A health worker prepare a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in Tokyo. Photo: AP file
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Japan's 8th COVID wave could surpass previous wave's peak, say experts

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Don’t cry. You insisted in living with the viruses, now show that you can stand the next wave(s) too.

-19 ( +9 / -28 )

Theres almost certain to be a lot of Covid going around here over the winter.

Vaccinations don’t seem to be the main factor in spreading it to me, as the worlds most vaxxed nations still have massive infection rates.

Hopefully the government will be able to protect and treat the elderly better.

All others will go to work, school, etc.

19 ( +23 / -4 )

@Bronco: Which even if there were, you would quickly dismiss as a cover up or conspiracy. Unless you are trying to infer all those excess deaths to vaccines which would be a most insane claim.

-9 ( +11 / -20 )

Almost a joke now this COVID19 nonsense!

Everyone has more than enough of the hysteria and stay home don't go out don't mix ridiculousness!!!!

12 ( +22 / -10 )

My beautiful mask has been my SuperPower! I have had no covid since the beginning of this pandemic. I love my mask and it loves me.

-16 ( +9 / -25 )

We've been fortunate down here as daily numbers are literally 1/10th or lower than what they were during the so-called "7th wave". Total numbers are well over 500,000 positive infections, in a population of a bit over 1.4 million people in the entire prefecture.

Yesterday was a comparatively miniscule 379 compared to over 6,000 at the peak!

Ya'll be safe up there, and for everyone's sake down here....STAY UP THERE! :)

1 ( +8 / -7 )

I've got three shots. I haven't been wearing a mask for a while and live my life normally. Corona isn't going away anytime soon. I think the government is going to tell people explicitly to drop the masks in about 6-7 months.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

Lol sure it would. I guess it's about time to ramp up the fear campaign, eh?

10 ( +20 / -10 )

We in Japan did everything right for the most part and yet we are being hit with a new wave of COVID. What is going wrong?

This is what I we're learning from the above article: The primary sources of infection as of now are in Tokushima, Miyagi, Fukui and Hokkaido. These are all provincial prefectures. So its seems, the large urban areas not newly affected. One would think that the most densely populated urban areas would be getting hit, but that is not the case right now.

I hope that doctors and nurses with vaccines are on their way to the above mentioned prefectures. Possibly fast action could stop this lasest COVID development.

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

What is going wrong?

What is going wrong? It's called a psychological operation with no end in sight.

4 ( +17 / -13 )

 I think the government is going to tell people explicitly to drop the masks in about 6-7 months.

Lol, zero chance. There will still be idiots wearing masks in cars and while going for a jog in the park until the day they die

-2 ( +23 / -25 )

are we still panicking over this? In case you haven't noticed, the rest of world (besides China) has been moving on.

9 ( +15 / -6 )

I have caught Corona 2 times, I am vaccinated with 3 boosters. I always wear my mask even when in my car. I go through 1 bottle of hand sanitizer a day. What else should I do?

0 ( +8 / -8 )

Mask up, get vaccinated, practice sound public health measures. You know, be a responsible member of an integrated society.

-15 ( +7 / -22 )

Recently we have many foreign visitors to Japan. They are shocked. They say it is like going back in time with all the masks, plastic dividers, hand spray every 5 meters, etc...

I think it is time for us to move on, like everyone else has. We are looking rather stupid.

-5 ( +22 / -27 )

The only wave that we should be worried of is the wave of stupidity. Covid is here to stay. If you are afraid of it, then go and get vaccinated every month! If that's not enough, stay home and don't work! Use pages like this to voice your opinion about staying home. The huge majority also has the right to demand going back to normal as majority of the civilized world is now doing.

6 ( +16 / -10 )

As always, the article cites numbers of cases, which is irrelevant. What counts is how seriously ill does the latest iteration make people? This scientific, medical information is not deemed worthy to include, every. Highly irresponsible reporting, and therefore, simply fearmongering. Why? What is the point? Masks are merely cosplay, as the virus spreads throughout Japan, free as a microscopic bird.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

every = ever (An edit function is my JT dream).

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Get over it already. Winter's coming so there'll definitely be an uptick of sniffles and colds but stop treating Covid like it's the biblical plague coming down to smite us all. People have had their vaccines and booster shots and Japanese people wouldn't take their masks off for all the money in the world. Live and let live at this point. When are they going to start going back to normal?

