Confirmed new coronavirus infections in Japan now 1,528, including cruise ship cases

So far, so low, so..

We need millions of test kits, everyone does. The only way to identify and isolate this is with massive testing.

'and big sports and cultural events be canceled, postponed or scaled-down.' Except for the Olympics because we will lose too much money if that happens

Why do these reports always include the cruise ship people?  They are no longer in Japan.  I need to know how many people in Japan have been infected

Why do these reports always include the cruise ship people? They are no longer in Japan.

The majority of them are Japanese and are in Japan.

Those numbers don't seem right. With WHO giving a global mortality rate of 3.8%, I struggle to believe that Japan with a massively aging population managed to get away with 2%. Something doesn't smell right.

SimondBToday  07:11 am JST

Why do these reports always include the cruise ship people? They are no longer in Japan. I need to know how many people in Japan have been infected

Because J-Gov was calling the shots and in full control of what was happens on and off the ship. What happens on your watch is your responsibility.

And how many tested? Are tests readily available?

Hospitals should be reporting patients with elevated temperatures-a much better indication of infections as testing is seriously lacking for Nocov-19

@SimondB

773 infected people in Japan as of time of writing according to this tracker by the Lancet and Johns Hopkins.

https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

@SimondB: Because other countries (including the US) are refusing to include those numbers in their official counts. Its like a game.

Slap one or two zeros on that and your closer to reality.

Either the numbers are off due to a lack of testing or we are miraculously lucky.

I’m betting the former, but we will know either way in 2-3 weeks.

In Japan, since the beginning of this outbreak, the average daily number of PCR tests carried out has been in the low hundreds, or even less.

At the moment, testing is carried out at government run facilities, of which there are very few. All those tested and confirmed positive are also housed in these facilities for at least two weeks, even those with very mild symptoms.

The fear is that these facilities will be overrun, so they have chosen to limit testing to those who meet highly specific criteria, or have been associated with previously confirmed patients or a cluster.

These is talk to allow university hospitals and privately run medical centres, etc to be allowed to test people and to accept patients, but when that change in policy is coming, I have no idea.

Policy change needs to come from the top, but the Abe administration had so far been holding off. One can only speculate at the reason for this.

@Kobe White Bar Owner

Slap one or two zeros on that and your closer to reality.

While I am a bit skeptical myself, supposition is not evidence, so just a rumor at this point. Not sure it is helpful and just scares people.

Anyway, these sites might be helpful but relies on the same info you and I are given.

https://jagjapan.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/55c22ee976bc42338cb454765a6edf6b

and

https://www.coromap.info which is in Japanese and tracks the connections between cases.

Dead people are not being tested, just given 'pneumonia' as the reason. That's why the figures are so low.

Dead people are not being tested, just given 'pneumonia' as the reason. That's why the figures are so low.

Evidence?

Slap one or two zeros on that and your closer to reality.

oh absolutely. considering the diamond princess debacle and the lack of testing, I'm guessing you're right on the money. Only a jackass would believe those numbers.

We need millions of test kits, everyone does. The only way to identify and isolate this is with massive testing.

We need people with symptoms to isolate themselves. The test cures no one.

Those numbers don't seem right. With WHO giving a global mortality rate of 3.8%, I struggle to believe that Japan with a massively aging population managed to get away with 2%. Something doesn't smell right.

In 2014, a professor at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine wrote:

"Autopsies in Japan are performed on only 1.6% of all deaths, the lowest rate among developed countries. Cause of death is almost always determined by simple visual inspection, as it was 100 years ago."

SaikoPhyscoToday 06:57 am JSTWe need millions of test kits, everyone does. The only way to identify and isolate this is with massive testing.

yes, because that's working so magically in Italy and Iran. testing has done absolutely nothing to stop the spread of the disease in any country so far.

@Ah_so

What he says does make sense. The cause of death of those who die of respiratory complications would be recorded as "pneumonia", or similar. Unless the dead are tested for Covid-19 posthumously, how would one know?

That is why the ability to get tested in the first place is very important (o not), depending on the position you take.

We need people with symptoms to isolate themselves. The test cures no one.

Yes, but it appears that asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 can transmit the virus.

So far, so low, so..

Now Test everyone in the same manner and fashion like South Korea and I guarantee you it’s much higher.

