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Kobe woman, Nagoya Sagawa delivery man, JAL cabin attendant test positive for virus

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It is because the Italian government tested more people and keep testing them unlike the Japanese government.

20 ( +24 / -4 )

So how many tests is Japan carrying out daily? Last I heard it was a paltry figure compared to China, S. Korea and Italy.

I hope Japan isn't busy trying to sweep it under the rug, in fear of the Olympics being affected. Otherwise the people of Japan as well as neighbouring countries will pay for it, with their lives.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

People don’t seem to understand the mortality rate here. How many deaths have there been? 7 inJapan, or 14 if you include the cruise. As more people are tested and found to be positive but the number of deaths remains low, the mortality rate drops. That’s why SK, with more deaths than Japan, has a much lower mortality rate. They’re testing more people.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

the death rate has nothing to do with how many people are tested.

@nakanoguy - Yes it does. Obviously the true death rate will never be known, but reported or estimated death rate will vary depending on number of tests carried out.

A country that carries out tests far and wide will pick up more positive cases including mild cases that would otherwise have been missed, and therefore have a lower reported death rate, compared to a country that only carries out testing for people who have developed significant symptoms.

As an extrapolated example if a country only carries out testing for patients who have developed respiratory failure and are about to die, that country will end up with a reported mortality of 100%, whereas another country that tests every single one of their citizens will pick up close to 100% of all cases (depending on the sensitivity of the testing process), and probably end up with a death rate under 1%.

It's simple logic.

7 ( +11 / -4 )

Italy's death rate is confusing. Almost 400 people have died and they tested like 7000? That's like more than 1 in 20. What is going wrong in Italy? They have an aging population but so does South Korea, so does Japan. That's a higher death rate that China.

What am I missing here about the situation in Italy?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

Italy's death rate is confusing.

It's virtually impossible to compare death rates across countries at this point. We can see the reported death totals, which may be accurate a) if the government is not lying and b) if the health system correctly diagnosed the cause of death and didn't miss any cases. However, mortality rates are varying wildly depending on how many people are tested. In many countries, vast numbers of likely infected people aren't being tested and counted in official counts of infected persons because there is a dire shortage of tests.

If a country only have 5000 tests available, but 50,000 people are probably infected, then the tests end up used only when the most serious symptoms present. Almost all of the tests end up positive, and a comparatively high percent of those people die. The other 45,000 people? Most of them recover just fine, and they're often not in the official statistics. A death rate of 500 out of 5000 people tested sounds frighteningly high, but the actual mortality rate might be only a tenth of that because of all the infected people not accounted for. Scientists don't know enough about the spread of the disease yet to make any accurate estimates about untested, undiagnosed, infected persons.

That's probably what's happening with Italy, and it's exactly what one would expect to happen where various countries have different numbers of tests available, different numbers of people infected, different policies about who gets tested, etc. There's going to be wild variation between countries in initial numbers. It will take scientists years to sort out a more accurate picture.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Dude, you have to be kidding. It's all publically available, and in English if you want it.

Answer: Total since crisis began. 7200 (last night's figures).

@Tora - So 7200 tested in Japan, which is less than the total number of positive cases on S. Korea?

Why is Japan doing so few tests? Are they trying to artificially lower the number of cases, in order to not end up on the headlines across the world as COVID-19 hotspots, alongside China/Italy/S.Korea? It could backfire badly for Japan...

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Why is the death rate so low in Japan compared to say Italy?

6 ( +13 / -7 )

The city of Kobe said on Monday a woman in her 40s has tested positive for the coronavirus.

What sucks is that this woman may be the woman that works in the ward office around my children's school. They told us over the weekend that a woman in the ward office tested positive but they won't say what department she works in.

Why is the death rate so low in Japan compared to say Italy?

They have said the death rate is less than 1%

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Japanese govt is slow and stubborn , reflects the way the society functions. I’m afraid it will be too late for japan to control the situation as the virus seems to have spread to whole of japan.

compare this situation to China, Kota and Italy which are desperately trying to limit the spread to a city or region. Japan ,alas, will pay a heavy price for this.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20200305/k10012316071000.html

The ministry is refusing to provide data per prefecture of the number of PCR test that has been carried out nationwide since the end of january. The constitutional party carried its own findings through directly contacting prefectures.

The number of test as of march 7 is 9710.

The highest is Tokyo 1770

Kanagawa 1238

Chiba 855

Hyogo 279

Lowest kagawa 9

Toyama 19

Mie 138

Will look for the complete list and publish it..

This is unravelling as the biggest deceit of the century.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Maybe the strain they have here is the weaker one, hopefully that's the case.

