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© Thomson Reuters 2021.
Osaka hospitals buckle under COVID-19 onslaught
By Kiyoshi Takenaka OSAKA©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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© Thomson Reuters 2021.
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snowymountainhell
On ‘the same JT front page’ mind you, there’s”Plenty of doctor’s and nurses’ with spare time to volunteer ‘elsewhere’?
Of course, contrasted with this gem:
HBJ
The Japanese government needs to hang its head in shame. It was clear what was happening in other countries, and it failed to take the necessary steps to make sure Japan was ready for whatever happened to reach these shores.
The official government figures seem to suggest that the number of positive cases here are relatively low - yet medical systems are collapsing. How could that be?
Either the numbers are significantly higher than is being made public, or the government criminally underprepared, or both. Whichever way you want to state it, spin it etc. the Japanese government has done an absolutely awful job, and the people should kick them out at the earliest opportunity.
GdTokyo
Where in the hell is the JSDF? They could build field hospitals, provide extra doctors and nurses.
daito_hak
No no this is not true. The last research on the B.1.1.7 based on better data are clear. No changes in reported symptoms or disease duration associated with this variant were found. No evidence was found of an association between severe disease and death and lineage (B.1.1.7 vs non-B.1.1.7) including for analysis adjusted for hospital, sex, age, comorbidities, and ethnicity. The idea that this variant affects more the young population is therefore totally false. This kind of disinformation is not helpful really.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00170-5/fulltext
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(21)00055-4/fulltext
Akula
Infections thankfully falling in Osaka and the vaccine will start to make a different soon. The light at the end of the tunnel is here.
Yubaru
"Slipping alertness?" No kidding, you have a government that is pushing for an international sporting event to take place, and at the same time, telling people to stay home.
If it's OK to hold the Olympics, why is it a problem for me to go out to my favorite izakaya or take a trip to Okinawa?
Bob Fosse
You predicted 50 million vaccinated before the Olympics and that the warm weather will end Corona.
I’m not sure which tunnel you are looking through.
geronimo2006
Not really Akula. Number of reported infections is falling because they are testing fewer people. Number of tests is down about 20% this week and lower in May than April for some reason. If they allowed convenient and free testing for example at drive throughs then they might get a number closer to the real number. And that real number are stating to show up at hospitals now.
CaptDingleheimer
10,000 a day. It will take 8.5 years to complete Tokyo at that rate. I'm pretty sure Windham County, Vermont can do 10,000 a day...
therougou
Osaka had more deaths than Tokyo back in January, before the current wave supposedly destroyed it's medical system. It's just a combination of many elderly and a bad system to begin with.
Anyone that has called an ambulance will also know that they are notorious for taking forever in finding a hospital. In fact, my wife already had a hospital she was registered with when she had a near miscarriage in Osaka, yet we still had to wait for about an hour before they started driving there.
blahblah222
No, vaccines are not doing anything, only the reduced people flow did that. Japan won't be able to get vaccine levels to 70% for years to come. If you are in the general population and want a vaccine before 2023, you have to travel to a foreign country. It is doubtful after next year Japan would even offer efficacious vaccines next year after the approval of the untested domestic vaccines.
Japan can vaccinate at 200,000 on average (due to very low vaccinations during weekends and holidays), you can go ahead and calculate how many years it would take for Japan to finish vaccinating the population.
Cricky
Minami said a supplier recently told him that stocks of propofol, a key drug used to sedate intubated patients, are running very low, while Tohda's hospital is running short of the ventilators vital for severely ill COVID-19 patients.
‘That is a state of emergency alone
hatsufred
I feel we should be objective about the situation in Osaka. Let’s talk about all the things that J gov got right —— sorry could you speak up I cannot hear you !
Scarce
Don't worry Osaka! Hang tight! The Olympics are coming and will SAVE US ALL!!
Scarce
I wonder why they are running out of ventilators. Can someone explan to Suga why people are going to die bevause there are ventilators.
Imagine Japan dropping the ball on EVERYTHING they do.
