Japan eyes tougher Olympics rules for Delta variant-hit countries

Good luck with that. Delta variant is already present in 80 countries, including Japan.

@pim Good luck with that. Delta variant is already present in 80 countries, including Japan.

Exactly!!

Japan eyes tougher Olympics rules for Delta variant-hit countries

Japan eyes miracle for Delta variant-hit countries

“eyes” always implies more uncertainty of “What to should we do?!?!” - These Games should have already been cancelled.

dare I suggest..... ah, no, that would be naive of me..... （ー△ー；）

Japan will impose tougher rules on athletes and staff participating in the Tokyo Olympics from countries hit by the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus 

Good call Japan. Let’s start with you first then shall we?

I'm amazed Japan isn't embracing the use of the drug ivermectin, which has continually shown major help in both virus prevention and recovery, including in India with the Delta variant. This is the main reason why in many parts of India (where they did use it) the most recent infection wave has abated.

This drug was literally discovered in a soil sample from a Tokyo golf course in the 1970s by a Japanese scientist, and it has proven to be so powerful and effective for its anti-disease benefits, the scientist won the Nobel prize for discovering it a few years ago.

Oh wait, the patent is now expired and it can now be produced by anyone for about 100yen a dose, so its not a profitable option. Thats why its never mentioned in media, and even banned to mention on YouTube and Facebook.

The IOC and the Japanese Government is probably so frustrated due to the Delta Variant. This is just another thorn in their side. Cancel the Japan Olympics before it's too late.

Best olympics in history, thanks japan

I'm amazed Japan isn't embracing the use of the drug ivermectin, which has continually shown major help in both virus prevention and recovery

There is nothing to be surprised about, studies variate a lot about its efficacy, with some reporting good results while others end up without any benefit at all, that makes very difficult to make a recommendation, specially with the evidence collected in countries like Brazil, where it was widely used and recommended without any apparent effect on the spreading. The previous experiences with HCQ, where low quality studies (as well as unethical researchers that manipulated their results) pushed the drug as a supposed treatment, only to find out it was worthless for COVID, made the regulating organizations much more careful this time. That is why many governments are waiting for the results of the large scale trials testing Ivermectin.

In comparison vaccines have already shown to be a very effective preventive measure that reduces the risk of people being infected, getting complications or dying, but that did not stop the Japanese government from dragging their feet with vaccinations, which is part of what is causing these unnecessary complications they need to take in order to force the games in a population mostly against them.

@virusrex

With you specific knowledge on viruses and account name, what is your profession? Is it pharmaceutical and/or biology related? Do you have a conflicting interest in promoting vaccines instead of a generic drug?

Full disclosure, please.

That is why many governments are waiting for the results of the large scale trials testing Ivermectin.

These trials are usually done drug companies and cost millions of dollars. There is little interest or profit for them to do so with a generic drug, and this is why many trials are being sidelined.

Huh? It's 40% of cases in Japan delta?

If I can indulge in a bit of anthropomorphism here, it’s almost like the coronavirus is having a laugh at the expense of the Japanese government and the IOC. “So you won’t listen to your medical experts, huh? Fine, here I am, deal with me while thousands of people from hundreds of countries all turn up. I like my odds. In the meantime I will turn your glorified sports day into a joyless charade by forcing you to impose new restrictions pretty much weekly”.

Athletes and staff will be required to be tested every day for a week before coming to Japan, during which time they are to be isolated, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said at a press conference. They will also be forbidden from coming into contact with other people for three days after arriving.

Right, and just who is going to ensure that this ACTUALLY happens? I mean really, is the JOC going to send representatives to all the countries planning to come to Japan, and personally supervise the testing of what, 100,000 people, EVERYDAY for a week?

We know that is BS, and I find it hard to believe that the participating countries will isolate ALL their athletes and staff for a week, AND pay for all of it as well!

This is PR horse-apples! (Again, and again and again!.....)

With you specific knowledge on viruses and account name, what is your profession? Is it pharmaceutical and/or biology related? Do you have a conflicting interest in promoting vaccines instead of a generic drug?

Full disclosure, please.