Given that Japan isn't taking a proactive measure I would assume this is just going to get worse.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Why is the media so focused on the cases that happened at the "Live House". It is almost like the want to blame everything on that one place. I'm sure people staying in pachinko parlors for hours at a time are are either at risk or even more becoming infected, but we don't hear anything about shutting them down.

It just seems like a lot of blame for one small event.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

According to WHO yesterday, the mortality rate is 3.4%. Often overlooked is the high rate of hospitalization for those who don't die, it's about 15%. Now do the math and let's see how many beds will be available if even a small fraction of the population gets this. It seems like we're only at the tip of the iceberg here. Yesterday we had our first case in Iwaki, Fukushima - a 70 year old guy who was released from the Disaster Princess and showed no symptoms for over 2 weeks. Meanwhile he took a highway bus from Tokyo to Fukushima, has been out and about shopping in town. The Japanese government is doing a dismal job!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

By now, it's probably best to decide that everyone has the virus. Please remove your masks and breathe the fresh air and wash your hands. Keep a healthy lifestyle. Stop smoking, at the very, very least.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

A death rate of 500 out of 5000 people tested sounds frighteningly high, but the actual mortality rate might be only a tenth of that because of all the infected people not accounted for.

What about all the deaths that aren't attributed to Coved-19 because the deceased were never tested?

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Addition to the possibility of the wide-spread of deadlier version in Italy.

Italians are making autopsy in the northern part to all of their recent deaths whom never had tested while alive , and adding them to their death counts if they are positive.

In Japan, we all know that nobody will do the same while they are not even testing alives.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

What about all the deaths that aren't attributed to Coved-19 because the deceased were never tested?

Are you saying those who died from causes possibly related to this virus were never checked for it?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I bet these companies do not like in the least their names being associated with this virus.

Knowing the knee-jerk overreactions which are common in Japan, I don't see anything but damage being done to Sagawa and JAL's respective businesses.

But it gets even worse when it comes to identities of infected individuals being found out. I saw an interview with an infected American man being quarantined in Nebraska in which he said he and his infected wife have been receiving death threats via social media. That is beyond ridiculous in my opinion. First of all, these people didn't willingly go out seeking the virus nor have they have willingly spread it to others. Secondly, it is not as though it is an automatic death sentence if you contract the virus.

It seems as though a lot more common sense is needed.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

There are perhaps a lot of deaths in Japan that is not counted because the people were not tested for the virus even though they showed signs consistent with corona virus infection. Japan is not testing suspected cases whereas elsewhere particularly in South Korea and Italy drive through testing is being offered. You can drive through, just roll down the mirror of your car and get tested. Not in Japan.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

@Hekleberry

Dude, you have to be kidding. It's all publically available, and in English if you want it.

Answer: Total since crisis began. 7200 (last night's figures).

DAILY testing capacity = around 6000 ? I forgot. Was just 3000 until very recently.

Thousands want to be tested here but turned away. Seems only way to get tested is if associated with a cluster outbreak. Others: Furgeddaboudit.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

What I want to know is, if someone who wasn't tested dies in Japan from pneumonia, or other health reasons...do they bother testing the person for the virus after death? Or is it counted as death by the regular flu? If they don't test people and there are still deaths. I guess they wouldn't have to report the death as being caused by the virus. Maybe that is why the numbers are so low here. It could be smart way not to cause mass panic, like what is happening in Italy.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

They must have been really sick to get tested... I feel sorry for those whom they passed the virus onto. Surely by now, people should realize that if they're sick, they should do the rest of the World a big favour, and not go around spreading whatever they've got.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

On news info I would like to hear something positive (but grounded on facts, stats; not on fakes). I'm starting to find it less worthy counting and reporting new individual infections, even daily deaths. Most under-reported is the daily number of patients having being recovered or cleared without symptoms. The latest figure: in Japan, 4 more have been recovered, added to the total 80 in Japan; worldwide, 2,292 more to count into the total 60,578 (Source: WHO & John Hopkins, Japan's health ministry). The pattern seems to level off to an ending phase with virtually no sign of epidemic spike; much unlike to prevailing fear-mongering reports.

Other than daily counting, for example, progress on vaccine developments deserve wider public attentions. A somber, balanced report is relevant, having nothing to do with fake news propagation.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Savethegaijin

It could be that it depends on the 'amount" of the virus you are exposed to.

East Asian cultures are essentially non-contact cultures. Italy /Iran, not so.

See: Peak Prosperity and others for more on that.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

GOD help us.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

More information about where these infected people were and how they traveled around can be very helpful.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@fupayme

What I want to know is, if someone who wasn't tested dies in Japan from pneumonia, or other health reasons...do they bother testing the person for the virus after death? Or is it counted as death by the regular flu?