Remember this...I sure do as everyone else! Abe also said this:

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201906110001.html

Since most people are going to catch it, the number of current cases only matters if the ER are swamped. Governments should be trying to slow the spread. J gov doesn't seem to need to do it, if the figures are correct. I'm skeptical, but could be wrong.

We need people with symptoms to isolate themselves. The test cures no one.

Eugene Shapiro, MD, Professor of Epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health: “Without more widespread testing, our understanding of the clinical epidemiology of this infection is greatly impaired.”

Amesh A. Adalja, MD, Professor and Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security whose work is focused on emerging infectious disease, pandemic preparedness, and biosecurity. “Testing capacity has us largely flying blind, not knowing where cases are and hampering response efforts.”

Testing will help understand the virus and possibly stop its spread.

Wildlife Ultimate Revenge, We were warned about this for so many years, Wild Animals finally succeeded in putting Humans in cages then slaughter them.

It's payback time, Scary thought but it's real. For so long humans Abused, Disrupted, & Destroyed Wildlife Animals unchecked. Conservationists warned us, and now it's reality.

the pot is boiling, you can not hold the lid any longer,

if and when you have these super active virus carriers in Japan, it can go from 50x , 100x matter of week and so on.

in pandemic world, there is no such thing as luck, you will not be lucky in Casino and you will not be lucky with this virus.

Seems, the peak has been coming around the corner in Japan. Though a mini-spike may still be possible in a few weeks to come, the Italian type of outbreak is highly unlikely. Most remarkably, the death toll has remained low.

The tally stood at 1,528, including 697 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship

Why does Kyodo mix up figures of Japan and from DP cruiser? Even WHO and other media outlets count them separately. But the joint figure is still low....

Those numbers don't seem right. With WHO giving a global mortality rate of 3.8%, I struggle to believe that Japan with a massively aging population managed to get away with 2%. Something doesn't smell right.

I believe that Japan is currently looking at a mortality rate of 2.9% based on 24 deaths among 814 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

I also think that these numbers (even 2.9%) are probably still low.

Without post Mortem tests, you do not have accurate data on the virus not to mention non testing of those with symptoms. Just turn on the TV news for details.

It's too soon to determine the true mortality rate world wide. If you look at Italy right now, the numbers are just horrible (24,747 confirmed and 1,809 deaths)... that's 7.3%!!!

Then take a look at South Korea who opened the floodgates on testing... 8,162 confirmed and only 75 deaths... All in all, that LESS than 1%

Of course, there's no cure. But, if anything it shows that medical attention to at least treat the symptoms gives the body a better fighting chance!

I am skeptical of the official figures in Japan as well. But we were among the first infected countries. If hospital ICUs were being swamped, that would be impossible to hide. So, while I don't trust the government figures, it does seem to be spreading more slowly here, for whatever reason. It may be as simply as Japanese being germaphobes to begin with. For example, people almost never touch the handrails on escalators - even in normal times. I hope we can indeed control the spread.

Time to get more test kits to the public. We don’t know how many are infected. These are just guessing numbers. Also, stop quoting diamond princess numbers. It’s as if they didn’t want to be saddled with a problem. He cruise ship was here. Period. Live with it. It won’t make Japan any better or worse admitting it.

Look, what doesn’t matter is the exact, precise numbers, because those numbers are changing by the hour. What’s important is how are governments dealing with this? How good are the medical facilities? What steps are they taking to control the spread of the virus? Those are the really Important things to be focusing on. Because if this thing really does get out of control, what difference does it make what the exact numbers are anyway?

Look, what doesn’t matter is the exact, precise numbers, because those numbers are changing by the hour. What’s important is how are governments dealing with this?

Amesh A. Adalja, MD, Professor and Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security whose work is focused on emerging infectious disease, pandemic preparedness, and biosecurity. “Testing capacity has us largely flying blind, not knowing where cases are and hampering response efforts.”

Testing will help understand the virus and possibly stop its spread.

Dead people are not being tested, just given 'pneumonia' as the reason. That's why the figures are so low.

I'd say it's more like living people are not being tested. Hence the mortality rate would be much lower of they were...

For example, people almost never touch the handrails on escalators - even in normal times. 

Where in Japan do you live? Where I am, a large percentage do, even after the news about the virus started.

I, however, have always avoided it. Same for elevator buttons, which I have always pushed with my knuckles, but Japanese seem to keep pushing with their fingertips.