What importance does that have? you fail to understand the concept of conflicts of interest. IF I based my comments in information that I originated then you would have to trust me, and only in that case a CoI would have meaning, I specifically do the opposite, only writing what is already known and the opinion of the experts, I can be a street sweeper or the president of a pharmacological company and content of my comments would not change in value at all.

Stop trying to focus so much on the people that provide the information and instead focus on the information. Is is real? then that has to be considered, is it false? then it can be discarded.

These trials are usually done drug companies and cost millions of dollars. There is little interest or profit for them to do so with a generic drug, and this is why many trials are being sidelined.

This for example is false information, the trials are not done by any drug company, they are done by health and science institutions (For example Oxford University) specifically with the purpose of finding good therapeutic measures and not for profit, that is how effective and cheap drugs like dexamethasone was found, this drug had much less conflicting evidence compared with ivermectin but still it took many reports to show it without problem.

Japan eyes tougher Olympics rules for Delta variant-hit countries

As well as your own Japanese Nationals from abroad, right Japan?

Or are Japanese “still immune” to such variants?

So will they confirm that this will be the case for all Japanese athletes (and of course their entourages)? Seeing as a Japan is a Delta variant-hit country and all that?

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20210624_30/

A group led by Kyoto University Professor Nishiura Hiroshi and Hokkaido University Professor Ito Kimihito reported the results of their analysis at a meeting of an advisory panel to the health ministry

on July 23, when the Tokyo Olympics open, the variant is expected to account for 68.9 percent of daily new cases nationwide.

About ivermectin as a treatment -

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/ema-advises-against-use-ivermectin-prevention-treatment-covid-19-outside-randomised-clinical-trials

In the EU, ivermectin tablets are approved for treating some parasitic worm infestations while ivermectin skin preparations are approved for treating skin conditions such as rosacea. Ivermectin is also authorised for veterinary use for a wide range of animal species for internal and external parasites.

Best olympics in history, thanks japan

This variant, along with the other variants, is no joke. However, I'm sure we've been hearing all the arrogance with the IOC and the Government. Let them eat crow.

studies variate a lot about its efficacy, with some reporting good results while others end up without any benefit at all, that makes very difficult to make a recommendation, specially with the evidence collected in countries like Brazil

Nice cherry-pick. The Brazil "study" was rife with errors and inconsistent application. How about the overwhelmingly positive results in Mexico? Or India? Or South Africa? Or Eastern Europe? Wonder why the doublyDelta variant has now suddenly abated in India?

How about how where last year 788 front-line doctors and nurses were given ivermectin for prevention, and 400 were not given it as a control. Out of the 788 ivermectin subjects NONE got Covid, but of the 400 57% got Covid.

https://covid19criticalcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/FLCCC-Ivermectin-in-the-prophylaxis-and-treatment-of-COVID-19.pdf

Its now being put into use across Latin America. Wait for major studies? Its an emergency and they have tested these vaccines which they are injecting into everyone on far far fewer people than ivermection has been safely given to over the years.

Even if it is totally ineffective (and data does not even come close to suggesting it isn't) it has a proven track record of being extremely safe (unlike HCQ) with 4 Billion+ doses administered since the 1980s.

@virusrex

I would also like to know which field you are working in or what background do you have ?

You are very well informed and I suppose you are a professional in the medical or related field,

or an ex student in the field.

May be have you done some research in virus and epidemics,

I can be a street sweeper or the president of a pharmacological company and content of my comments would not change in value at all.

If propagating a for-profit drug or vaccine and/or denying a non-patent drug, then yes, the value of your comments would be in question if you were the president of a pharmacological company.

The Delta variant is likely to become the default, globally. Variants seem to be naturally replacing each other. If you haven't got it yet, you will probably be getting it soon. So try to complete the vaccination of the vulnerable before it hits.

Re: Ivermectin. BBC News, 6 days ago: 'Ivermectin to be studied as possible treatment in UK' University of Oxford scientists are trialling giving Ivermectin to people with Covid symptoms to see if it can keep them out of hospital.

I have no links to Big Pharma, but if they want to shove an envelope filled with Sterling, Euros, Yen or Klingon Darseks under the third shrub from the left in my front garden, go ahead.

