Japanese nationals return from virus-hit Wuhan on charter jet

Lets bring back people from an infected area and just let them go home? How stupid is the government!

@daito_hak:The Common Cold had been associated with over 100 different viruses - most commonly Coronavirus and Rhinovirus variants

Apparently, around 140 of the 206 have requested to be monitored rather than just sent home.

Let's hope the Government will listen.

@theResident

Your posts are full of non sense. The coronavirus is not the common virus associated with having a common cold. The is the rhinovirus. In contrary to the rhinovirus, the coronavirus can have strains like the SRAS ans MERS which can result in severe pathology including deadly pneumonia.

Now concerning the comparison with the seasonal influenza. The influenza has typically a mortality rate of 1% (around 400,000 deaths each year globally). For the new corona virus and given the latest figures in China (5974 infected, 132 deaths), the mortality rate is slightly higher than 2%. BUT this number might become much smaller since there might be a far larger pool of people infected. So I don't think anyone could say which of the virus have a bigger mortality rate right now. I don't think there is a reason to panic and I agree that spreading irrational fear is not helpful. However care should be taken with that virus since it could mutate to a stronger strain as it continues to infect more people.

If I contract Influenza there is nothing the doctor can prescribe for it. if I contract this new Virus, there is nothing the doctor can prescribe for it. Influenza will will make me much more ill. Both have a chance of turning into Pneumonia. I am 48 years old. if I take care of myself and am healthy then I have better chance of recocvering more quickly from a CoronaVirus than I do from curreny variant of Flu with less after effects.

Dr Maybe: I'll stand by my Crystal Ball on this one. Fighto completely incorrect. Yes - the very young and elderly will die from this new Virus, basically those that have immune compromised systems. The same as Influenza. The effectiveness of Flu Vaccine from year to year is only as good as the (very) educated guess that is made every year which strain is going to be prevalent that year and is, in 50% of years averaged out , an absolute waste of time. I do have it though, just so you so don't think I'm such kind of anti vaccine freak. Personally, right now, KNOWING what the symptoms are of this I'd rather have the new Virus than this this years Flu.

The delay of the Canadians leaving is not I fear from an understanding of the spreading of disease but merely our governmental slow response, so they will likely feel forced to also fly people out.

While it may not be popular to say but the correct decision is to keep people who are there regardless of nationality, there.

The most that should be done is to setup a quarantine in a neighbouring country ideally on a military base to get away from the Chinese authorities and have full Internet access.

Japan is not showing proper understanding of public health.

Another interesting discussion is regarding the danger of this virus vs. the flu.

It seems to me that it is too early to tell which is more dangerous. I think the reason for this is there are likely many more cases out there than are being reported or counted in statistics. I would think there is not enough of a sample size yet to make this call. However the mortality rate of the flu (from what I understand) is about 0.1% (this is based on CDC data in 2017). My guess is the mortality rate of this virus once all data is in would be much higher (an order of magnitude).....could be as high as 1% of those infected (I think dividing number of deaths by recorded cases at this point is not really accurate)

@theResident

True Influenza will have killed more people worldwide this season than this new Virus will by the time both have died out.

Where did you buy your crystal ball? I'd like to have one. I'll take it the horse races with me. Oh, and by the way, @Fighto is absolutely correct.

@ theResident - people (especially elderly) are routinely innoculated against strains of influenza. There is NO vaccine for this new coronavirus. The mortality rate of flu is no-where near 3%. FACT.

True Influenza will have killed more people worldwide this season than this new Virus will by the time both have died out.

@Fighto! : Sorry - Absolute rubbish. True Infliuenza is far more dangerous. CDC are well quoted on this.

None of the passengers is infected with the new pneumonia-causing coronavirus, according to the Foreign Ministry.

uh the incubation period is 14 days so this can't possibly be known

Inflienza is still far more dangerous. Please desist from spreading misinformation.

@ theResident - Influenza is infinitely less dangerous and fatal than this new Coronavirus, which so far has a fatality rate of around 3% (which is huge). There is no need to lock down cities/provinces due to influenza.

