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© KYODOHeat wave poses challenge to medical system already hit by virus
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therougou
Let's just say it like it is. The heat wave is the real threat, while the virus has barely made a dent. But let's keep on talking about COVID-19 while letting thousands die from heat stroke.
Christopher Glen
People wearing face-nappies in the heat, even miles from another person, aren’t doing themselves any favours.
kurisupisu
The heatwave isn’t the problem; it’s the wearing of jackets and ties in tropical weather coupled with lack of water fountains, trees and shaded areas.Oh and the forced outdoor sports that guarantees a visit the the emergency rooms of the local hospital!
And for those living in tropical Tokyo, it must be amazing to be in a city that produces its own micro climate...
Starbucks
Wash rinse repeat face nappies.
Goodlucktoyou
Friday mountain river, yesterday japan sea, today lake. No mask. What is is heat thing?
Goodlucktoyou
Oops, Thursday was the river. Lost track of days cause my business is closed and my partners hospital is closed because of Two staff infections.
JeffLee
Many of the trees in my neighborhood are pruned aggressively every rainy season, so as not to project shade on the sidewalks. Makes no sense, but TIJ.
Cricky
For the amount of money paid every month by everyone combined with the startling low wages Heath workers get.....something isn't right. First it was too many old people burdening the system, then the heat, now the virus might be time to look at where does all the money go? Should hire an advertising firm to look into it. Or at least form a group to discuss looking into why we pay so much and why the system is so fragile.
kohakuebisu
There's some truth in the long rainy season stopping acclimatization this year. But normally we'd have had heat stroke victims in July too, so its swings and roundabouts.
I've been in my current place for twelve years and the upstairs has gone from just about bearable to unbearable without AC in that time. Our place is well insulated and has an opening top skylight for passive cooling, but it still gets too hot.
Hervé L'Eisa
Of course, the futile wearing of facemasks only contributes to the heat stress. Unnecessary.
Harry_Gatto
Those of us who have lived and worked in hotter countries than Japan can't understand this. There are places with no vending machines or convenience stores to buy a cool drink and nobody gets sick and needs hospitalisation.
Starbucks
Might try not wearing a t-shirt under a long sleeve shirt like two of the males near the front.
Sana Hamaya
Many Japanese doctors or private experts had pointed out double risk of Corona virus and summer heat from several months before.
But Japanese Abe government did not expand or reinforce medical resource at all.
oIdman_13
It would be nice if the journalists and the government could get their story straight honestly.
"Creaking"
Is there a problem here with Covid19 or not? Do the fatality numbers even closely represent reality?
Everything seems 100% BAU except extra mask wearing, the govnerment encourages travel, the tests are always trending down; however the medical system is is creaking from Covid19?
I've learned to except the complete weirdness of being stuck in Japan during this pandemic only because, what else can you do? It's absolutely bonkers.
Randy Johnson
Is there a heat wave.? Yes. When has there never been a heat wave in Tokyo? Seriously. The Ice Age? Even that is debatable.
Wuhan virus? Yep. It's real. No doubt about it. But guess what, there is influenze A and B and those two buggers have been going on for years even with (a) vaccine(s).
So, what to do people?
rainyday
Covid death toll in country where people don’t wear masks; 177,000
Covid death toll in Japan where people wear masks: 1,000
cleo
A heatwave is *a period of abnormally hot weather*. Normal summer temperatures do not a heatwave make.
In Japan we expect summer temperatures around 30 degrees. Day after day of 35+ is abnormal (though becoming increasingly the norm due to global warming). It didn’t use to be like this.
kurisupisu
Walked around Kyoto for a bit last week and needed a rest after 5-10 minutes in 39 degree celsius heat...
vic.M
Three people at a certain call centre where everyone is wearing masks all day complained of tight chest feeling and hard to breath. I checked one of them with an oxy meter which proved they were suffering Hypoxia, blood oxygen level too low. Once in the car and breathing air from the a/con vents the oxygen level came back to normal, from a low of 93 to a high of 98%. Repeated Hypoxia is damaging to other bodily organs. This is what happens when you re breath your exhaled hot breath.
If they can afford the power bill which many elderly people can't afford. In New Zealand the government gives a good discount off power bills for 3 months in winter time. In japan the worst time would be summer. Can you imagine the government in Japan giving power charges relief especially for the elderly.
Randy Johnson
The heat wave in Tokyo virtually lasts all summer.
Greg Mallin
Don’t wear masks outdoors ......... idiots d’oh
smithinjapan
Whaaaat?? There is absolutely no way anyone could have possibly predicted this!
tamanegi
I love the hot weather!
I dress appropriately, wear a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, avoid being outside when the temperature is at its highest.
I keep my home well air conditioned and UV cut curtains and products.
And I do something rarely seen in public in Japan, I drink water to stay hydrated.
Dirk
Yesterday in Tokyo 37 hospitalisations related to Covid, which has approximately 650 hospitals.
That's a huge strain if on average every hospital has 1 patient in 2 weeks....
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Imagine if hd had lhd OLAMPICS.?!?.
Wesley
Make it Mandatory water rehydration sessions in the office/schools every 1hr.
Those F & B people out of jobs? Allow them to set up cold drinks/ shaved ice stalls everywhere.
Cloud seeding to make it rain.
Encourage water drinking sessions on farmers, construction workers, soldiers, etc working out there under the sun.Christopher Glen
“Covid death toll in country where people don’t wear masks; 177,000
Covid death toll in Japan where people wear masks: 1,000”
Proof?