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Japan confirms 4th case of Omicron variant infection

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The man received his first and second doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in October, 

The vaccine doesn't protect you of getting infected and you also can spread the virus.

Everybody knows that, but unfortunately too many people ignore or don't want to hear that.

It is good that the media repeats that often, so that even the most hard-headed people will some day understand that.

11 ( +25 / -14 )

The vaccine doesn't protect you of getting infected and you also can spread the virus.

Everyone knows that.

Everybody knows that, but unfortunately too many people ignore or don't want to hear that. 

As you said, everyone knows that.

It is good that the media repeats that often, so that even the most hard-headed people will some day understand that.

But everyone already knows that.

-23 ( +7 / -30 )

The good news is the WHO stated yesterday that at this point our new friend OMICRON does not appear to be more dangerous than our body DELTA, now what this means is that they will both infect you and possibly kill but with different symptoms,!!!! I guess.

10 ( +13 / -3 )

@Bob

Knowing yes!

But ignoring what you know and do not accept what you know and do not behave according what you know, that is the point here.

11 ( +17 / -6 )

But ignoring what you know and do not accept what you know and do not behave according what you know, that is the point here.

Oh absolutely!

But the hard headed and ignorant can’t be persuaded by facts. Which is why vaccine mandates are necessary.

-2 ( +18 / -20 )

Japan confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant on Nov 30. So far, all four cases have been detected at airports as people arriving from abroad were tested for coronavirus infection.

the question is how often does the gov test for this variant domestically? I know someone who tested positive and when I asked their doctor if it was Delta he couldn't even say what variant it was because as he said they don't check in Japan what variant someone has. That is what the doctor said. So there is a very good chance that this variant is already here domestically, but they are only screening for it at the airports

10 ( +15 / -5 )

So I guess now we're going to have to get used to daily tallies of Omicron, and all the other variants?

9 ( +10 / -1 )

@Bronco

It's obvious now that the finger that once pointed only at the unvaccinated can point at the fully vaccinated as well.

True, except for every 1 finger pointing at a vaccinated individual there are 1000 pointing at the unvaccinated…

6 ( +13 / -7 )

But ignoring what you know and do not accept what you know and do not behave according what you know, that is the point here.

That would apply much more to people that actively try to ignore the reality of the situation and the advice and declarations of the experts of the world and instead decide only according to their own very limited experience. People that listen to their doctors for everything else, but when it is about something they feel very strongly about reject the valid authority of the experts and behave as if they did not knew that.

More proof that it is wrong for the fully vaccinated to walk around thinking "only the unvaccinated can infect others, I can't"

Congratulations, you just disproved a false argument only antivaxxers have used. The actual argument supported by science is that people that irrationally choose to remain unvaccinated increase the risk of transmission. It was never that they represented the only risk of this happening.

-1 ( +15 / -16 )

Are the 103 other people in quarantine or just walking around in the general population?

I suppose it doesn't really matter as Omicron looks like a cold which won't make the pharma shills happy...

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

I suppose it doesn't really matter as Omicron looks like a cold which won't make the pharma shills happy..

Why would that be? even over the counter drugs to treat a cold at home represent a huge amount of profit for pharmaceutical companies, in comparison the vaccines are a much smaller business.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

The pompous attitude of the vaccinated sure seems misplaced the more we learn and see.

-3 ( +9 / -12 )

“So far, all four cases have been detected at airports as people arriving from abroad were tested for coronavirus infection.”

Not really surprising since that’s the only place where they actually test everyone, symptoms or not, and can find the variant (spoiler alert: if you don’t test people for it within the country, you are 100% sure not to find it).

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Seems the pro vaxxers and anti vaxxers have something in common..

They will never be fully vaccinated!

1 ( +8 / -7 )

Bad news.

Be careful everyone.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

Omicron seems like great news if it replaces delta and doesn't kill people.

Hopefully the whole situation will become less intense and people can stop dividing themselves from others based on vaccine status and willingness to wear a mask.

The world needs less division and more willingness to accept others regardless of nationality, race or vaccine status.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Omicron variant. Only way to contain it is halt international travel and close the borders. Not going to happen. And. Such a stratagem only works for geographically isolate countries: Australia, New Zealand, Japan.

A recent study, often mis-quoted falsely stating out of context and contrary to the actual statement of facts tha travel restrictions and closing borders does not work, the opposite is true: The WHO study actually states: Restrictions are most effective at slowing the number of initial cases in a country when they reduce the total volume of international arrivals, rather than when they pick and choose specific countries. 

A modelling study from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, which closed its borders to non-residents on 4 May 2020, found that the restrictions helped to reduce the average number of COVID-19 cases by 92% in the 9 weeks after they were imposed.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Aly RustomToday  07:55 am JST

I know someone who tested positive and when I asked their doctor if it was Delta he couldn't even say what variant it was because as he said they don't check in Japan what variant someone has. That is what the doctor said.

Are you saying that the doctor of someone you know was willing to discuss their medical condition with you? Was the someone you asked about a close relative? If not then it's odd that the doctor should be talking to you about someone else's medical issues.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

So they still letting people fly in from Africa.