@Tokyo-Engr

Yes, I recognize that we're on the same page with this. It was a matter of semantics. I was being picky, I know. "Burned out" suggests it had a natural life span, like a match that had been struck, and then just naturally came to an end. As you acknowledge, it was "managed", which means that sensible human actions stopped it.

SARS burned out (stopped) primarily due to the fact that it was identified and managed. 

I guess I just feel annoyed that basic management skills are not in evidence at the highest levels at the moment.

They are stupid not to make the two weeks mandatory in a quarantine facility. It is not a punishment, and they should have access to phones and computers, as well as the best medical technology, but it is a precaution. Instead, the usual BS "suggestion" that these people, who just spent a flight trapped with people who are now showing symptoms, stay home and "be vigilant". I guarantee if some of these people start showing symptoms in a couple of days they won't immediately report to a hospital. If they do, the risk infecting people there as well as already having exposed family and likely work (since companies will probably expect them to come in at some point). This is going to happen. It is not an "if".

And WHEN it happens, Japan will only have itself to blame when other countries start banning flights to and from Japan, pre-Olympics and perhaps beyond. They cannot claim to being victimized or "safe", or blame others when they start leaving the country to avoid exposure. The government has dropped the ball by not requiring the proper précautions.

Japanese medical personnel aboard checked on the passengers who are being asked to stay indoors for two weeks and to be vigilant for any sign of symptoms.

Like asking a student, whose class was closed for a week due to many having influenza, to stay home. Eventually they will get stir crazy and go out. Many of these people returning are no doubt company workers. You know for a fact they will be at the office come tomorrow morning.

According to some doctors and experts, a distance of 2 range seats front and back in a plane could be st risk, so if the guys with cough and fever were isolated with masks in the plane, the risk of transmission is very low.

If we consider all the Japanese were already at home for 1 week in Wuhan and have not developed any symptoms, the chance they get sick is getting lower as they are back here.

But WHO did not recommend any count to evacuate their citizens to avoid any spreading. So, all countries evacuating do take risks. But I guess it is better to treat a citizen in its own country, that’s how all politicians work.

Nothing bad with Japan move, as many guys were sent there by their companies and the government has to support these Japanese companies

@Dr Maybe - First, if you read my previous post you would see I am in agreement with the statement that the returnees should be quarantined, especially if there were people exhibiting symptoms.

If we want to be honest about this the only countries as of now that seem to be doing this right are Australia (with the quarantine on Christmas Island) and of all countries, China. So, perhaps the right answer is to be like China in this case.

Viruses burn out by either killing off all the hosts, by having too short of an incubation period or period of contagion, or by human intervention (so the word burn out might not exactly be the correct term). There are other factors as well which relate to the virus' ability to survive outside the human body and how long it can survive (I do not think anyone has all of these answers yet).

SARS burned out (stopped) primarily due to the fact that it was identified and managed. The efforts to manage and contain this virus are much more aggressive than what was done for SARS in 2003. SARS essentially started in January 2003 and the WHO declared it contained in July or August 2003. During SARS China did not stop international travel or tourism (as it has done this time) nor did it isolate large cities or sections of the population as it is doing now.

I think it is a bit early to claim this virus may be equivalent to 3/11 it would need to kill more than 20,000 in Japan. I am not sure we are at the point where that seems to be a credible event yet. If it does kill at that level I think it would end up being orders of magnitude higher than 3/11 and I would hate to see what would happen if it gets to that level.

@Jonatan: This is NOT Influenza. It is a disturbing situation, I agree, but lets be very clear what we are talking about. It is a novel CoronaVirus - from the same family as the common cold. Inflienza is still far more dangerous. Please desist from spreading misinformation.

So about 2000 new cases per day and 30 deaths since yesterday.

Elderly need to take care

despite all the absurdity of not quarantining the passengers on this flight, i guess its good to point out the following:

also delivering relief goods requested by China including masks and protective suits.

seeing the C and J governments cooperating with each other for a change.

Mask manufacturers going billionnaire.

This flu is same as other illnesses, just a bit more deadly but if you knew what one could catch on your daily life, one would never show out.

One person left to spread disease taking the train for instance is an average 2.4 persons infected.