Suga: IndiaThe Japanese
Scarce
Now it is time to blame the British. When will Japan stop segreation and just say "COVID19" instead of trying to place the blame on another country. If you notice you will never see a "US Variant". Japan knows if they say that there will be consequences.
therougou
Wow, you sure pack a lot of misinformation into one post.
Notice the original poster said "soon". Elderly vaccinations are supposed to be done by July, so it isn't unreasonable to hope critically ill patients, which are mostly elderly, will be much fewer by then.
Do you really believe that?
Never read that either.
Japan doesn't test domestic vaccines? First time I heard that, too.
Which is why they already said they are upping the number to around 1 million per day. Do you really think that is impossible when they've done over 300,000 on some days already before the mass vaccination centers started popping up?
albaleo
That's a little confusing as the article seems to be referring to Osaka Prefecture. (Kindai Hospital is not in Osaka City.) It makes the numbers a little difficult to grasp when the context isn't clear.
(Either way, whether city of prefecture, it's the third largest.)
blahblah222
That is what they said, but did it happen??? No.
As i said, it will average 200,000 per week, because 300,000 every day is not sustainable for the Japanese system. There will be some days with 300,000, but there will also be some days with just 30,000.
Japan reaching 1 million a day vaccination is laughable. I would be shocked, absolutely shocked, if Japan can even achieve HALF of that number by end of this year.
By the way, the vaccinations were outsourced to Nippon Travel Agency, so you are going to tell me a travel company will somehow manage to properly plan and handle the cold-chain logistics of pharmaceuticals???
Shionogi vaccine will be approved on a 200-subject Phase 1/2 trial end of this year. A 200-subject trial for a vaccine approval is pretty much the same as untested, since you cannot prove efficacy or safety with that type of N number.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/65c458ed84ef745ac7cb218dfa2c673a83e4589d
https://www.yakuji.co.jp/entry83586.html
Mr Kipling
The "designated" hospitals are getting full. The simple solution is to designate MORE hospitals! This will involve paying the private hospitals enough for them to want to be "designated". There is no shortage of ventilators or ICU beds either. Just poorly coordinated resources.
Bob Fosse
Lots of things were ‘supposed to be done’ already. My city hasn’t started sending out vaccination notifications to the elderly yet. July is looking more than a little optimistic.
therougou
No surprise they are in such a rush to spread fear and win over JT readers that they can't get basic facts right.
Yotomaya
Yep. Now is the time to blame a foreign variant and the plebs for not obeying confusing and contradictory instructions.
IvesJerome
The New York Times revealed that Yan Limeng was willing to accept the manipulation of Bannon and Guo Wengui, through Bannon's influence in the far-right political groups in the United States and Guo Wengui's media power (the power of money), to create and publish false information about the epidemic without factual confirmation of the source of the epidemic to get votes for politicians
therougou
That was a goal they just announced a couple weeks ago. You expect it to happen overnight?
How you came to that conclusion makes no sense. Low weekend/holiday counts can't bring the per-week average down to 200,000 when every regular weekday is over 200,000. They had over 200,000 first-time shots each weekday announced so far last week (no data for Friday yet). If you count 2nd shots the total is over 300,000 per day. The previous week had several days under 200,000 (first time), so there is some improvement there already.
I'll be sure to call you out when it happens.
NTA are only one company, and help book people for vaccinations and provide call centers for their questions. They don't handle the vaccines themselves as far as I know.
I believe you misunderstood it. The 200-subject trial consists of only Japanese people. If you read other reports on the matter, they are trying to do a large-scale trial with worldwide participants, but are struggling with that as they are late to the party. Either way, we have no idea if this vaccine will be approved.
as_the_crow_flies
@Bob Fosse, I think I can guess which particular 'tunnel' anyone who thinks that is looking through (up) ;)
Personally, if the director of a hospital who is there and living it every day says that the medical system is collapsing, then believe them. Your life could be in their hands.
Bob Fosse
All elderly vaccinations by July is already impossible. Put me on your list too.
Hervé L'Eisa
I wonder, which medications are being used to treat the patients?