By the time the Olympics begin there won’t be many countries not affected by the delta variant; Japan already is. Will they apply the same rules to their own team?

Which is everyone. It'll be the Delta Games

By one count: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1245971/number-delta-variant-worldwide-by-country/

June 28th 2012

Delta variant by country

UK 60,069

India 7,823

USA 4,456

Germany 1,401

Singapore 823

Canada 783

Portugal 766

Spain 565

Russia 516

Italy 424

Belgium 394

France 352

Denmark 280

Indonesia 249

South Africa 248

Netherlands 248

Australia 235

Japan 226

typo: 2021 not 2012 obviously

I will believe it when I see it!

Already the head of the UK team has said they refuse to be quarantined in Japan and the IOC gave them a pass on that and this with a significant portion of the team refusing to get vaccinated!

Can anyone actually see that same team accepting:

tested every day for a week before coming to Japan, during which time they are to be isolated, 

The USA, Canada, etc .

Heck in Canada they already made a big deal about the women's basketball player not being permitted to bring her 3 month old baby how do you think " isolated" one week before is going to go over?

In the end the Jgov will back down and a few more countries similar to SriLanka and Nepal will be added to the list of 5 but none of the western rich countries will.

It will be another case of smoke and mirrors!

It still reads as those from outside Japan are potentially bringing some risk to Japan rather than the reverse. Given Japan also has the delta strain running rampant and little transparency of actual infected cases, I feel the bigger concern is these athletes and staff getting a COVID strain from Japan rather than the other way around.

Variant nonsense will be the next reason for never ending restrictions. Singapore seems to be one of the few countries that has finally come to accept that this is endemic and ,like the flu, we will have to move to a new paradigm and learn to live with it.

Except, of course, Japan itself. It's excluded from such tough measures.

Nice cherry-pick.

What cherry pick? I did not mention any study but the general experience in Brazil, where the drug was extensively used without observing the expected results, other places could have better ones, but the whole point is that if the drug works as splendidly as proposed the case in Brazil could not have happened, but it did, that is why big dedicated studies (again, not done by any pharmaceutical companies) need to be done to control for all the other variables that confound the problem. Each single study is not enough, the whole universe of studies is the one that will give a clear answer.

Also, every new use for a drug requires safety studies, ivermectin has not been used for serious respiratory diseases in the past, so it is still possible it can cause side effects on COVID infected patients, this is a precaution that is necessary.

Full disclosure, please.

Again, you have not argued how this have any importance, at all. Attacking the person instead of the argument is precisely what people that can't defend against the argument end up doing, and it is completely invalid. If some information proves something you believed is false, does it matter at all who presented that information?

virusrex is always going against those who post the benefits of Ivermectin and Hydroxychloroquine which are both well known to halt Covid

Clarifying when false or mistaken information is being pushed as if it were true is completely fine. HCQ has been scientifically proved to be worthless, and that is why no single well recognized institution of science of medicine recommends it as a treatment. Ivermectin is still in study because evidence is contradictory with well designed studies showing minimal or no benefit, while others show better results.

Will the UK be included in the list for special measures , currently the country most hit by the Delta variant, or do they get somehow left off the list as according to their Olympic chief they have special exemptions for their teams

Japan will impose tougher rules on athletes and staff participating in the Tokyo Olympics from countries hit by the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus including more rigorous testing and restrictions on coming into contact with other people, the government's top spokesman said Monday.

And which are these countries ? Let me guess, England won't be in the list, just a few non influential countries.

By the way, isn't what they are proposing to do profiling ?.

What makes them think those other people are themselves not infected, it is like judging a book by the cover and not what a government should be doing. It is like police are out looking for speeding cars but only looking out for imported luxury sports cars meanwhile all the normal local cars are all speeding past unperturbed

We know that even those who are fully vaccinated can be carriers and can still infect others, why not test daily everybody Japanese included that is involved with the olympics, the delta variant even the delta plus variant is already here and will soon if not already become the prevalent strain. Why can't they even increase genome testing to know the extend of the spread. This pesky virus doesn't infect based on nationality, status or wealth

So what about the Japanese athletes are they going to be tested daily as well ? I don't hear anybody asking that question.