-1 ( +11 / -12 )

in Japan high % of population is vaccinated and facemasked.washing hands and checking temperature,do not travel abroad/mostly because cant afford it financially/,so called social distance and more "science" kinds in practice...and still covid goes on...possibly all of this does not work at all?

just simple question.

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Simple answer:

It makes it “less worse” than it would be without these common sense measures but not as good as things would be if knuckle-dragging idiots would listen to the advice of medical and public health professionals and stop listening to their crazy uncles on FB.

The fact that Covid is not “gone” doesn’t mean the measures are not having a positive effect. Nobody says “Hey, influenza isn’t gone so these vaccines must not be working.” At least nobody intelligent says that.

So mask up in public, get vaccinated and boosted, follow the advice of public health professionals.

It’s not rocket science.

-6 ( +5 / -11 )

Michael MachidaToday  08:20 am JST

My beautiful mask has been my SuperPower! I have had no covid since the beginning of this pandemic. I love my mask and it loves me.

Two can play that game!

My beautiful immune system has been my SuperPower! I have had no covid since the beginning of this pandemic. I love my immune system and it loves me.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Another year of Covid. Sigh!

If we are going to live like human beings, we have to live with the virus. Even if there is a higher risk of getting it.

Life isn't simply about remaining (physically) alive. The lifestyle of a toadstool isn't human.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

According to our world in data, world trend seem to decrease Covid19 deaths per population after appearing omicron variant.

But, Japan where LDP government prioritizes vested interests than citizen failed to respond Covid19 repeatedly, has increased domestic deaths year by year unlike world trend.

Over 60% of total Covid19 deaths in Japan is after start of Kishida regime last October.

They who did nothing about 7th wave despite domestic worst ever new cases and new deaths do nothing about also 8th wave except PR of vaccination.

in this connection, number of PCR test in Japan where governmental experts are still obsessed with skepticism to PCR test and cling to lower accurate antigen test is smallest among advanced countries as ever.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Never ending nonsense. Surely now we know mortality rate and aggravating factors we can stop treating Covid like the plague?

1 ( +7 / -6 )

Japan's 8th COVID wave could surpass previous wave's peak, say experts

in a highly masked highly vaxxed country, the leaders unfortunately have never come up with an effective strategy to minimize transmissions.

Time to lock it all down.

New Zealand, Australia, the UK---all had success with lockdowns in limiting transmissions. Unfortunately their governments did not have the endurance to maintain that approach and as a result the health of their citizens and the countries' economies suffered badly.

-16 ( +0 / -16 )

When the people are sick they have to be at home no contact with others .

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

I think it’s time to get back to normal. If you want the vaccine, get the vaccine, if you don’t want it, and end up dead, that really can’t be helped now. But I also think maybe it’s time to unmask. Seems like a mask tax now. O fcourse it’s not, but it sure feels like it! I haven’t seen some students faces in nearly 3 years. Get vaccinated and move on now and let those that don’t want to get vaccinated take their chances.

btw the vaccine was not meant to eradicate this virus, it was just supposed to stop people dying.

hepersoniamnowToday  07:30 am JST

Theres almost certain to be a lot of Covid going around here over the winter.

Vaccinations don’t seem to be the main factor in spreading it to me, as the worlds most vaxxed nations still have massive infection rate

btw the vaccine was not meant to eradicate this virus, or it was just supposed to stop people dying, not sure what you mean about vaccines not the main factor in spreading it. People spread it, not vaccines.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Japan is still world no. 1 when it comes to weekly covid infections. Not that those numbers mean much, or are very reliable. More interesting is:

Hospital bed occupancy rates are also increasing, especially among those aged between 10 and 19, and there is a possibility that deaths will increase if a greater number of elderly people catch the virus, the panel said.

So, exactly how big is this problem? Are we near another collapse?

After three years of this pandemic, it seems like no one really knows much about anything when it comes to human diseases...

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Time to lock it all down.

You have commented that countries can control the pandemic without needing any lockdowns, that bring more damage to public health than what they prevent, and you qualified this as an excellent argument.

This means you have recognized there is no need to "lock it all down" and that doing it would be worse than not.

New Zealand, Australia, the UK---all had success with lockdowns in limiting transmissions. Unfortunately their governments did not have the endurance to maintain that approach and as a result the health of their citizens and the countries' economies suffered badly.