James
@daito_hak
Did you actually read the study:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(21)00170-5/fulltext
Gooch
Japan could've used a certain drug starting with "I" to protect and treat people against this disease, but there's not enough money to be made from it. Lives be damned.
Some interesting papers:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33795896/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33259913/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33480414/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDtdtxAdwyA
James
@Gooch
Seems an Unreliable programme we all know (WHO) and China are linked and have been causing misinformation all through the covid situation.
GdTokyo
That the system cannot scale up is a sign of a broken system. (Apologies for the repetition but) when my kids were young, the older one had an ear Infection (no! You don’t say!). The pediatrician said “I am not an ear nose and throat specialist. I said “You did go to medical school, right? You have studied the human ear, correct and then I took her scope off the table, had a look for myself (I have no medical training but have seen it several times before) and told her to write me a prescription.
This is all hands on deck. The JMA has to throw the rules out the window and scale up.
lolwut
I have lived in Osaka for years. Durig the first two SOEs, people did everything asked of them for the most part. This latest SOE, I think everyone just reached their breaking point and only a minority of citizens stayed home.
Basically, no change.
But the numbers have steadily decreased (according to reports) the past couple of weeks. However, we still dozens of COVID related deaths reported daily and continue to see articles about hospitals being overwhelmed.
BY WHOM?
How are these falling numbers resulting in greater death and hospitilization rates?
I have felt for a long time that the Tokyo numbers are being manipulated, but only recently have I begun to feel that Kansai's results are now also being carefully controlled.
I just don't buy it any more. Call me a conspiracy theorist, or an idiot, but things just don't add up.
There must be someone that will eventually come out with information proving that things are not on the up and up, and I truly hope anyone and everyone involved gets their just desserts.
None of this bowing and groveling for a bit only to step out of politics and into a cushy position on some company's board of directors. I want the guilty parties to waste away in prison for their complete lack of care for humanity and their ovwrwhelming greed.
Paul_Barbara
Amazing, isn't it? In Britain, we are plagued by the Brazilian and South African,m and now the new bogey-virus, the dreaded Indina Variant. In Japan, you have the British Variant! Brazil probably has the Saharan Variant. New Zealand probably has the Greenland variant.
And isn't it amazing, how the original 'Wuhan' variant has never been isolated, so how the heck can they tell if all these other 'variants' are in fact any different from the 'original'?
Oxycodin
Japan propaganda to make Tokyo look like no problem with covid before Olympics and let Osaka take the hits of covid while Tokyo every thing is fine
Bob Fosse
Why be coy? You could be saving lives! Why waste time posting here about it when you could be wearing a sandwich board and carrying a big sign outside the ‘big pharma’ offices? Don’t give up so easily!
But since you’re here, tell me, which other countries had verifiable success using this certain “I” drug?
Bob Fosse
Why do the majority of medical professionals ACROSS THE GLOBE disagree?
Oh, silly me, it’s a conspiracy isn’t it?
Gooch
Read the linked articles and watch the video. That's what they're for. Or does your expertise preclude you from having to do so?
Bob Fosse
Your post history precludes me from having to do so.
Gooch
To paraphrase St Greta, how dare you stray from the narrative!
Gooch
Your loss, not mine. But you might learn something.
Raw Beer
Yes! I'd love to have some info on that. We get countless daily articles about the vaccines, as if that is the ONLY thing that can save us. But we never hear about treatment, except for an occasional update on the Avigan trials.
Definitely, if ever I get covid I will insist on getting HCQ-azithromycin or invermectin. I really hope they will be available.
Just in case, I do regularly take quercetin + zinc and in winter also vitD.
CaptDingleheimer
Whatever the next excuses that prevents them from getting to the elderly people done in July
CaptDingleheimer
Oops I hit the post button too soon..
Whatever the new excuse is that prevents the next target date from occurring, you can be sure that it will all be someone else's fault, certainly not anyone in Japan, though.
Albert
Healthy care in Japan was always not strong. Now this pandemic is showing how this system is crumbling.
There are countries with worse cases but barely keep there heads up. Japan has a long way to go.
