Tokyo reports 871 new coronavirus cases; 779 in Okinawa

By looking at new cases number we may think that it is the end of the world, but if we check at other numbers and percentage, we will see that Japan is not as bad as some think. That doesn't mean we should think it is all ok. Nope, it is not ok, but we also can't be crazy about this wave.

There are countries that have much more test than Japan for sure, but these countries have higher number of deaths too. Lets see some and analize it carefully.

UK = 6.118 test per 1m.pop - number of deaths yesterday 313 - number of deaths today 97

Canada =1.403 -44 deaths e 77 deaths.

Of course, both Canada and UK are doing great job regarding testing thing and Japan is way behind them. Despite of Japan not testing enough, I still see Japan a better place to stay. Now, if people think those countries that test more are in better sittuation than Japan, so feel free to go back to those countries since over there are more safety.

@hattorikun

Not sure if you’re a native speaker or not, but i was also being sarcastic

I completely agree, the media is creating fear and panic.

To a point. Some people get hysterical very easily on both sides. Some anti-vaxxers start screeching about ‘fear mongering’ on pretty much any article about Covid even when it’s quite balanced.

In recent times, the hysteria reminds me of when the temperamentally unbalanced were gibbering all kinds of crazed nonsense after reading very silly media about 2020 election fraud in the US and how the result was going to be overturned.

Bizarre, I know, but actually true.

Best try to stay calm and positive.

It does not, there isn't any real world data that proves that to be the case, it is just an assumption being made by some people. What I told you is real world data. 

For the experts included in the reference is clear enough, you saying they are all wrong with your own assumptions is not enough to prove it.

Articles that have not been demonstrated as mistaken are still valid, you have provide no source that says measures have no effect on the spreading of other respiratory diseases, nor that viral interference have any actual epidemiological importance.

The whole point is that social distancing is the most likely explanation for the drop on incidence of the respiratory diseases, that being know from before is not an argument to say it lacks importance but the opposite, it was already known to be important so it was confirmed when COVID made it justified to put much more stringent measures in place.

I am not advocating anything, just correcting you when you said social distancing was not supported by science and instead pushed for a much less likely explanation for what is actually observed.

I mean, Influenza disappeared from every single country for the 2020-2021 season, even those who really took no measures at all, or who rapidly dismissed measures.

No country too "no measures at all", and in the references it is explicitly said how lack of travel deeply affected the spreading of influenza infections,

The drop of influenza corresponds very nicely with the begin of measures against COVID, if you want to imagine other much less likely reasons could be involved you are free to do it, but without actual scientific support that is not really something to take into account.

How about scientific reports that demonstrate viral interference have a significative role in the drop of influenza (and other respiratory diseases)? how about scientific or medical institutions saying so? at least one explanation how the drop of social measures make all the infection increase again, even COVID, something that according to your explanation should not be possible?

“we need more testing, the numbers are false”

Who cares? There is no correct answer to what a number should be. The real situation on the ground matters. We (you don’t have to feel you are included here) have been fine. Thanks.

Bronco

Now the real question is, when will society accept this?

Sadly many won't.

Fear and panic are like a drug, they're addicted to the big case numbers flashing on the screen.

... and they hope the TV announces "you must stay home for a month and watch Netflix in your pajamas. Don't worry, the government will pay for everything."

haha - spot on !

“I think Okinawa is being too honest. They should be like Tokyo and absolutely cap tests and make them almost impossible to get.

4( +9 / -5 )”

another baseless assumption. If you need a test for you are sick or to do something that requires a test result, it’s easy open for everyone.

No it is not, this represents very nicely the situation in Japan.

It does not, there isn't any real world data that proves that to be the case, it is just an assumption being made by some people. What I told you is real world data. The patterns in which influenza is going to come back depends in a lot of factors, but what is clear is that influenza is making a comeback, which has little to do with measures.

The first Sience article, Harvard article, is an early 2020 article.

And the last paper, talks uniquely about Social distancing, which was well known before 2020 to be an effective measure against influenza, but it was never a widespread measure unless in an outbreak situation because of the problems it creates.

It doesn't talk about all of the other measures that have been floating around for these 2 years.

So yes, if we all live in a bunker, maybe influenza might disappear. Are you advocating this?

In comparison viral interference would be (if demonstrated) a much more limited factor,

I mean, Influenza disappeared from every single country for the 2020-2021 season, even those who really took no measures at all, or who rapidly dismissed measures.

Not only that, the sharp decrease in Influenza worldwide the moment the global pandemic started pretty much tells you that there is something else going on.

Monday is always low. Wait until Tuesday to get the real results.

This is a complete misrepresentation of the facts.

No it is not, this represents very nicely the situation in Japan. Where all respiratory infections that were prevalent decreased in incidence during peak season. The most obvious example is Influenza, but it is a general situation that is preserved as long as the measures against COVID are kept, there is no mystery that all respiratory infections come back at a time where all the measures (including travel) are weakened or abandoned, that is also inside of what is expected.

https://www.science.org/content/article/how-will-covid-19-affect-coming-flu-season-scientists-struggle-clues

https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/a-sharp-drop-in-flu-cases-during-covid-19-pandemic/

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0252963

In comparison viral interference would be (if demonstrated) a much more limited factor, not only because it would only act on people infected (which is a tiny segment of the population in comparison with the proportion of the population that keep the measures) but because infection would still be detected in dual tests like the multiplex PCR reaction, this evidence (of the two viral pathogens being detected at the same time) is only reported exceptionally (enough to appear in the news) so it is not likely for it to have real importance.

