Japan tops global new COVID cases in week to Sunday: WHO

Yet Abe and Aso both said 2 years ago that Japan had got it under control and the world should follow Japan's lead.

The entire healthcare system is on the brink of total collapse…. And another 40,000+ in Tokyo ….

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220727/p2a/00m/0na/008000c

Don’t tell me the system isn’t collapsing…. Read just the facts!

Enduced by the end of telework?

Just look at the picture, you can wear 10 masks still it won't prevent you from touching everywhere. An alcohol dispenser is the first thing I see when I enter home and I don't even ride trains

The health system is creaking at the seams. My partner should have been admitted to hospital with Covid last week, but has had to stay home with minimal home monitoring, and that is only down to one amazing doctor who has gone above and beyond, calling every two to three days to check on him and me. I collapsed with low oxygen but was also sent home with meds. My care would also have limited to been a daily call from an app, if not for the dedication of this doctor to check up on me. This is the reality of triage. Even if you collapse, even if you are immunocompromised, you cannot get personal treatment because the system is so overrun.

We are giving thanks that we got our meds, got an oximeter, as these are also rationed, are more or less stable, if not actually improving, and had the luck to have been tested by an outstanding doctor. These are down to luck, and I worry for those less fortunate who find themselves abandoned and untreated at home, with no monitoring to check on those who take a sudden turn for the worse. Just like last year during the Olympics, this situation will lead to some dying untreated at home.

So do all you can to avoid getting infected, to keep you and those around you safe, and to try not to burden the system any more right now.

There must be a mistake because Japanese have superior DNA and don't get the covid infections ? ? ?

Japan had the world's highest number of new coronavirus cases in the week to Sunday with more than 969,000, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

To be fair, I'm not really sure what the actual take-away is here, aside from the fact that Japan tests an absurdly high number of people. Funny how wrong the crowd accusing Japan of doing the opposite were.

Deaths in the two other countries mentioned in the article are certainly higher, not to mention U.K., Italy, Australia, and others.

Though this still essentially puts to rest any notion that Japan's policies have been working, particularly the border controls and masks at school. It is a kind of poetic justice to see a country so adamant about how much cleaner and more public-health conscious they are have to humiliatingly wear the Covid dunce hat, as India, Brazil, and the U.S. have had to in the past.

Japan is finally the leader in something

Not just dithering ?

Must be because of the "mindo" - Taro Aso's words earlier in the pandemic.

Yet Abe and Aso both said 2 years ago that Japan had got it under control and the world should follow Japan's lead.

Ah yeah, Aso's statement about Japan's higher mindo. I've heard people from all walks of life say similar things though.

Funny how wrong the crowd accusing Japan of doing the opposite were.

I agree with the rest of your post, but Japan did make it very difficult to get tested for a long time. What's happening now is that so many people are infected that the numbers of those regarded close contacts under the current rules are very high as well.

Japan still doesn't test routinely in schools and other places the way many countries do or did. I'm not an expert, but it could be that hiding our heads in the sand is what came back to bite us.

As for the hospitals filling up - aren't we still in that ridiculous situation where something like 80% of hospitals cannot accept COVID patients because the disease is classified at such a serious level that its too hard for them to meet all of the regulations? If so, how about re-classifying the disease to a similar level to the flu and it would make it easier for a lot more places to accept patients?

Still no reason to worry too much, but stay on alert. If you look at the data of those two and a half years pandemic, many other countries were permanently on top of all the former waves which were much deadlier on average. It just goes round and round and everyone will have to smack from the bitterness, if not earlier then now and if not now then again later. More depressing is, that Japan once was on top of economic development and wonderful innovations, now only remaining to be top of population decrease, aging and this one here. That’s the real tragedy that is making me fears.

Good luck with your investigations (reading Fox news or RT?). :)

The top 3 global leaders in mRNA vaccination programs and the top 3 countries for Covid infections.

The countries that avoided mRNA vaccinations because of cost issues or lack of domestic approvals are way down on the list of Covid infections, many of them are totally absent any new waves.

This needs serious investigation.

This is what happens when you try a half-assed zero covid/border lockdown approach... the inevitable still happens, just later on when most of the world are experiencing the final death throes of the pandemic as it becomes another regular seasonal virus.