Still in Japan people are saying to stay away from foreigners to prevent the spread. Still this makes me tired how ignorant some are.
Bob Fosse
You are going to insist and hope? Sounds scientific.
Bruce Chatwin
I have to wonder if the international attention this article is getting will have any effect on the politicians and bureaucrats so ineptly running the country.
Bruce Chatwin
USFDA: Why You Should Not Use "I" to Treat or Prevent COVID-19
https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/why-you-should-not-use-ivermectin-treat-or-prevent-covid-19
Thomas Tank
Gets more and more exciting every day, don't it!
Zaphod
So below the screaming headline about "buckling" under an "onslaught" we read this:
348 infection ward beds for a metropolitan area of 20 million is ridiculous. So behind this 'buckling" and "onslaught" that the hysterical article puts in the headline, the real story is simply about a lack of hospital beds. 348 beds would be too little even without any pandemic, even with Japan{s generally very healthy population.
joey stalin
The Olympics will bring all the COVID variants into Japan just when we need them most. Maybe they'll even bring a bonus Deadly Black Fungus.
therougou
Never mentioned that one. You aren't the first one to change the topic on me, though.
100% of anything is difficult, as it is up to the individual to actually go out and get vaccinated. So I'm not even really sure what the "all elderly" target implies, but I read somewhere 85% of municipalities think they can accomplish it.
GordonBennett
Well done Japan, keep that Big Pharma poison away from your people. Don't follow the herd. What would be even better would be to treat patients with any number of reliable cures that for one reason or other we're not allowed to mention.
kaimycahl
Platinum results from Golden Weeks as the numbers increase! This doesn't surprise me at all
kaimycahl
Looks like Japan will be trading Olympic stadium seats for hospital beds.
therougou
No mystery here. The numbers just started falling recently. It takes a couple of weeks for covid patients to get seriously ill and die. Then add the fact that this article is probably a couple of weeks late as well. Much better than their claim of Osaka as Japan's second largest city, which is about 50 years too late.
Bjorn Tomention
Thankfully we have the olympics and japanese logic to save us all.
Oh and the media!
Bjorn Tomention
Hey we dont all subscribe to being the crash test dummies in the 2020's pal and having the vaccine pushed into onto us, sorry to disrubt your wa, we had the vaccines in the 50's 60's etc but this is different.
Bjorn Tomention
Bring back bach n coates and them other idiots in the lympic committee and lets expose em to the real situation, then see how they deal with things.
oyatoi
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_Doubling_Plan
When we start to see burning ghats along the banks of the 淀 and 大和川; that’s when we’ll know we’re close to collapse.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=FrBeH5JdOyE
therougou
You mean show them how everyone is out and about despite the SOE? Yeh, sure that'll change their minds.
drlucifer
The highly infectious British variant being infectious in every part of the country except Tokyo and it's neighboring prefectures. A miracle indeed.
fish10
348 beds in a city if 9 million people. They should be absolutely ashamed how inadequacy they have prepared.
Samit Basu
US State Department just issued "Do Not Travel" travel advisory for Japan. Japan is Level 4 now.
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/japan-travel-advisory.html
Bob Fosse
I read somewhere that elderly vaccinations are supposed the be done by July. What was the source...oh yeah, you wrote it.
therougou
So you can't tell the difference from one post where I wrote "supposed to be done" and a completely different post where I wrote "I'll be sure to call you out when it happens". Great...
@blahblah222, @Bob Fosse
What is this +497,001 I see at https://www.yahoo.co.jp
Already at half a million??
Couldn't be!!!!
Yohan
fish10Today 12:50 am JST
348 beds in a city if 9 million people. They should be absolutely ashamed how inadequacy they have prepared.
These are ICU beds reserved for Covid-19 critically ill patients.
Hospital beds in Osaka reserved for COVID-19 are 6337 beds.
Hiroshi13
Yes Doctor, those virulent FOREIGN strains from England and India are surely to blame! There is no connection at all to the infection increases and only 2% of the population being vaccinated, right?
WilliB
Zoroto
Seychelles got 60% vaccinated and has seen an increase in "cases".