Colds and other respiratory infections have decreased thanks to the life changing measures being put in order against COVID, that is enough to explain why they are not so commonly found anymore.

This is a complete misrepresentation of the facts.

The common cold was never gone. In fact, it wasn't until recently, thanks to the Omicron variant, that the probability of having SARS-CoV-2 when having cold like symptoms surpassed 50% in the UK.

Influenza is back in many countries, including the US, with usual case numbers.

The most well recognized theory as to why Influenza and other respiratory virus cases when down overall has to do more with virus interference.

Fear and panic are like a drug, they're addicted to the big case numbers flashing on the screen.

... and they hope the TV announces "you must stay home for a month and watch Netflix in your pajamas. Don't worry, the government will pay for everything."

I see more and more people become aware of "much ado about nothing" over Omicron wave. For alarmist fearmongering TV commentators, now it's time to quit and find a new way to make ends meet (they've already earned a lot, no?). The current public concern and dominant discourse have more to do with life difficulty due to (excessive) anti-virus measures, or complaints about the lacking or unfair support by the state.

The J-Cops randomly tested someone, and they tested positive.

Man on train arrested for telling other passengers he has COVID

https://japantoday.com/category/crime/man-on-train-arrested-for-telling-other-passengers-he-has-covid

More proof that the infection numbers is Japan are greatly understated. BOOM!

I am praying that the numbers will continue to drop and not spike like the rest of the world.

praying won't help. of course numbers will spike, but not dramatically as people with mild/no symptoms wont bother getting tested.

Klausdorth

Everything has a beginning and an end. This will end soon without dire consequences. We must all go about our daily business whilst taking precautions which we deem necessary.

Meanwhile, in the real-world, the pathogenesis of Omicron has already been researched, and the research shows that this is a pandemic end-game.

The pathogenesis of Omicron is completely different to other variants, it uses a completely different pathway to get into cells that doesn't create Cytokines, and as such it doesn't create a Cytokine-storm, which is the main serious condition that SARS related viruses have, Omicron for all intents and purposes shouldn't be called a SARS virus anymore.

Not only that, Omicron new pathway is more effective than Delta or other variants, which means it will infect a way lot more of people, and this infection actually creates immunity against Delta and other variants, which means that we can predict Omicron stopping the spread of the serious SARS-CoV-2 types by virtue of more infectiousness + immunity from previous variants. Also, sadly, it seems like the current vaccine has a way reduced effectiveness against Omicron, even if boosted, so it is very unlikely to help to stop any spread of this virus.

So to resume, we have a new variant that doesn't create the type of infection that SARS type virus creates, making it more similar to the common human coronavirus, which creates immunity against to the other more SARS-CoV-2 variants, which has the highest infectious rate of all the other variants, that because of its radical pathogenetic change, variants of this virus are unlikely to go back to be more serious, and even if they go back to the previous pathogenetic way, they will not be able to compete against the new one.

This is an end-game variant, just as predicted by epidemiologists back in 2020.

Now the real question is, when will society accept this?

Should I hide under my bed?

no get vaxxed and wait it out like everybody else

South Africa ended their peak in 47 days. Thank god death percentage and hospitalization rate is much more less than delta. Hope this year will be the endemic.

Randy Johnson....

Tokyo ...BIG

Okinawa .... small

Oh no, it's the end. Apocalypse is coming. What are we gonna do. Should I hide under my bed?

haha !

there are so many people here who have been regurgitating the same thing for two years - we need more testing, the numbers are false

So, um, tokyo has more than okinawa. So by the j govt's approach to this bs as far as dealing with their protectors in okinawa, tokyo should be shut down, right. Same thing.

Lock it all down. I am surprised that there is any interest in "number of cases".

bokuda..

Testing is almost nonexistent, no wonder the numbers are low.

Japan isn't doing random testing. Only testing those with a reason to test. Is the real number higher than those with positive tests? Yes of course. Just like they are in other countries with really high numbers. But they are not hiding anything.

PCR tests in Tokyo on 1/7 : 7,554 people.

Testing is almost nonexistent, no wonder the numbers are low.

The Okinawan prefectural government reported 779 new coronavirus cases, down 754 from Sunday. A further 391 new cases were reported by the U.S. military in the prefecture.

Tiresome it is, the number here in Okinawa is 1170.... it's not like the military live on another island, and just because they havent been "tested" by any Japanese health authority, they are still counted.

Lower severe symptoms and deaths compared to previous waves due to this being a far less deadly variant and not effecting the lungs.

Peak cases won’t take long and hopefully this can be near the end of all this. Here’s hoping a more deadly variant doesn’t appear out of the blue.

What's the over/under for today on the number of comments, before the mods close the thread down? I'll say 30

You will see a big jump tomorrow and especially on Wednesday.

Oh no, it's the end. Apocalypse is coming. What are we gonna do. Should I hide under my bed?

@justasking

No, it was 103.

Last Monday, there's only 11.