Covid isn't going anywhere just like influenza or the myriad other seasonal viruses aren't going anywhere. It definitely helps to get your vaccination numbers and healthcare preparation in place before facing the brunt of it, but there's no escaping widespread infection...

Those hailing china's low infection rates will likely become suddenly rather quiet when china too experiences their inevitable explosion of infections down the line.

As for the hospitals filling up - aren't we still in that ridiculous situation where something like 80% of hospitals cannot accept COVID patients because the disease is classified at such a serious level that its too hard for them to meet all of the regulations?

Different hospitals for different things though. And rightly so - you don't want immunocompromised patients and covid patient going to the same place. There are beds explicitly reserved for covid patients. Occupancy numbers from last week:

https://www.niid.go.jp/niid/en/2019-ncov-e/11331-covid19-ab90th-en.html

I find it peculiar that people are jumping to slate Japan's covid response when it's done really well in keeping deaths low. Realize people may have different barometers for success but isn't that a big one?

United States recording the highest number at around 2,600, followed by Brazil at about 1,400. Japan confirmed 272 deaths.

Japan’s COVID deaths per capita is 246 per million people, the lowest out of the 38 members of the OECD, according to Our World in Data.

Wow, that vaxx and those masks are so good, really working well for you guys. If only those poorer, less fortunate countries could have done the same, then they would have avoided such huge numbers and deaths...oh, er, wait a moment, they did. For free, somehow.

Wow! What a surge in Covid cases! Irrefutable proof that masks and vaccines work otherwise we would be worse off. Stay home, save lives. ファイトジャパン！

Those vaccines are working really well then

The number of deaths and severe cases indicates that, yes, they are working.

Remember all those people spouting that Japanese are immune and the virus won’t spread because Japanese don’t shake hands? And, don’t forget that herd immunity crap. They’re all pretty quite now.

It's no longer a meaningful number. Many other countries have already stopped free PCR testing, and people have stopped testing. In Europe, only Denmark and Austria still offer free testing. They have also stopped chasing the spread.

https://www.europe-consommateurs.eu/en/travelling-motor-vehicles/covid-19-testing-where-to-be-tested-in-europe.html#:~:text=In%20the%20European%20Union%2C%20only,both%20for%20tourists%20and%20residents.

Sure, the current dominant type is infectious. More (publicly funded) testing will find more cases, but not necessarily symptomatic ones.

The low death rate in Japan has little to do with the leaky vaccines and more to do with the low obesity rates and diet here. Obesity and Covid Is a bad combination, the problems caused by obesity weaken the immune system and the bodies ability to fight infections.

The claims that the lower death rates here are due to the vaccines are false as we see the deaths in the US for example. They are so high due to the obesity pandemic and the general poor health of the population, many not having decent healthcare available.

If you are afraid of Covid and you are obese, she’d the weight now. The effectiveness of the current vaccine is poor, take if you wish but also lose weight and exercise daily. Exercise stimulates the immune system, and losing weight makes a better and easier life possible

Always maintain a PMA ( Positive Mental Attitude). Stress also reduces the immune systems ability to function, so stay healthy, exercise, lose weight is needed and stay positive .

Quick! Close the comments!

Before the vaxx, research showed that spike proteins can in some instances cross the blood brain barrier. There was quite a few reports of psychosis, brain fog and other mentally related ailments. Brain inflammation can result in personality changes such as depression, lethargy, cognitive impairment, anger, frustration and poor emotional regulation. 

The advantage of natural infection however is that it doesn't include the lipid nanoparticle (LNP) which was specifically selected for it's ability to carry MRNA into cells and also has the exact property of permeating the near impenetrable blood brain barrier. 

From the European Medicines Agency website (which the Japan Ministry references for their data) - Bottom of Page 47

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/assessment-report/spikevax-previously-covid-19-vaccine-moderna-epar-public-assessment-report_en.pdf

Besides injection site [muscle] and lymph nodes [proximal and distal], increased mRNA concentrations (compared to plasma levels) were found in the spleen and eye. Both tissues were examined in the frame of the toxicological studies conducted with mRNA-1273 final vaccine formulation. Low levels of mRNA could be detected in all examined tissues except the kidney. This included heart, lung, testis and also brain tissues, indicating that the mRNA/LNP platform crossed the blood/brain barrier, although to very low levels (2-4% of the plasma level).