We will take the necessary border measures while also ensuring athletes are treated fairly in terms of nutrition, training facilities," Kato said, adding the government is in talks with the International Olympic Committee and the games organizing committee to finalize the rules.

When you talk of testing a set of athletes daily while others are not, it is unfair for those who have to undergo

the testing and preferential treatment and an advantage to those that don't have to.

Don't the government and the IOC understand athletes will be mentally impacted with the daily testing and

restrictions.

We will take the necessary border measures while also ensuring athletes are treated fairly in terms of nutrition, training facilities," Kato said, adding the government is in talks with the International Olympic Committee and the games organizing committee to finalize the rules.

When you talk of testing a set of athletes daily while others are not, it is unfair for those who have to undergo

the testing and preferential treatment and an advantage to those that don't have to.

Don't the government and the IOC understand athletes will be mentally impacted with the daily testing and

restrictions.

The move comes amid concerns the games, set to start July 23, could become a superspreader event as the capital sees infections creep back up just a week after a state of emergency was lifted.

And what are the nationalities of those responsible for causing this increase ? Hope it is not those 2 poor Ugandan athlete and coach.

@virusrex

Why does you try so hard?

These people are so lost down the rabbit hole that is tomorrow the CE0s of the big pharmaceutical companies came out and said they support 1+1=2.

These people would claim it is a conspiracy to make us think that and the the answer is anything but 2.

Why not just put all these athletes positive or not from the so called delta variant prevalent countries in

a cage and lock the cage and make sure they are not let out. I guess they think people from certain countries

that are deemed to be poor and below Japan have no integrity. This is 2021 and it is as if we are in the 19th century when very little was known of viruses and infection. If I was in a position of power and my country's

athletes are treated despicably, I will pull out of the damn olympics.

These people would claim it is a conspiracy to make us think that and the the answer is anything but 2.

Demonstrating misleading or erroneous information is false is not something that is done only with the purpose of letting the person that brought it correct himself, after all many already know their information was false from the beginning. The thing is that other people can be deceived by this false information if it is left there without demonstrating how it is false, and if these people begin to invest their self-value in "knowing" it they can even become irrational conspiracy believers the same. Showing how something is false or mistaken can prevent this from happening.

This an indirect way of reintroducing another SoE?

These trials are usually done drug companies and cost millions of dollars. There is little interest or profit for them to do so with a generic drug, and this is why many trials are being sidelined.

Exactly, they don’t do trials that should be done. But more importantly, when they do a trial on a drug that they do not want to be approved, they will design the trial to fail.

Prof Risch explains this very well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2DxP-6wHoY

Japan should use these drugs if they truly want to save lives and have a safe Olympics.

The UK, although one of countries with the higher Delta variant presence, will probably exempted from the "tightened" rules. Let's wait and see.

Double standards have been the rule in this mess since they decided to force it down a couple of months ago so I don't see why this would change.

At least they're being consistent there.

Demonstrating misleading or erroneous information is false 

There is a difference between demonstrating something is false and just saying it is false. Providing references might stop people questioning your motives.

I am curious about how will Japan handle the surge of infections (which in my opinion is bound to happen). With hospitals in many cities at near maximum capacity, Japan barely made it through the first and second waves.

Japan and the IOC must learn from the mistakes made in my home country India that resulted in the spread and avoidable deaths of hundreds of thousands people. Stop this senseless, desire to hold the olympics. We aren't out of the woods yet. By going through with the Games, Japan and the IOC are betting on a miracle and miracles are rare.

Saving lives are more important than pride.

@Wick's pencil

And again YouTube and again USA centric.

When will people especially Americans learn the other countries conduct their own testing in different conditions, different standards and more often than not by publicly funded institutions and universities.

The USA is not the world despite what they think.

Plenty of medicines available in the USA are not approved in Canada, Japan, the EU and UK because their testing and trials came to different conclusions.

All this junk about alternatives to Vaccine and using them as related to the games is just that junk.

In fact, Japan and the Japanese domestic pharmaceutical companies invested billions on non vaccine medications including domestically developed and produced antivirals in an attempted to avoid vaccines especially imported ones.