Complete misrepresentation. The economies suffered because of the lockdowns, (else your argument of "lack of endurance" would make no sense). And the real reason why they were stopped is because the new variants that are now predominant make the lockdowns counterproductive and unnecesssary, as you yourself have accepted.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

So the vaccine immunity is better than natural immunity??!! What a load of bunk!

2 ( +10 / -8 )

@painkiller: Give it up buddy. There will no lockdowns OR restrictions anytime soon in Japan. Good for China - keep running with it. Total destruction of social fabric. What a totally miserable existence that will lead to. A generation of children with no social skills, no manners. Towns and Cities without restaurants and recreational facilities. A life of living and shopping online. I really can't imagine anything worse.

5 ( +11 / -6 )

You were advocating for lockdowns in China for the first two years.

Do you have any link for this? because just making up baseless things instead of explaining why you recommend something you have agreed is unnecessary and negative makes no sense, is just an excuse after being found contradicting yourself.

Statistics shows it works.

You said it does not, damage more the public health than not doing them and can be replaced and still allow for control of the pandemic. So where are those statistics that refute what you yourself have said?

That is a completely illogical conclusion

Yet you argue absolutely nothing to demonstrate it is illogical. You failed to address the actual argument that is that lockdowns are now not cost effective, This is not solved by increasing the costs for even less benefits as you personally suggest. No expert in the world have said that Australia and NZ should have continued their lockdowns. The international experts you say adviced for them to continue do not exists as easy to prove as you have repeatedly failed to bring any reference to prove it. It is a false appeal to authority.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

painkiller

no point in repeating the same rhetoric every time. There were never any lockdowns here in Japan. Just SOE orders and all of that is over.

Do you keep your business open or in lockdown?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

There have been about 20 million people that have been confirmed to have had some form of Omicron infection. I expect the actual number of infections to be much greater, so the vast majority of people have already been infected, and therefore have some broad immunity to the virus.

So I expect the next wave to be smaller; and if not, I expect it to be much milder, thanks to our natural immunity....

2 ( +5 / -3 )

 so the vast majority of people have already been infected, and therefore have some broad immunity to the virus.

Which according to the reports do not guarantee lack of infection, disease, complication or death even from Omicron strains. Vaccinating even after being infected has been demonstrated to reduce those risks.

So I expect the next wave to be smaller; and if not, I expect it to be much milder, thanks to our natural immunity.

You have expecting full herd immunity from infections would stop new cases from the summer of 2020, by now it should be clear that the experts and their professional opinion are a much more trustable source of information, as explained immunization rates and close contacts are still determinant factors on the prevalence

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

"What about the Olympics ?"

Yes, that's right. The Olympics made COVID a gold medal winner. It spiked during the Olympics. Suda chortled that the Olympics was not to blame but the likelihood was that it was to blame--if only from the crowd overload.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

 so the vast majority of people have already been infected, and therefore have some broad immunity to the virus.

Which according to the reports do not guarantee lack of infection, disease, complication or death even from Omicron strains.

Yes, I agree, natural immunity does not 100% guarantee anything; and neither do the pharma products.

Vaccinating even after being infected has been demonstrated to reduce those risks.

Yeah, I agree, they reduce those risks .... for a couple of months, but they provide other risks.

It is very clear that although natural immunity is not perfect, it is broader (i.e. not only against the hyper variable spike protein), more robust, and longer lasting that the immunity provided by the pharma products.

Most people acquired natural immunity during this last wave, we should no longer be over concerned with future waves.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Japan just can’t let go of this nonsense

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Good grief....I only remember Covid existed when I visit this site. Japan and their media refuse to let it go.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Yes, I agree, natural immunity does not 100% guarantee anything; and neither do the pharma products.

But since natural immunity can only come with the full risks of infection that makes it very obviously the worst of the two.

Yeah, I agree, they reduce those risks .... for a couple of months, but they provide other risks.

More than a couple of months according to the best evidence available, and their risk are much less frequent and important than the natural infection, which is why every single institution of science or medicine recommends the vaccines instead of risking the natural infection.

It is very clear that although natural immunity is not perfect, it is broader (i.e. not only against the hyper variable spike protein), more robust, and longer lasting that the immunity provided by the pharma products.

No evidence of this, again just your baseless claim. But more importantly than that is that natural immunity is the worst option by default because it can only be gained by getting the full range of risks you are trying to avoid in the first place. Like losing your hand is the "best" way to avoid losing that hand again.

Most people acquired natural immunity during this last wave, we should no longer be over concerned with future waves.

