Tokyo confirms 48 new coronavirus infections

There was news coverage of some of the hostess clubs on TV where they interviewed a bunch of yahoos drinking and talking at 150 decibels around tiny tables with cutie girl hostesses sitting a few cm from each other.

A few of the dudes didn't have masks on and when asked if they weren't worried, they said they're sick of wearing them and thought their chances of spreading the disease were slim.

If this is representative of what's up in most of these clubs then a second wave is inevitable.

The explanation from Koike is that this time they have decided to increase testing, that is test all the workers of 3 host clubs in kabukicho irrespective of whether they had

symptoms or not just like Kita Kyushu was testing, which supports most of us have been saying the number of infections reported by the gov't is just a fraction of the real number

of cases and if testing is increased the numbers are bound to increase. Unfortunately, the pathetic media has played accomplice and helped down play the importance of testing

These numbers will remain high, and might even increase, because they have started testing almost everyone working in Kabukicho. 2/3 of the infections from Sunday were from Kabukicho. My guess is that the same ratio holds true today.

8 out of a population of x millions?? Not losing sleep

And again I remind everyone, US had 15 cases in February.

A lot of people didnt lose sleep then, they sure are losing a lot of it now!!!!

I read on NHK that almost half of the confirmed new infections from Sunday and Monday were traced back to hostess and host clubs in Shinjuku. I have never had a good opinion on people working or going there and with the recent news, my opinion will not change.

Yes there will be more cases as the world moves forward. The virus is not going away until a vaccine is developed. Take personal precautions, maintain a positive future outlook. If you feel safer at home then please stay there. Let's get on with our lives and jobs. This is another one of life's challenges.

To those claiming the death rate is low compared to previous years

check out Nobel Laureate Professor Yamanaka's site

On the death rate this year is vastly higher compared to the previous 4 years.

https://www.covid19-yamanaka.com/cont3/16.html

How many did you test? This number is meaningless without that information!?

As many of you have expressed, the government and the media has been reporting rather incomplete and in a sense misleading data to the public. The new infection makes sense only if compared to the total number of people tested to get the proper ratio which gives a perspective on the infection / contraction rate. And of course the TOTALS must also be reported to give a proper perspective on the actual percentage of persons tested in Japan, the number infected and number of people hospitalized as well as the number of people who died specifically due to the virus. Most already know of the cities and places that have higher contraction rate.

I believe we the general public are smart enough to understand the threat of infection, but generally more because of the fear of someone we know or ourselves dying. And it is important for the population to know how many were hospitalized and at what hospitals. Not so much to panic the ppulation but to give the people choices as to whether to visit a hospital or not after calling those hospitals to determine the precautions take by the hospitals to satisfy that person's fear and comfort zone.

"It removed the warning last Thursday and further relaxed restrictions on business activities in the capital midnight Thursday, allowing karaoke boxes, arcade centers and pachinko parlors to reopen, as well as restaurants and pubs to operate longer hours."

Tokyo and Japan at it again... refusing testing in many places, playing down the numbers, saying business has to start up again and fully reopen, and denying any problem despite the numbers rocketing up again (those they bother to let out). You can bet it's going to take something catastrophic for them to finally admit there's a problem again. Koike has an election coming up -- better not suggest reinstating the lip-service lockdown! Talk of hte Olympics being cancelled is on the rise -- better not admit the numbers! You can bet this time around they'll make assistance even harder to get, saying "Closing is optional as we are fully reopen and only suggested you do so at your own behest, so you do not qualify as it was your choice," and, "We asked establishments to be responsible for their customers and it's not up to the government, so there can be no assistance from our end."

They never learn here.

But the number of active remains under 1,000

For now. Keep in mind that these are only confirmed cases. The true number is unknown.

Unfortunately, having so many asymptomatic carriers makes it even more complicated.

What's most important is the ratio of asymptomatic to symptomatic people as the among those tested, indicating how dangerous the virus actually is.

As I said this morning, if the actual number of infections is, say 5x the number of reported ones but there is very little change in the number of deaths or people with severe symptoms, then it is likely the virus is a lot less dangerous than what the government and media says. They're playing up the fear factor with the number of cases reported, but ignoring the important ratio mentioned above.

The question is, what's their ultimate motive?

Not sure if your opinion would be the same if you, your wife, kids or parents were part of the 48.