2-4% huh? What is the optimal level of spike proteins, or pseudo-spike "genetically altered to be safe", in the brain? If your answer is not 0% that might be due to spike proteins in the brain.

Inevitable. Japan has handled covid horribly since the day the Diamond Princess docked in Yokohama.

The scamdemic numbers don't matter unless you're getting paid from PCR tests. The population census does. It's updated every month and this year is going to be the largest number of deaths in a long time.

https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/list/81-1a.html

I thought everyone kept their masks on Japan? Guess it's not working as well as they thought, which is unsurprising considering commuters like to pack themselves onto trains like sardines in a can. Ah well.

If you are afraid of Covid and you are obese, shed the weight now. 

Sound health advice backed by science*. There's never been a better time to start jogging or swimming or going to the gym.

Even small changes in daily habits can really reduce your odds of bad symptoms if and when you get this disease.

*https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34625315/

The top 3 global leaders in mRNA vaccination programs and the top 3 countries for Covid infections.

The countries that avoided mRNA vaccinations because of cost issues or lack of domestic approvals are way down on the list of Covid infections, many of them are totally absent any new waves.

This needs serious investigation.

Countries at highest risk of infection also put more effort (and money) into vaccination so the infections do not have full consequences, do you also feel surprised when countries with highest number of other infectious diseases (like rabies) are also where more human vaccination is done?

Those vaccines are working really well then

See the rates of death by infection cases and compare it with the rates before the vaccination, that will let you know about the value of vaccines.

Wow, that vaxx and those masks are so good, really working well for you guys.

How would you know if they didn't? with what numbers would you compare the current situation? obviously if an increase of transmission because of the variants is driving up the numbers you can't just compare with last year situation, for all you know there could be much higher numbers without the current level of measures.

The low death rate in Japan has little to do with the leaky vaccines and more to do with the low obesity rates and diet here. 

Let us know about the statistical and epidemiological analysis that concluded this. Obviously without it you can't just say the factor you don't personally like has no role in it.

The claims that the lower death rates here are due to the vaccines are false as we see the deaths in the US for example. 

Then how do you explain that actual studies find unvaccinated people are at a much higher risk of complications and death? that also includes reports from Japan, if what you believed was true there should not be any difference.

Commodore

Always basing it on facts, sadly many believe that the way to good health is constant vaccines and wearing a mask 24/7

Exercise however requires efforts and that’s the main problem

Yet Abe and Aso both said 2 years ago that Japan had got it under control and the world should follow Japan's lead.

Yeah Abe said a lot of things, didn't he?

Virusrex

Sure I have the evidence. See the death rate in Japan pre vaccines compared to other nations.

Many people were upset for months at the lack of testing here in Japan. And now that they are testing the numbers are probably the most accurate they’ve been. Whereas the US is hardly testing at all and people have that defeatist attitude that catching it is inevitable, as many posters here also believe.

But the most telling stat is the number of deaths per capita. And Japan is still ranked in the bottom five or ten globally. So all those people that continue to think they have the all the answers can just continue to ignore the damming evidence. Don’t let data get in the way of your beliefs.

Make it simple.

Anyone with a half stack to rub together can tell you pretty quick, TOkyo 2020 "Games of Loot" had all the bad makings going for it day 1. Open borders, bach in and out on tour and no pm beer curfews.. Mayhem trains and no remote work. But like shazam! Wuddya know, week before the big games kickoff, goddmnt if that positive case number wasnt lower than a touchdown.

Now all you can read about is how a week AFTER all the votes are paid or volunteered and counted for, pcr tests are just magically fallin outta the sky? Couldnt buy a kit to save your life in 20-21.

The 180 is insane. Positive case counter guys gotta be pullin overtime. So how come the borders still on lock down? It aint theinternationals is it, just the locals left behind. SO if there s no more votes to buy, no more games to loot, we finally get those record braking positive numbers from last year just kicked forward.

Explain it so it makes sense. Blame the Mask, blame the vaccine talk doesnt cut. Thats got Nothing to do with whats goin on. Cus it when you really needed em you couldnt get em. A year later sure feels like someones out here painting some pretty pictures.

They will hate this here. Hate being top of a negative subject like Coronavirus.

The arrogance and smugness has brought this upon themselves. It's sad really

Those vaccines are working really well then

The number of deaths and severe cases indicates that, yes, they are working.

