you might want to soften up your constant insults of people that do not agree with you.

Saying that you are wrong when it can be proved that you are is not an insult, you should be grateful for that, unless you already knew your beliefs were wrong and you were still trying to impose them anyway, then it would be understanding that you don't like to be corrected. Maybe that is why you think I have been wrong.

About a week ago, I responded to one of you comments with a quote from the WHO statement:

And you were wrong, exactly for the same reason you are wrong now, because as I explained before the number of cycles do not increase the rate of false positivity in any realistic way. You keep getting confused between using cycle numbers to address the viral load (something valid) and thinking high cycle numbers increase the rate of false positives (something that the source you keep bringing does nothing to prove). You do understand that you yourself brought another fail-safe that can be used to reduce them, right?

So many experts world wide are saying that we should not use Ct values over 30 or 35

No, that is not what the experts are saying at all, not even in the source you are bringing. As long as the test specificity is controlled the number of cycles is not relevant to detect cases of infection.

Once, you mentioned that does not apply to the new PCR technology, because they use fluorescent probes; wow! that sounds impressive. Seems you think all those experts saying the Ct is critical are doing PCR using beakers and water baths

No, I know you don't understand the importance of using fluorescent probes, but compared with the option (intercalated dyes, not water baths) they make the systematic increase of false positives because of high cycles realistically impossible. You can read about it even on wikipedia without problem, don't let a few minutes of study keep confusing you.

Ct are of course important, but never for the specificity of the test, that is where you keep getting things completely wrong, and that is also why you keep misinterpreting advice directed for a very different purpose.

I agree that several experts and studies indicate that masks among the general population has little if any effect.

The scientific consensus is the opposite, there will always be people that insist on non-scientific conclusions because they have interests different from public health, but in general the protective effect that masks have is a well recognized advantage against COVID-19. Social pressure can have many negative effects, but at least sometimes is useful so even people that do not understand the science have to behave responsibly to function in society. Is the same as people that get pressured into washing their hands even when they never learned about proper hygiene.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

this virus has a recovery rate of more than 99%.

The experts contradict you, so it would be safe to discard your opinion about it.

In places that screen and immediately treat infected people, the survival rate is over 99.9%.

If we look at what is happening here, in Japan, where the covid deaths represent about 1% of the confirmed infections. Nobody can say with a straight face that the confirmed cases is anywhere close to the actual infection number.

And I don't even think people are treated particularly well here. Imagine if they encouraged everyone to supplement in vitamin D; and they increased the PCR screening and immediately treated all PCR positives with HCQ/azithromycin/Zn.....

-7 ( +3 / -10 )

In places that screen and immediately treat infected people, the survival rate is over 99.9%.

You have said that before, but could not produce evidence of it actually happening, even after being asked for it directly and repeatedly. Statistics pulled out from thin air are not a valid defense for something you want to believe.

Not dying from the disease do not automatically equals to recovering, for lots of patients that is still something that is in the future even months after defeating the acute infection. And a specially important detail is that the best recovery rates (still much lower than 99.9%) require the best medical attention, something that becomes impossible when there is no space for hospitalization. In Japan patients already have to wait to be hospitalized, if that continues the fatality rates will keep increasing.

And I don't even think people are treated particularly well here. Imagine if they encouraged everyone to supplement in vitamin D; and they increased the PCR screening and immediately treated all PCR positives with HCQ/azithromycin/Zn.....

That would be counterproductive, first you already wrote that elder japanese patients are doing better than expected because they have good levels of vitamin D, now they don't? keep a side of that instead of switching around. The medication you recommend has also been already debunked as useless and only increases the risk for the patients unnecessarily, so there is no justification to use it.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

I stay home and don’t have guests over. I don’t go to places that are high risk because I’m thinking of my family AND I’m a responsible member of society.

It’s selfish and irrational to be breaking guidelines at the moment.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

first you already wrote that elder japanese patients are doing better than expected because they have good levels of vitamin D, now they don't? keep a side of that instead of switching around.

The percentage of elderly Japanese with sufficient vitamin D (perhaps because they eat more fish) is much higher than in northern Italy, which might explain the massive differences in death rates between the two countries. I never said that 100% of elderly Japanese have sufficient vitamin D. If they would encourage everyone to supplement with vitamin D, Japan's low covid death rate would probably be even lower.

I've explained this many times already. This is very easy to understand. You're pretending to not understand it, you can't possibly be that ....

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Simple answer Suga, start the vaccines NOW!

SOEs aren't going to be effective anymore, people are outright tired of this bullshite. Bars and restaurants are full, no masks anywhere inside and quite a few staying open after 8pm.... ghast!

Let the vaccines start for those who don't mind getting it now, let the whiners wait until it's been "studied" for months and months. You'll have plenty of people standing in line right now for it and we can get this over with much sooner than later.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

50YearOldNovice: "Those Governments should be collectively taxing all Chinese Imports in order to pay for the Pandemic."