Again, this has been your prediction for every single wave since two years ago, the experts are much more likely to be correct than someone that repeatedly predicts no more waves, on every single wave.

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

For me to think of things as normal or pre Covid levels hospitals need to have the ability here to treat patients if they have Covid or not.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

But since natural immunity can only come with the full risks of infection that makes it very obviously the worst of the two.

Yes, and vaccine conferred immunity can only come with the full risks of injection, each time you get it. For young healthy people, these risks are greater than from an infection.

Yeah, I agree, they reduce those risks .... for a couple of months, but they provide other risks.

More than a couple of months according to the best evidence available.

No, the data shows that after about 3 months, you're better off not being vaccinated.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Damned if I know where you get all this 'data' @Raw Beer. You seem to spend an awful amount of time looking for someone that's adamant never to have the vaccine. Why are you so concerned? It doesn't really affect you.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Having had Covid and subsequently consider that natural immunity is present, I now see no reason to worry at all.

In fact, I live a full social life without a mask and have been in many a crowded place numerous times,for many months.

I consider my own personal experience to be proof 1.the viral strains are weaker 2. natural immunity is adequate.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Over here, it seems the Omicron variant is spreading through the population like wildfire, but the new vaccine shots seem to work. Trouble is, only a very low percentage of people have gotten their new shots, despite their widespread availability.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

For the early strains of COVID including Delta, Japan's policy of masking, ventilation, sanitizing and social distancing were very effective.

However, Omicron has changed everything. The Japanese government needs to recognize how different Omicron is and that all these precautions won't stop it. It's become far more similar to influenza, and people need to be educated about the changes.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

"What about the Olympics ?"

Yes, that's right. The Olympics made COVID a gold medal winner. It spiked during the Olympics. Suda chortled that the Olympics was not to blame but the likelihood was that it was to blame--if only from the crowd overload.

I really don't understand why people continue to perpetuate this comically absurd notion that the Olympics was responsible for mass hospitalizations and deaths.

Japanese sporting events and some concerts with crowds had already resumed well before 2021. The Olympics had no crowds. From my recollection, it's not like most people were packing into pubs or doing watch parties, either. The Delta-variant Covid wave that occurred during the Olympics was actually one of the least deadly, even compared to those that came before it, and it only took a few months until after the Olympics for the winter Covid wave to completely shatter records in terms of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. Cancelling the Olympics would not have made a difference at all. If anything, I think the foreigners that jumped on the cancellation bandwagon ended up pouring gasoline on the public outcry fire, further delaying the opening of the borders, aka, shooting themselves in the foot.

I get that the IOC is corrupt, and there are legitimate concerns about their level of influence, but the Covid narrative is and always stupid. They won, they got to host their event, and it really didn't matter in the long run as far as safety was concerned. Get over it.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

How are these numbers even possible considering the high vaccination rate and ubiquitous mask-wearing, unless...

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Yes, and vaccine conferred immunity can only come with the full risks of injection

Which is still a tiny fraction of the much bigger risk from the infection making it the obvious choice for less risk overall.

For young healthy people, these risks are greater than from an infection.

That is completely false, easy to distinguish because you were already asked for references with evidence to support this baseless claim which you replied with silence, because there is none, just disinformation from antivaxxer groups.

No, the data shows that after about 3 months, you're better off not being vaccinated.

Also completely false, no data ever says this, as sure as the authors of the misrepresented article that originated this piece of fake antivaxxer propaganda explicitly say this is completely wrong.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

I consider my own personal experience to be proof 1.the viral strains are weaker 2. natural immunity is adequate.

Evidence from millions of infected and vaccinated people still prove vaccination decreases the risk even for people that were previously infected.

How are these numbers even possible considering the high vaccination rate and ubiquitous mask-wearing, unless...

Unless this is just a bad attempt to misrepresent the actual huge success of vaccines that have helped reducing the risk of the pandemic enough for other measures to be relaxed or even abandoned since now infection is a much less risky thing compared with the complications and deaths when the population was unvaccinated.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

In our family, all those who got the new Omicron shots did not get Covid, while all those who did not get the new shots did get Covid. Those who were too busy to get the shots had plenty of time to get Covid.

Talked to a doctor who said she got Covid despite getting the new shot, although she said it was relatively mild, and is back to work. One of our kids who did not get the shot, and who then got sick, said that she felt like she was going to die, and is still sick.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

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