Impossible to control.

Peak expected in April or May.

Cough in your armpit, clean your handd all the time.

Panick if you want but I take advantage of the situation by buying stuff at discounted price (leisure activities, restaurant, shares, etc.)

Good luck to all.

As an American I agree with you 100%. I am not sure I would make the 3/11 comparison yet as there is a good chance this will eventually burn itself out (as did SARS)

These things don't just "burn themselves out". They are stopped by good management. Fat chance of that around here!! The government says "Go home and stay indoors" when anyone with half a brain knows they're not all going to stay indoors the whole time. What we know of the virus so far is that people can be infected with it before showing symptoms, and that they can pass it on to other people even at this early stage (before showing symptoms). FACTS! Yet the geniuses let them go home...

Japanese medical personnel aboard checked on the passengers who are being asked to stay indoors for two weeks

They are stupid or naive or both if they think that people will obey to this. This is the country where people don't hesitate to go outside or even go to work while being infected with flu.

None of the passengers is infected with the new pneumonia-causing coronavirus, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Oh really? Then why were four of them taken to the hospital?

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/pickup/6349622

My guess is this is a calculated spread of plague by the governments, as conspiracy theory as it sounds .. disasters are always great way to deflect from serious issues... , what is better than a mildly controlled disaster with medium to low death count to control some sheep...

bloody madness, this will be on Abe once it spreads.. well done on that career suicide

I cant fatom why they are let go home and how on earth they let two sick ones travel with everyone else?

Now, should i panic of not yet? I am confuse

Ooops. post above should say "required to remain in place" not as I mistakenly wrote..."required not to remain in place"

@GW

"If this is true(not doubting you) then the US would be an idiot as well."

As an American I agree with you 100%. I am not sure I would make the 3/11 comparison yet as there is a good chance this will eventually burn itself out (as did SARS) and the reaction by China this time is much stronger (and better in my opinion) than it was in the early 2000's.

However - one never knows....

Either way if someone is infected due to repatriation and the applicable authorities not taking proper precautions then that is just wrong.

As I said a few days ago the right thing to do would be to clearly tell those who want to be repatriated that they will be quarantined for 2 weeks and that is a condition of flying. If they do not wish to be quarantined then they would be required not to remain in place and not fly

2019-nCoV coronavirus pandemic data,

affecting 18 countries and territories.

So NOW actually more countries are affected this time than were with the SARS epidemic.

Between November 2002 and July 2003, an outbreak of SARS in southern China caused an eventual 8,098 cases, resulting in 774 deaths reported in 17 countries,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_acute_respiratory_syndrome

Wuhan coronavirus outbreak- As of 28 January 2020: 6,038 confirmed cases with 132 deaths

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019–20_Wuhan_coronavirus_outbreak

Just thought I'd make a comparison..

Why is the Japanese government doing the opposite of what the Chinese government is doing ie placing people in quarantine?

Does the Japanese government want the epidemic to become a pandemic?

Once the virus spreads around Japan because of bad logic, I am just waiting for some politician/government official to tell the media "This is Japan! The world doesn't understand our uniqueness!"

On the news just now, two passengers on the plane from Wuhan have coughing and a fever.

If it is the virus then it is pretty much a guarantee that more on the flight are infected.

Japan is dropping the ball!

Tokyo-Engr

Actually, the U.S.plane will fly to Anchorage and then Ontario, California. The passengers will be screened, interviews, and advised in Anchorage and then released in Ontario, California with the same conditions the Japanese govt. are placing on those returning to Japan.

If this is true(not doubting you) then the US would be an idiot as well.

Hopefully they have "noticed" that China is shutting down cities......try to imagine the US doing that or same in Tokyo.....boggles the imagination.

This could potentially turn out worse than 311!!

I hope the world dodges a bullet but govts seem to be lax....insane!

If at least one of these people is infected, the blame lies with the authorities who just simply let the people go home.

Sounds cruel, but you would think that when you choose to bring people back from an area experiencing an epidemic that you would first quarantine them in order to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Apparently 2 of them have high fever, hope they quarantine them before sending home.

More information please...