The low deaths/severe cases is because of this variant is mild. Omicron was first reported as mild in South Africa, which had a very low vaccination rate. At most, these vaccines reduce severity during a very narrow window of time; before and after which they make things worse.

Remember all those people spouting that Japanese are immune and the virus won’t spread because Japanese don’t shake hands? And, don’t forget that herd immunity crap.

Yeah, that was before they started the mass vaccination. Herd immunity will be reached if we let our immune systems do their thing and stop messing things up with these injections....

It would be sensible to open Japan to visitors.

Japan must immediately follow an emergency 3 point plan:

Learn from China by imposing mass lockdowns in major urban centres like Tokyo and Osaka.

Mandatory mass testing in the same cities.

Close its international borders until covid is under control again.

This should start at 14 days and be reassessed continually. A bit of short term pain now is better than long-term consequences.

rzadig has hit is squarely on the head. Deaths per capita remain at some of the lowest in the world. Ultimately the vaccines are doing their job as intended. Their main purposes is to prevent deaths not infections. I am probably going to upset both extreme ends of the specturum here but whilst I fully belive you should absolutely get vaccinated, you should certainly be living your life as normal at this point. Covid is here to stay for the next several years and you just have to get used to it. Staying locked up at home is just as bad as going into a crowded train in the middle of rush hour. There is middle ground. Follow the rules but don't be stupid and wear masks outside in this heat as you're adding to the problem for the already overworked hospitals when you get heatstroke. The government is aware that there is no need to panic since they've said they won't be adding extra restrictions and in fact I suspect the borders will be fully open by September at the latest. Opening them now for tourists won't make a slightest bit of difference to the numbers as at this moment those in Japan are far more likely to infect them than the other way around.

The low deaths/severe cases is because of this variant is mild. Omicron was first reported as mild in South Africa, which had a very low vaccination rate.

In South Africa they reported still over 10,000 excess deaths during the omicron wave, so you need much better evidence to explain why this is not happening in Japan even when the number of infections have increased several times over.

If you don't have that data you can't say vaccines have no role, because the variants do not explain the reduction observed.

Yeah, that was before they started the mass vaccination. Herd immunity will be reached if we let our immune systems do their thing and stop messing things up with these injections...

According to the reports that show newer omicron variants easily escape immunity from previous infections this is demonstrated as false. The difference between having immunity from vaccines and being infected is that the immunity from vaccines comes with several orders of magnitude less risk, so your recommendation only means telling people to run excessive risks without any valid reason to do it.

G&T

Those measures are pointless and would do more harm than good with the current variant

Its mild and highly contagious, doomed to fail

Japan, Germany and the US.

> The top 3 global leaders in mRNA vaccination programs and the top 3 countries for Covid infections.

Now more antivaxxers false information.

USA and Germany aren't even in the top 10 most vaccinated with Germany being below Bangladesh and the USA below Thailand countries.

Japan in 9th just above France with a population density 3 times that of the next most vaccinated France Japan 340 people per Km2 France 119 people per Km2.

But Nice try

The health system is creaking at the seams. My partner should have been admitted to hospital with Covid last week, but has had to stay home with minimal home monitoring, and that is only down to one amazing doctor who has gone above and beyond, calling every two to three days to check on him and me. I collapsed with low oxygen but was also sent home with meds. My care would also have limited to been a daily call from an app, if not for the dedication of this doctor to check up on me. This is the reality of triage. Even if you collapse, even if you are immunocompromised, you cannot get personal treatment because the system is so overrun.

unfortunately this is the reality everyone wants to ignore, I experienced something similar back in January.