If there are many cases of coronavirus infection, then there will be many deaths. (False)

So where are the deaths? We must not have many cases the coronavirus. 

By this logic, nothing exists unless the result is reported.

Testing is the way to tract down the carriers and to make sure they do not infect others. There are groups of the population that are more susceptible and vulnerable to the virus. It is irresponsible to neglect testing. 

Otherwise you’re just sitting hoping it’ll just go away. It may or may not but you could have done more to prevent the spread of the virus and possibly save lives. 

The only excuse would be if Japan doesn’t have the manpower or infrastructure to test its people.

Bruce ChatwinToday  08:26 am JST

We need people with symptoms to isolate themselves. The test cures no one.

Yes, but it appears that asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 can transmit the virus.

Correct. And it also appears that a person can test negative this week and positive the next. So we're back to the tests not curing ayone. All People with and without symptoms need to self isolate to the best extent possible.

Since Japan is one of the biggest recipients of Chinese tourists, the awareness of this outbreak was here much earlier. So that could explain the fact that the numbers here are much lower than those of Europe.

However the number of new cases is worryingly high, we still haven't reached the peak yet and it may still be a few weeks away.

Baseless conspiracy theories are the offsprings of ignorant minds and I would request everyone not to pay attention to them.

Folks harping about the number of deceased don't seem to be paying attention, let me spell it out for you again

CLEARLY Japan is loath to test the LIVING

So Japan is NOT going to be testing the deceased!!!

And why you may ask...….simple the Olympics

Japan as always treating its own people with utter contempt!

I strongly recommend that readers take a look at this site which is one of the few making a serious effort to compile and drill down on global data for cases, deaths, mortality rates (by age and gender):

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Under-reporting is deceiving the general public into thinking that we're OK. According to a friend of mine, Kichijoji, for example, was packed yesterday with shoppers, as it usually is. Not good.

Numbers 0n Active, Crtitcal, Deaths, Tested, Confirmed & Recovered Info here on numbers in Japan - https://covid19japan.com/

And patient info - https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jfB4muWkzKTR0daklmf8D5F0UfIYAgcx-Ij9McClQ/edit#gid=0

I strongly recommend that readers take a look at this site which is one of the few making a serious effort to compile and drill down on global data for cases, deaths, mortality rates (by age and gender):

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

That's a good place to start. May I suggest another?

The link below is to COVID-19 data organised and analysed by Our World In Data. Our World in Data (OWID) is a scientific online publication that focuses on large global problems such as poverty, disease, hunger, climate change, war, existential risks, and inequality. The publication's founder is the economist Max Roser. The research team is based at the University of Oxford.

https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus

6% of people tested for COVID-19 in Japan are testing positive. (13026 tested resulting in 814 confirmed cases)

Extrapolating the numbers doesn't bear thinking about.

In the absence of testing, the revealing statistic which may emerge over time will simply be a comparison of deaths from pneumonia across Japan, this year as compared with past years. This will not be hard then to detect the true level of COVID-19 mortality in Japan - unless those figures are actively falsified, which would be a whole other ball game.

Anyone know where to find such medical statistics?

I wonder if Caliboy/Mika and the others spreading Abe's propaganda in this site actually believe in what they are saying or do so just to get paid....

Either way, I guess the best thing is to ignore them,

Didn't everyone from the cruise ship deborad already? If so, why are they still reporting confirmed and death count separately?

Brother, even the gov doesn't support what they are saying. Take a look at my last post.

Will do!

Didn't everyone from the cruise ship deborad already? If so, why are they still reporting confirmed and death count separately?

Politics.

even wikipedia is doing the same thing. disgusting

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

> Ah_soToday  08:13 am JST

Dead people are not being tested, just given 'pneumonia' as the reason. That's why the figures are so low.

Evidence?

If an elderly person dies in a retirement home or a hospital, no autopsy is performed and corona is not tested post-mortem. If people die at home, then it depends on the circumstances if anything is checked or not. So there is no way to tell how many people died because of corona virus. Only people who were tested before they died count in the tally.

Politics.

even wikipedia is doing the same thing. disgusting

Yeah, that's pathetic.

Yet, they generally seem to include cruse ship when they talk about the test count.