Medical personnel traveled on board to check on passengers who are being asked to stay at home for two weeks and be on the lookout for symptoms.

I almost stopped reading after this part. Anything written after this is meaningless if they're just letting everyone go. The J-govt. has just hit 11 on the stupidity meter.

Why is the Japanese government doing the opposite of what the Chinese government is doing ie placing people in quarantine?

Does the Japanese government want the epidemic to become a pandemic?

Watch now as the virus mysteriously starts to spread throughout Japan. I wonder what could have caused that?

@Aly. Feel sorry for the Canadians abandoned there. That’s a tough one.

same.

If J Gov has Japanese evacuees under quarantine, they will have to do the same to Chinese tourists especially from Wuhan and other major affected cities for the same reason. Considering the number they simply can’t do that.

I am all for enabling the voluntary evacuation of citizens from the afflicted area, but to not quarantine every single evacuee for the full incubation period upon repatriation is idiotic.

Two passengers onboard are sick meaning the entire flight is infected! Letting these people go free into the general public is simply plain stupidity on the Japanese authorities! The virus will spread rapidly and expected deaths to occur. All this will happen because of the stupidity of the Japanese authorities who don’t plan to quarantine / isolate those arriving in that flight!

If the above is true about coughing and fever then they must quarantine those who are on the plane. There’s no other logical solution

On the news just now, two passengers on the plane from Wuhan have coughing and a fever. And Still the government of Safety Japan is allowing all the others to go home and watch for symptoms. IF they suspect they might have Coronavirus, they are ‘urged’ to go to a hospital.

@Aly. Feel sorry for the Canadians abandoned there. That’s a tough one.

@tamanegi

Please share the link. This would be good information to read and have.

Canada is tellin its citizens in Wuhan to stay put and follow local authorities' orders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P52JP2sxm78

Japanese media reporting two people with fever on board the flight.

@Markx

Actually, the U.S.plane will fly to Anchorage and then Ontario, California. The passengers will be screened, interviews, and advised in Anchorage and then released in Ontario, California with the same conditions the Japanese govt. are placing on those returning to Japan.

https://apnews.com/1558bd0126456982638e7681cdc22f8a

Hey guys, let asks something, the Japanese nationals who are coming back from China get quarantine for two weeks, but what about the Chinese tourist in Japan. Should they be sent home and travel be banned?

I am baffled at the fact that the Japanese government is just going to let the 200 people they bringing in free without a quarantine. So less is known about the coronavirus this is an extremely risky move. Heavens forbid if this goes south it is going to be a disaster.

Come on Japan stop being an IDIOT I beg you!!

Book these folks a nice room for about 2wks, THEN send them home!!

Anything else is Russian Roulette ……… gross utter stupidity!

I really wish I would read some common sense from time to time, alas....a rare bird!

Let me guess they all stay in hotel room till they show symptoms?!

I read that the US is evacuating its personnel to San Francisco, where they will be kept on a base for two weeks to see if the develop any symptoms. If they are fine, they will be free to go. This makes sense, not quarantining them on a plane for 4 hours and then declaring they are fine! What are they thinking.

Right now from Wuhan ANA 767 is headed to Tokyo and Kalitta Air 747 is headed to Anchorage US. Can be seen on FL24 search with WUH. Evacuation begins.

There are better ways than this, as simple as that.

An incubation period of up to two weeks without fever?

> The passengers not displaying a fever allowed home?

> Sounds logical then...

Talking about Abe and the LDP here. Logic doesn't factor into this.

WTF, no freaking plans to quarantine these hundreds of people from Wuhan? What are you going to do, bow and apologize for all the deaths that you caused in Japan?

YES! What's wrong with you? Don't you understand JAPANESE CULTURE?? Everything is OK if you bow and apologize.

Don't worry, they will all be quarantine during the flight. that's just plain stupid

Again, see my first comment.

Don't worry, they will all be quarantine during the flight. that's just plain stupid

WTF, no freaking plans to quarantine these hundreds of people from Wuhan? What are you going to do, bow and apologize for all the deaths that you caused in Japan?

An incubation period of up to two weeks without fever?

The passengers not displaying a fever allowed home?

Sounds logical then...