"Cases" of course of a disease with an infection mortality rate of 0,05%. Yep, must be treated like Ebola or the black plague.
starpunk
And what does this say, what does it indicate? Osaka would probably be hosting some Olympic-related activity during the Games.
Here's all the evidence you need, Suga. Postpone them again. Lives, health and welfare are more important than profits. Be a man and call them off!
Bob Fosse
How long did it take the reach that number?
1 million a day, so it must have been between breakfast and lunch.
Bob Fosse
My area have started making appointments for the first vaccination yesterday for over 75 year olds.
A friend’s husband made his appointment today after visiting the hospital in person because the phone lines and internet were jammed.
He will get the first shot on AUGUST 9th. August 9th...
Under 75 year olds meanwhile will have to wait longer.
Tokyoite
It's a long, long tunnel and we are moving at a snails pace. You need a telescope to see that light.
Tokyoite
Why so many commenters on JT seem to twist everything back to the Olympics?
If they cancel or postpone it, do you really believe it will be the silver bullet to fix everything?
Bob Fosse
Because it’s the biggest event in the world, it’s the most expensive Olympics ever ‘held’ and it’s during a once in a century pandemic. Seems noteworthy.
I don’t believe anyone has said or believe that. Visiting the doctor doesn’t suddenly cure you of all illnesses but it’s better than not going.
KansaiTen
Regarding ivermectin, which Internet “medical experts” round the world and here are boosting without real evidence: Results from the largest randomized clinical trial to date were released in March 2021. NO impact on patients treated with Ivermectin was found for even milder forms of Covid disease.
Bottom line: Ivermectin did not shorten the course of Covid disease as measured by reducing the symptoms of Covid or shortening the course of the disease. However if you have Roundworms, I’m sure you’ll be pleased after using Ivermectin.
Metformin, an oral medication for Diabetes, is one of a number of medications now being studied for possible benefits in reducing Covid symptoms.
therougou
Visiting a doctor if you have the common cold is almost certainly a waste of time.
Tokyoite
So if there was no pandemic, you would have supported the Olympics?
My point is, almost when ever there is an article about Covid, the same people on here predictably twist it to the Olympics.
Bob Fosse
Comparing the pandemic to a common cold is certainly a waste of everybody’s time.
Yes.
That’s not a valid point. This above article references the Olympics several times.
Tokyoite
That's encouraging to know that you've been a supporter of the Olympics up until the pandemic and are not simply exploiting the current situation (as some appear to be doing).
Would you support postponing the games until 2022?
Bob Fosse
At this point no. The mismanagement, arrogance and absurdity of the situation have led me to conclude that the Tokyo 2020 Olympics would be best forgotten. They had a chance and screwed it up at every turn.
Try again next time.
Shinichi Hamada
Cancel the Tokyo Olympics because Osaka is showing an increase in "cases."
Yeah, that makes lots of sense.
Shinichi Hamada
When are Japanese celebrities and "influencers" going to start pushing these untested, fast-tracked "vaccines?"
Maybe we can get Suntory or Asahi to give out beer like Budweiser is doing in the U.S.
Will Mr. Donut give out free donuts if you get "vaccinated?"
I've got an idea! Why doesn't Yoshinoya give away a free Gyudon if you get the shot?
Great idea.
Good thing these "vaccines" can stand on their own merits!
Shinichi Hamada
Ivermectin is being used in Japan.
And it's effective.
https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/choken/kijironko/cknews/20210427-OYT8T50019/
https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXZQOFB25AAL0V20C21A1000000/
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/000646531.pdf
Bob Fosse
The paper you shared, on page 25, states Ivermectin has NOT been proven effective or safe and asks that a further studies be taken before using Ivermectin.
But you knew that paper was a year old right? Right?
Shinichi Hamada
The paper you shared, on page 25, states Ivermectin has NOT been proven effective
Ask the thousands of doctors who have used it to save patients. Their experiences and testimonies are what really count.
But I'm sure you would rather people NOT know about Ivermectin so they can continue to walk around in fear. Good on ya!