If an elderly person dies in a retirement home or a hospital, no autopsy is performed and corona is not tested post-mortem

Not that I disagree with your assertion, but do you have any evidence to support this?

If people die at home, then it depends on the circumstances if anything is checked or not.

In 2014, a professor at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine wrote:

"Autopsies in Japan are performed on only 1.6% of all deaths, the lowest rate among developed countries. Cause of death is almost always determined by simple visual inspection, as it was 100 years ago."

In a 2011 Japan Today Kuchikomi article:

"It’s an astonishing fact, in these murky times, that only 11% of the corpses Japanese police deal with are autopsied. This can’t possibly be adequate. A glance at autopsy rates elsewhere confirms this suspicion. Among developed countries, 50% is about average. In Sweden, it’s nearly 90%."

@ishel

In the absence of testing, the revealing statistic which may emerge over time will simply be a comparison of deaths from pneumonia across Japan, this year as compared with past years. This will not be hard then to detect the true level of COVID-19 mortality in Japan - unless those figures are actively falsified, which would be a whole other ball game.

Anyone know where to find such medical statistics?

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hh/xls/1-29.xls

data up to Heisei 28

@Bruce Chatwin

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/database/db-hh/xls/1-29.xls

data up to Heisei 28

Many thanks for that. I wonder why so far behind, one might expect at least 2017-18 to be available. In any case, looks like it will be a few years before the data becomes publicly available.

I wonder why so far behind

They're probably busy tabulating who makes how many copies on which photocopier and creating schematic and flow charts that describe the hierarchy of the ministry...

Still, late info is better than no info. Also, perhaps info in Japanese is more current.

You reap what you sow, as simple as that. When Chinese people need help, Japan stands with them, and the reward is abundant.

Many thanks for that. I wonder why so far behind, one might expect at least 2017-18 to be available. In any case, looks like it will be a few years before the data becomes publicly available.

perhaps info in Japanese is more current.

In Japanese up to 2018:

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/jinkou/geppo/nengai18/dl/gaikyou30.pdf

The problem with these numbers all around the world is they hardly ever tell you how many have already recovered. For example just the cruise ship itself, well over 2 weeks ago, how many of them, if not most of them have recovered?

My understanding is that there are two (at least) forms of the virus, a mild one and a more virulent one. Because Japan has so few corona fatalities, I suspect we have more of the mild strain, while Italy probably has more of the virulent strain.

So indeed the real infection numbers are likely higher as most have mild flu-like symptoms and would not bother getting tested, but I don't think we should panic. Actually, catching the mild strain might even be a good thing as it would help protect you from the more virulent strain later. Getting infected with the mild strain is probably safer than getting any vaccine they eventually come up with.

Getting infected with the mild strain is probably safer than getting any vaccine they eventually come up with.

I hope that when a vaccine becomes available, the anti-vaccine crowd don’t influence in the way they have in the past.

@Bruce Chatwin

1) For people has an interest to know, in the weekend Japan confirmed second case of coronavirus related death after performing autopsy and post mortem test, which isn't performed while they are alive.

The reason that, they have performed a test for this patient and previous patient is because they had covid-19 infected relatives, so in case a patient hasn't any covid-19 infected relatives, there will be no autopsy to perform upon the pneumonia related death.

2) People are finding relief by comparing JP numbers with western world's number, which is totally understandable emotionally, but one thing that we are missing is Japan has no downward trend, actually doubled daily confirmation numbers compared to 10 days ago, we are now in a range of 40~80 confirmation range per day. Statistically speaking, to find a relief, we need to see numbers such less than 30 for three or more consecutive days.

As normally pessimist person, I've feeling that we are just delaying the peak or we will see a camel hump like trend. And with its unique testing and hospital measurements, comparing Japanese numbers with western numbers is misleading to find a relief.

InspectorGadgetToday  07:14 am JST

Those numbers don't seem right. With WHO giving a global mortality rate of 3.8%, I struggle to believe that Japan with a massively aging population managed to get away with 2%. Something doesn't smell right.

Indeed. When the first two COVID-19 infected Japanese died - an elderly couple from the cruise liner - the minister of health announced that one of them had died of the Coronavirus and the other of pneumonia. It would be interesting to look at the number of pneumonia victims above the national average since the outbreak.

@RickyC

Thanks for that.

Do you have a source for the info?