In my view, people admitted at hospital must be tested ahead and about any viruses for fear of an in-house outbreak. Pneumonia is not an acute disease. Most dying patients, aware of symptoms will end at hospital.

If someone is found dead outside hospital of pneumonia led by unknown causes, a postmortem inquiry would be conducted. But I assume that such is minimal in number. Besides, should all these "dubious death"s be counted, defined as Covid-19 induced, the total fatalities in Japan wouldn't contribute at all to a pandemic phenomenon.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I think it is everywhere but so mild that all this panic is wrong.

You think but you don't know.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

William77Today  04:36 pm JST

It is because the Italian government tested more people and keep testing them unlike the Japanese government.

Please explain how "testing and keep testing more people" results in more deaths. That only results in "more people tested".

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Italians are making autopsy in the northern part to all of their recent deaths whom never had tested while alive , and adding them to their death counts if they are positive.

That has a high risk of falsely inflating the mortality rate. An asymptomatic person who dies from cancer for example could be found to have been infected but with a completely different cause of death. Somebody who dies while being infected should not automatically be added to the count.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

RickyCToday  08:14 pm JST

Addition to the possibility of the wide-spread of deadlier version in Italy.Italians are making autopsy in the northern part to all of their recent deaths whom never had tested while alive , and adding them to their death counts if they are positive.In Japan, we all know that nobody will do the same while they are not even testing alives.

"Officials say the woman fell ill on January 22 and was diagnosed with pneumonia on February 1 before being hospitalized. They say her condition worsened on Wednesday and she was found to be infected with the virus on Thursday after she died earlier in the day. They say she had no record of overseas travel."

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200214_03/

0 ( +0 / -0 )

the reason the number of deaths from Coronavirus is so low, the main victims in Stage 1 are the most vulnerable people, the older ones. As the symptoms are the same than regular flu, their deaths is classified as being due to regular flu and very few among those people are tested against Coronavirus.

Because there are quite a lot of deaths from regular flu every year, the fact that many are dying from Coronavirus can be hidden for quite a long time.

However in stage 2, as the epidemic spreads Coronavirus victims include more and more younger people (after mainly those in 70s and 80s, more people in their 40s and 50s) but because there is no systematic testing, the new cases that are being brought up are mainly precisely those of these people in their 40s and 50s whose condition is serious and unusual enough to necessitate a test. But by the time this happens the epidemic is already much more spread than official numbers suggest, and much more difficult to stop.

There are many other hints that the epidemic is wider spread than the official numbers:

MPs being hit in Iran, Italy France. Is MP a job that is 10x ? 100x ? 1000x ? times more dangerous than a regular job ? Why do so many MPs get it ? because they shake so many hands ? or because they are being treated better than regular people and get tested ? In France or Italy there is around 1MP for every 100,000 people. and officially 1 infected people per capita. What was the ex-ante probability that the infected person among 100,000 people was precisely the MP in that group ? short answer : 1/100,000 .... do you believe in coincidences ?

TLDR Watch the news; If you hear more and more of new cases of people in their 40s and 50s and the % of serious conditions in these new cases is higher than what we're seeing now, then my thesis is making a lot of sense.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think it is everywhere but so mild that all this panic is wrong.

Is it mild everywhere? Most likely. Should we be concerned? Sure.

But clickbait and headlines work much better when you have widespread panic. :)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Names of contacted victims must be published esp from airlines . This is to protect everyone.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

What about all the deaths that aren't attributed to Coved-19 because the deceased were never tested?

Which ones exactly?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Patricia Yarrow- I like that. Almost refreshing to read.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The best test is do not get infected , risk having a horrible death, the last breathe you breathe in the this world ,will not be from you,but from a machine connected to you

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Another 3 people? This makes the news?

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

the death rate has nothing to do with how many people are tested. those are just uninformed comments. japan's healthcare system far surpasses those of iran and italy, which results in a much lower death rate. the same reason south korea has a much lower death rate.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

What make people think their skin is not a source to get infected despite washing your hands. The skin has pores, if an air molecule/droplet lands on your neck, face, hands, arms, money handled by an infected person, are other ways to transfer this virus. I personally use clear gloves as part of my PPE. I disinfect the money that is returned to me before bringing with me as I place it inside an sanitary bag. All one can do is take the best precautions they know or have available to them.

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

Japan's death rate is about 0.6%. Probably much, much lower since there are many who have the coronavirus but showed mild symptoms and/or haven't been tested to the level of countries like South Korea. I'd guesstimate about a 0.2% death rate. Maybe lower.

-8 ( +9 / -17 )

I think it is everywhere but so mild that all this panic is wrong.

-13 ( +3 / -16 )

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