Mount Sainai doctor speaking on the reality of long Covid and who is at risk don’t take my word for it watch the video.

https://youtu.be/tFQBcu5qlmE

Let’s add some basic scientific facts … some continue to spread patently false information about omicron being mild . Let’s get real! Year to date, omicron is by far and away the deadliest variant of Covid in Japan since the beginning! If not for safe and effective vaccines, the death count would be substantially higher! Around the world where most industrialized countries…. And the vast majority of their responsible people are vaccinated…. Their death totals have significantly dropped. Japan slow rolled the vaccines … hence the horrible 1st 3 months of the year ! News flash people, Covid does not only kill the elderly, the obese , or those with other health problems…. It kills healthy people too… I won’t begin to speculate what’s currently going on in the minds of the powers that be here in Japan …. But nationwide…. The entire healthcare system is on the brink of total collapse! Yes … I said it again ! Just the facts! Over 1.2 million people currently considered hospitalized with Covid !!!! Not my number…. It’s the reality supplied by the jgov! Just 16 days ago, the marginalized and highly irresponsible minority declared Covid over …. A thing of the past …. What a prediction…. If you’re still not vaccinated…. Get started…. It only hurts for a day or two…. If you’re eligible, get boosted! Avoid the bars …karaoke parlors… mask up when you cannot control your environment…. Follow the 3 C’s…. Avoid all public transportation….

In South Africa they reported still over 10,000 excess deaths during the omicron wave

Virusrex.

SA also has the highest rate of HIV in the world and barely 30% of the population having 2 doses of the vaccine.

With well over 80% 2 to 3 doses in Japan things are very different.

The only real problem are the just under 20% that didn't get vaccinated and if Japan released the information like other countries we would mostly see that most of the deaths of severe cases are unvaccinated and or people with high risk factors.

Covid is highly airborne. Wear an N95 if you want to avoid infection.

Avoid crowded indoor spaces without airflow. Air conditioner do not clean air. They move the same air outside and inside. Open the windows on the train. Stand between 2 open ones.

If you're vaccinated, this infection will likely result in mild symptoms. But there are 2 very real dangers:

1) Passing the virus on to a vulnerable person.

2) 5% to 10% chance of developing long covid. Covid is now being found to get into the brain. Don't take risks for this.

Unvaccinated kids are very vulnerable. Let's protect them.

Looking forward to the announcement on JT of today's Tokyo numbers .

While ignoring the anti-mask anti-vaccine idiocy,

What’s the number today?

Mask use is pretty much universal here. Since masks are clearly not helping, I think it’s time to retire the “mask manner” nonsense.

6.53pm

As in all countries the majority who died were very old. Here’s a link to official UK data.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/aboutus/transparencyandgovernance/freedomofinformationfoi/averageageofthosewhohaddiedwithcovid19

People fearmongering about non vaxxed and Long Covid again are tiresome.

Live in fear whilst the rest of us live life to the full

40,406 in Tokyo today. The anti-vax crowd here have better odds in their local Yak pachinko parlor.

People fearmongering about non vaxxed and Long Covid again are tiresome. 

But not as tiresome or, to be blunt, as stupid as those saying that masks don’t work or that the vaccines have been anything other than a game changing gift of science.

Steven Mccarthy

Today 07:09 pm JST

Ignore, ignore ignore!

Best way, anyway the Izakaya is open so soon it will leave and return after it closes so ignore.

Nemo

Nah, I find both extremes tiresome, unscientific and dull.

A person in panic mode thinking about Long Covid and needlessly worrying about unvaxxed people is as deluded as those saying masks don’t work at all and vaccines don’t work at all.

Life isn’t all black and white, there’s middle ground that many here seem incapable of understanding. It’s the usual human problem, take one side, politically left or right or whatever. If someone’s thinks the vaccines have no use they won’t change their mind with evidence. If some believe vaccines are the cure and stop transmission they won’t change their minds.

Both examples deluded and tiresome.

So much for Japan’s ‘Factor X’.

People fearmongering about non vaxxed and Long Covid again are tiresome. 

i don’t care, I’m tired of having long Covid too…. You are insensitive, learn to have some empathy.

We have not been too of something for a long time

..top

@Antiquesaving

Bit over the line, no?

Data is coming out showing excess deaths after vaccines and also possible long term health issues.

People keep saying this, but never producing actual data that says this, some even present reports that have the opposite conclusion and try to deceive people as if it was not terribly easy to find out there is no such thing.

Mask use is pretty much universal here. Since masks are clearly not helping, I think it’s time to retire the “mask manner” nonsense.

Go out and see how izakayas are doing, a tiny percentage of the population acting in this way is more than enough to explain the increase in numbers.

Life isn’t all black and white, there’s middle ground that many here seem incapable of understanding.

The problem is people that try to say the middle ground is between reliable, verified information and outrageous lies that can easily be proved false, as if half-truths and less obvious lies would be better, that is not the case.