But not from 4 US states.

Good logic Japan, as usual.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Are you saying that the doctor of someone you know was willing to discuss their medical condition with you? Was the someone you asked about a close relative?

yes and yes

4 ( +6 / -2 )

@Blacklabel

The pompous attitude of the vaccinated sure seems misplaced the more we learn and see.

Does it really?

I think that only finding four breakthrough infections, and all of them with minor symptoms, is instead a testimony for the vaccines.

The fact that only vaccinated individuals at Narita were detected is simply because everyone arriving at Narita on an international flight is fully vaccinated so 100% of the people tested will fall into the breakthrough infection category.

Hopefully this variant will turns out to be less dangerous so the unvaccinated don’t overwhelm the medical system when it spreads to that group.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

@shogun36 “So they still letting people fly in from Africa. 

But not from 4 US states.”

We can argue forever the logic of Japanese authorities, but Africa is a continent with 55 countries and over three times bigger than the USA, with way less overall cases; do you think they should stop all flights because the name scares you?

1 ( +3 / -2 )

There aren't 4 US states blocked, suggest you get onto the MOFA website yourself. There are 12 that require a 3 day hotel quarantine before quarantining at home. Nigeria is on that same list as is half of Europe, and the other half of Europe is on the 6 day hotel quarantine list.

The only places with any kind of block are the initial 10 countries in southern Africa, and that block is only for foreign residents who left after the bans were initiated. Example: If a permanent resident departed Japan on Sept 30, they can still return from South Africa.

Know your facts Jack

2 ( +4 / -2 )

“Hopefully the whole situation will become less intense and people can stop dividing themselves from others based on vaccine status and willingness to wear a mask. 

The world needs less division and more willingness to accept others regardless of nationality, race or vaccine status.”

well said. Couldn’t agree more.
3 ( +4 / -1 )

“They will never be fully vaccinated!”

Exactly! We at some pointed will probably be vaccinated when we are ready for that… so anyone who has got the jabs please be happy for yourself and don’t push them on others.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Sorry, nice try, but of course that surely cries for detailed genome sequencing, not only monitoring their health conditions. lol

-6 ( +0 / -6 )

No reported Omicron deaths so far with mild symptoms in the vast majority of cases.

Virusrex

untrue statement regarding over the counter cold medicines and vaccines. The profits from vaccines are huge compared to those. The profits per dose are incredibly high and despite huge profits, patents are still being held preventing poorer nations from making their own. The donations of vaccine to poor countries are made by richer nations who paid full price for them.

Over the counter cold remedies are made by thousands of companies in man countries at low prices without patent costs in most cases. The profits made by Pfizer since Omicron was confirmed reveal the great money spinner Covid is for them and their associates. They want this to continue for as long as possible, their job for their shareholders is to maximise profits, ethics don’t come into it with corporations, it’s big business.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

zichi

Too right and this is their biggest payout ever. A cure or a very effective vaccine would be terrible for business. Maintaining the current situation is a dream scenario for them. All the while hundreds of millions of vunurable are unable to receive vaccines. Profits come before lives, actions speak louder than words

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

zichi

Thas true but that was in the past before the world changed for the worse starting in the 70’s. Corporations were still somewhat under control of governments. We have switched now to the opposite with a small amount of corporations and individuals having more influence than our elected leaders. The individuals are also looked up to as some kind of Godlike figures ie: Bezos, Musk and Gates. Though these are the ones who have profited the most from Covid.

The world has moved on from altruism, it’s a dog eat dog world now and the majority seem happy for the status quo to remain.

Also after all these years and the amount scientists have learned you’d expect a more effective vaccine than we are presented with.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Having people skip quarantine means infections slip into the country undetected, normally it would not be so bad because there is corona in the country already, but with the variants it just mean probably some people are already spreading omicron without nobody knowing it.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Bring back SOE!! Lock things down!!! Close bars and restaurants!! Do all of the other stuff that has been working so well in Japan and around the world!!!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The best thing that could happen is if Omicron were to purge out the more dangerous Delta variant. Since it spreads faster this is possible. This is the natural process these things take and it's apparently happening. However, if we keep interfering with the spread by vacinating and isolating this thing will go on for years. This may have been the process that the Spanish flu took on it's way to extinction. It evolved into a benign illness and then suddenly disappeared.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

if we keep interfering with the spread by vacinating and isolating this thing will go on for years.

Really? That's not what the scientists are telling us. How have you come to this conclusion?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

weren't incoming from that part of the world banned? (not that the sketchy article actually says the flight was from Nigeria, but, if not, why not reveal where it was from)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

he said they don't check in Japan what variant someone has. That is what the doctor said.

A simple PCR was enough to say if you had delta, and a simple PCR is enough to say if you have the (regular) omicron now.

But most countries/testing joints plain flush the S-gene results of PCR, and only report dumb positive/negative.

And nobody will ever tell the patient what strain he had.

UK does seem to diligently collect and analyse S-gene results since 2020 autumn or earlier

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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