How each country has failed to deal with the pandemic, or made successes in some cases, like Australia for the most part, is not China's fault. The US is the greatest example of failure in dealing with this epidemic -- WORSE than China by far. That's on the last government of the US, clearly as is evidenced by how low other nations' rates are by comparison. Or do you think China sent MORE corona to the US, and less to other nations, and hence all the discrepancy? And Trump and Co blamed China more than anyone for Trump and Co's own failures. Sorry, but constantly deflecting and blaming China is only going to get your nation in more trouble than it's in.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Articles about the state of emergency, more positive tests, more financial aid, but NOTHING about a vaccination program.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

The media, including Japan Today, have to start pressuring the government about vaccinations instead of swallowing without question all its BS press releases.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The percentage of elderly Japanese with sufficient vitamin D (perhaps because they eat more fish) is much higher than in northern Italy, which might explain the massive differences in death rates between the two countries.

That only is true if you (again) switch into considering terribly poor levels as "sufficient" for Japan, else they would be at even a disadvantage even to Italy. If you have to contradict yourself to say something it would be more productive to consider that maybe your beliefs are not true. The same as the 99.9% survival rate that once again you could not prove, or trying to pass a recommendation of the qRT-PCR about amount of virus as if it was about false positives, if you are going to abandon those flawed arguments without defending them it makes no sense to use them on the first place, specially knowing they are wrong.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

The experts contradict you, so it would be safe to discard your opinion about it. Responsible adults also tend to act with consideration and care for others even if it is (gasp!) not illegal to stop doing so, fortunately the majority of people are like that.

No, this is nonsense.

There is a 0.004% chance or less of dying with the virus in Japan.

Covid deaths have been exaggerated in the US as hospitals have been financially incentivized to do so.

The data is not accurate and that is a fact!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

No, this is nonsense.

There is a 0.004% chance or less of dying with the virus in Japan.

Covid deaths have been exaggerated in the US as hospitals have been financially incentivized to do so.

The data is not accurate and that is a fact!

Beliefs are not fact, even if you really, really want it to be true, for that you need evidence, proof, and not of the "hidden conspiracy impossible to prove because everybody is on it and hides everything" kind of evidence.

Bring a source that proves that you have such low chances of death if you get the infection (because that is the important thing) another that proves that COVID deaths have been exaggerated, else any honest person would have to accept it is just a personal belief.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

"this virus has a recovery rate of more than 99%."

Not quite that high. Also Of those who have recovered many will go on to have "Long Covid" and many of those will have permanent damage to lungs, heart muscle, kidneys, et. al. problems.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

"this virus has a recovery rate of more than 99%."

Not quite that high.

In Japan, the covid deaths represent about 1% of the confirmed infections. Nobody can say with a straight face that the confirmed cases is anywhere close to the actual infection number.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

In Japan, the covid deaths represent about 1% of the confirmed infections. Nobody can say with a straight face that the confirmed cases is anywhere close to the actual infection number.

You failed to address the rest of the comment, and the real number of COVID related deaths is also unknown, so you would first need evidence of both ( and lack of long term problems, which we already know are very common) to be able to say the recovery is "more" than 99%

You also stopped defending your mistaken understanding of the qRT-PCR tests, or your switching around about what levels of vitamin D are adequate, or the fantasy based 99.9% recovery rates of "some" places. So can we assume you recognized them all as mistakes now?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

In Japan, the covid deaths represent about 1% of the confirmed infections. Nobody can say with a straight face that the confirmed cases is anywhere close to the actual infection number.

the real number of COVID related deaths is also unknown,

The number of covid deaths that are not counted must be very small. If someone suddenly dies at home, perhaps they might not be tested, but these are rare. Anyone hospitalized with symptoms, will obviously be tested to chose the appropriate treatment.

But considering that most infections are asymptomatic and many people with symptoms are never tested, the number of people that have been infected in Japan must be very much greater than the 390,000 confirmed cases.

You also stopped defending...

Oh, those points have already been adequately defended. Just saying I am mistaken, followed by some word salad does not mean that more defending is warranted.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

The number of covid deaths that are not counted must be very small. If someone suddenly dies at home, perhaps they might not be tested, but these are rare. Anyone hospitalized with symptoms, will obviously be tested to chose the appropriate treatment.

That is still baseless conjectures, if you don't have numbers to base your suppositions then the only conclusion you can make is that you don't know what is the real case fatality rate, guessing a random number is not valid. After all even a small number of extra COVID deaths would be enough to multiply the total, so it could even be more than 1%. You want to prove those are rare? then get a source.

Oh, those points have already been adequately defended. Just saying I am mistaken, followed by some word salad does not mean that more defending is warranted.

Ignoring perfectly valid criticism without even trying to defend your argument is not defending it, and there is no shame in accepting that you could not understand something that proved you mistaken, you just have to ask.

Specifically

Your 99.9% survival is still a number not based on anything real.

The WHO reference is not about false positives but about taking care in correlating virus titers with symptoms.

Probe chemistry still make systematic false positives for RT-PCR impossible no matter how many cycles are run.

Japanese "normal" levels of vitamin D are lower than those in Europe so they are no an exaplanation for less sever cases.

Hopefully these are simple enough so you can see clearly what are the mistakes you have not yet accepted.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Bureacrats making up arbitrary rules as they go along. Has any of these clowns considered the health result of locking people in their homes and ruining thousands of small businesses?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

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