The results were across the board failures, this despite massive pressure by both the domestic pharmaceutical industry and government for these drugs to be a success.

Japan and the IOC are betting on a miracle and miracles are rare.

Japan is betting on a miracle.

The IOC doesn't care as it is betting on any surge to come weeks after the games are over and the IOC has already held it's press conference claiming a success and no spread.

This was the strategy they used in Hokkaido, the day after the event ended that claimed their protocols worked.

But 2 weeks later Hokkaido had it's surge, by that time the IOC had possible deniability!

There is nothing wrong with questioning the messenger, it is basic common sense to assess who is spreading information.

Of course not, it is completely invalid, you may question the original source of the information, but questioning the person that makes the reference makes absolutely no sense. If you thought a word had one meaning and another person links to an official dictionary to prove this is false, what would be the value of questioning the person that provided that link? what kind of personal information would make the definition false?

Exactly, they don’t do trials that should be done. But more importantly, when they do a trial on a drug that they do not want to be approved, they will design the trial to fail.

This has been already debunked, which exactly of the trials involving ivermectin is funded by companies interested in it not showing effects? I mean, it is not like it is just a baseless accusation, right? If anything this supposed conspiracy has been proved false already with the extremely cheap, but well recognized as safe and effective dexamethasone, lots of people did trials on it, and it consistently showed great value at preventing problems and deaths thanks to COVID, even if much more expensive drugs could be used instead.

There is a difference between demonstrating something is false and just saying it is false. Providing references might stop people questioning your motives.

Sure, I always do when requested, a lot of things are obviously evident, like the results of the promotion of Ivermectin in Brazil, but if there is anything you ignored or can't get by yourself you just have to ask. I would have to warn that social media posts or videos on youtube are not exactly valid references most of the time, so they may be a little more difficult to get (but also much more useful since they can be checked against the science directly).

Athletes and staff will be required to be tested every day for a week before coming to Japan

What a naive phantasy. You can print that yourself or buy it for five yen at a bazaar in all those countries. Rofl

*How come the ivermectin's team messages are still there ? The article is about measure against (a selection of) team coming from countries hit by the Delta variant.*

Because ivermectin has been used effectively to abate the Delta variant spread in India.

Because ivermectin was discovered by a Japanese doctor in the soil of Tokyo, the location of the Olympics.

Yet this info is suppressed since it does not conform to the more profitable model of Big Business, which these Olympics as a whole are a stark example of.

Uh. Australia. Uganda. Already here or on their way.

And. Using Wikipedia as a source. Less than valid. Though Ivermectin, is not a prescribed 'drug' for treating SARSCoV-2.

What cherry pick? I did not mention any study but the general experience in Brazil

To cherry pick means to choose a single example which conforms to one's preferred narrative, and as you just admitted by not mentioning "any study but Brazil", then that is by definition a cherry pick.

Because ivermectin has been used effectively to abate the Delta variant spread in India.

Again, that is still in the process of being investigated, ivermectin was not the only thing that began to be used (again) in India, so unless you can prove all other measures (pharmacological or not) did not have a role it is mistaken to attribute the effect to any single one.

Yet this info is suppressed since it does not conform to the more profitable model of Big Business, which these Olympics as a whole are a stark example of

That was already proved false, why use it again? how do explain that other drugs, even if dirt cheap like dexamethasone were not "suppressed"? using it means losing billions on much more expensive alternatives that obviously are not necessary now.

To cherry pick means to choose a single example which conforms to one's preferred narrative, and as you just admitted by not mentioning "any study but Brazil", then that is by definition a cherry pick.

No it does not, cherry pick means selectively mention only the examples that support your point while hiding those that do not, It is quite obvious from the point I mentioned the evidence is conflicted that I explicitly recognized that there are both, which at the moment is the problem.

The example of Brazil is useful precisely because it demonstrate that even if the treatment is widely available and used that did not protected the population, and proponents have failed to explain why. It is like saying that seat belts reduce the risk of death on car accidents and then showing how in a whole country the people that used the belts died more in accidents than those that didn't. This single example would require explanation because it contradicts what the proponents said it should happen.

Posting evidence against people who are spreading misinformation is also removed.