My understanding is that there are two (at least) forms of the virus, a mild one and a more virulent one. Because Japan has so few corona fatalities, I suspect we have more of the mild strain, while Italy probably has more of the virulent strain.

Researchers in China and the US suggested this in paper published Feb 25. No follow up I have seen so far.

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.02.25.20027953v1.full.pdf

In our country, the most important action is to save the life of the person infected with coronavirus.

We should test the person who was more likely to be infected with coronavirus. It is waste of the medical resource to test a healthy person and is annoying to the general patient.

A medical resource has a limit.

It is effective against reducing new infection to restrain from movement and the contact of the person.

In our country, the most important action is to save the life of the person infected with coronavirus.

We should test the person who was more likely to be infected with coronavirus. It is waste of the medical resource to test a healthy person and is annoying to the general patient. 

A medical resource has a limit.

Amesh A. Adalja, MD, Professor and Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security whose work is focused on emerging infectious disease, pandemic preparedness, and biosecurity. “Testing capacity has us largely flying blind, not knowing where cases are and hampering response efforts.”

Testing will help understand the COVID-19 virus and possibly stop its spread.

@Badge123.

The DO give you the numbers that have recovered. You just need to look.

Some background on the testing and lack thereof:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/Coronavirus-Why-Japan-chose-to-test-fewer-people

Testing will help understand the COVID-19 virus and possibly stop its spread.

Mr. Bruce ChatwinTod need to learn from the Italian case.

This is a clear example of a collapsed healthcare system.

@Yamada Taro

Yep, let's just hope it all goes away. Well, the virus don't respect politics, nor tatemae.

It's here, whether you test now or not. Paradoxically, the act of severely limiting testing and putting your head in sand is actually going to make things worse since eventually people will snap and there will be runs hospitals all at once. Look to Italy to see an example of that.

Japan can only go on so long like this. With these viruses spreads, I give it a couple of weeks.

I think it is unlikely that a person here in Japan will just die of pneumonia due to an entirely "unknown cause". The patient had to be at least tested for all the other known pathogens.

And why would they be dropping dead at home? Do hospitals here drive away people dying of pneumonia?

The problem with these numbers all around the world is they hardly ever tell you how many have already recovered. For example just the cruise ship itself, well over 2 weeks ago, how many of them, if not most of them have recovered?

Please folks think a bit! By deductive reasoning this is pretty EASY to estimate.

We you usually have two figures, number of deaths, number of infected, now I am not going to spell it out for you all, here is a hint of the two numbers deduct one from the other to give a reasonable estimate of the numbers that will recover, good luck!

Here's some posting on Japanese guideline that may manipulate the coronavirus death count.

Original twitter posting in Japanese:

https://twitter.com/flydragon333/status/1239205801719300098

US 4chan:

http://boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/248335091

I got that from a friend of mine. If this is true, then the current official death count should not be trusted.

We can look up world data including recoveries here:

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Yamada Taro:

This is a clear example of a collapsed healthcare system.

Several hospitals in Italy are collapsing NOT because a lot of people is being tested BUT because a lot of people is sick and require medical care.

It doesn't take a genius to understand it: testing itself is not sending people to hospital. And mild cases are being sent back home, because hospitals need to care about more severe cases.

People who tend to downplay what's happening and the importance of testing are either being dishonest or simply ignorant. Neither of those 2 things are good.

there aren't enough tests, so they can make up whatever number they want

This is what happens when you simply love kids from a Classroom to a McDonald’s, and force exhausted parents to become more exhausted, and then fail to test them all. Japan is so desperate to avoid mass testing because the numbers will hurt the Olympics, and the result will be spread like this.

Here's some posting on Japanese guideline that may manipulate the coronavirus death count.

So from that guideline a pneumonia death case whose cause is not established is treated the same as a covid19 death case, immediate cremation, is that correct?

So the number of unconfirmed pneumonia cases is the key.

In any case this is just the established procedure, this doesn't show or prove malice

@Yamada Taro

need to learn from the Italian case.

If you want but, that will be in the favor of more active testing :

"The Lombardy outbreak came to light when a 38-year-old Italian tested positive in Codogno, a comune in the province of Lodi. According to his wife, he had met an Italian friend who had returned from China on 21 January, who subsequently tested negative. On 14 February, he felt unwell and went to a doctor in Castiglione d'Adda. He was prescribed treatments for influenza. On 16 February, as the man's condition worsened, he went to Codogno Hospital, reporting respiratory problems. Initially there was no suspicion of COVID-19, so no additional precautionary measures were taken, and the virus was able to infect other patients and health workers."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_coronavirus_outbreak_in_Italy#Lombardy_cluster

Since China is far, European countries could have had a feeling of safety and, except for at least Germany, not have active containment measure so now they are going for mitigation if not lockdown.

I use wording from there : https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/what-it-means-to-contain-and-mitigate-the-coronavirus

Many popular places for young people are still busy. Cancelled classes just means more gathering in these places with tourists who are trying to make the most of their trip. Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku were packed this weekend. Look at the picture of Shinjuku Gyoen. I am not sure about Akiba and the eastside of Tokyo, but with non-leadership, the infection numbers are definitely going to rise.

Social distancing is the buzzword nowadays and touchy cultures like maybe everyone's outside of Japan are more prone to transmitting the virus. I don't think Ashley Shiba meant to speak about Italy in a prejudicial way, certainly not in the way many posters here speak about Japan.

Misery loves company.

Why do all these assorted Koreans and Chinese posting here want to force their opinions as fact? So that you guys and Japan can share your woeful state? Will that line of deluded thinking then reduce COVID-19?

Imagine if I a native born Kenyan started comparing the numbers of coranivirus in Kenya with Somalia, Rwanda, Uganda, etc.

Your statements are indicative of both your countries low self confidence and self-doubt viz a viz Japan.

Please stick to scientific facts and not Brother Grimm type of tales!

Coronavirus has Italy on lockdown. Is that what the rest of us have to look forward to? | NBC News

"One way to look at it, which is obviously a bit concerning, is that Italy is merely ahead of the curve," one expert said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/coronavirus-has-italy-lockdown-what-rest-us-have-look-forward-n1155396

We need to face reality.

There is no institution in Japan that tests samples collected by non-healthcare professionals.

Check with Akira Koike of the Japanese Communist Party.

These are factual numbers ???. People can die from misinformation. Pls be accurate. Why then does abe need

to have the state of emergency law passed ???.

Amazing how Abe fails to see the seriousness in all of this. We have a case in Ethiopia and Kenya, but the Spring air of Japan will finish off this virus, so reassuring.

6% of people tested for COVID-19 in Japan are testing positive. (13026 tested resulting in 814 confirmed cases)

Extrapolating the numbers doesn't bear thinking about.

In a country of 127 million, if 6% are Covid-positive, extrapolating the numbers certainly does bear thinking about.

Hope Japan’s fantasy be true. I am serious, no joke.

I am Korean and I feel safe for what the government of Korea has done and will do. However, in some part of me think ‘Is this virus really critical for health?’. For this, I definitely think that the corona virus will do damage ‘old people’ and ‘people who has weak immune system’. Rest of people, I mean ‘healthy people’ may not be affected by the virus that much.

However.. that does not mean the government can just leave this outbreak without proper reaction.

I don’t know what to say. Maybe the virus will disappear by itself after few weeks. Then Japanese government would think ‘well, we were right, we didn’t need to do anything’.

But one thing I am pretty sure is that public get worried and concerned by this situation. The role of the government is not just watching the situation with no effort. That is all.

I haven’t seen any mention of it in the English media, but they’re only testing 1%-3% of people who contacted the help line because they have all the symptoms of COVID-19. So the numbers are definitely artificially low.

We need people with symptoms to isolate themselves. The test cures no one.

The science-driven answer to that is

Amesh A. Adalja, MD, Professor and Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security whose work is focused on emerging infectious disease, pandemic preparedness, and biosecurity. “Testing capacity has us largely flying blind, not knowing where cases are and hampering response efforts.”

Testing will help understand the virus and possibly stop its spread.

Yes, exactly. Basically we need testing to give real-time accurate information to epidemiogists, who can recommend policy, governments act immediately to slow down the outbreak and give the public clear and timely instructions what to do/not to do, then we all need to follow this and help each other to get through this with the least damage we can.

@garypen

They are saying that between 60-80% of the world will get it. Why are Japanese people so special that only 6% will get it?

Those tested were screened and checked first, and were recommended for testing because they are likely to be infected with the novel coronavirus.

Extrapolating to the general population is not appropriate.

Great picture, really terrific.