Precisely! It's astonishing the lack of empathy people have unless it directly affect them. People always think of things in the context of themselves. It's not affecting me so why should I care? But when it does happen to them or someone the know and care about, all of sudden they change their tone straight away.

i always wear a mask outside of my house, because symptomatic or otherwise I don't want to transmit or get the virus. People's lives matter. If you don't care about your own, and least think about the people around you who may be vulnerable.

Almost half of the cases are asymmetrical which means,

Hospitals aren't being overrun and thats the goal.

And its almost impossible to stop the spread.

But the number of active remains under 1,000.

Still a tiny number.  and number of deaths is more relevant anyway.

On the Subject of Shinju-kyu. Have you paid a thought to how people commute there ?

The packed Yamanote Line, that stops off at other popular hotspots - such as Shibuya, Tokyo Station, and Ueno. So of those 48 people, how many used that line, and who else were in the carriage along with them at the time ? I don't know, and I doubt anyone else knows. So all we can do, is wait... and within the next month, watch the reported figures - but even there, I have my doubts given past news stories (even from here). Just when does a person get tested for Corona Virus ?

I think, it would be useful at this stage, to see how many people are reporting sick - such information should be available through either Insurance Companies, or the Employee's Companies .

how many tested though? The number doesn't mean anything until you release the data

@pattyd032498

Best Post I read here for ages!

I am getting tired of reading always and always the same whining posts about lockdowns, lets wait 2 more weeks, no tests and all these BS.

But the number of active remains under 1,000

For now. Keep in mind that these are only confirmed cases. The true number is unknown.

Unfortunately, having so many asymptomatic carriers makes it even more complicated.

As most infected people have got through without symptoms up to fully recovery; their immediate neighbors and further closely contacted also end up having no symptoms. That's a basic pattern for this corona spread.

We better focus on ups/downs of active cases or numbers of seriously ill patients which are so far 800+ nationwide, 200+ in Tokyo. We better prioritize attention and (scarce) healthcare resources on at-risk groups.

Reports on accumulated numbers are near meaningless now.

As I commented yesterday, seems like the 14 days period for infection is holding true! State of emergency was lifted around 2-3 weeks ago, people became too relaxed and didn’t exercise caution and then it started to spread again. These are the people who got infected about 2 weeks ago. By the end of this month we can expect the number to increase drastically!

Raw Beer - Its 48 infections, not 48 deaths; no big deal.

No big deal until they start dying, of course.

That number is creeping up! Hope y'all are getting your fun in the sun for the summer in as soon as you can! Lot of places gunna shut down again!

The population density is just too attractive for the virus to let go.

And my previous suggestion seems to have garnered a number of down votes.However,, in Australia the province of Queensland has cordoned itself from the rest of Australia.

Not all regions in Japan are the same so have to act accordingly.

Called it. Knew this would happen after new legislation gave more money to hospitals with covid patients

Always follow the money.

20cases in feb and they closed schools, 50 cases in june and the announce domestic travel restrictions will be lifted.

Clearly the government know something, I imagine the random test of 10000 people either showed an extremely high number thus the virus is far less deadly in japan than feared, or an extremely low number thus the virus can be controled enough by mask wearing and the 3c's.

The correct course of action is to scream, panic, and enter a bunker for the rest of our lives.

Christopher Glen - 48 out of a population of x millions?? Not losing sleep

Not sure if your opinion would be the same if you, your wife, kids or parents were part of the 48.

There were a few similar comments yesterday too. It’s quite a naive statement. These 95 people from yesterday and today could have spread the virus to 20 or 30 people each and those people could spread it to another 20 or 30 people. This is especially true for such a densely populated city. Yeah, a hundred infections in a population of 14 million (Tokyo) in two days doesn’t seem much, but it could easily become thousands or even tens of thousands within a few days.

Yeah, there are probably many asymptomatic carriers. But according to the latest data, asymptomatic carriers very rarely transmit the virus to others, if at all.

According to an article in Time magazine, this study was inconclusive, and there is no real evidence to verify or dispute this statement made by the WHO.

Furthermore, according to Scripps, the WHO study was skimping on it's research, hence a lot of data was ignored or left out (see below)

> One of the study’s author’s, Scripps Director Dr. Eric Topol, criticized the WHO’s comments on Twitter, writing that “there are several studies not included in [the WHO’s] brief statement that counter the scant data provided here.”

Also, Carl Bergstrom from the University of Washington stated the following

Bergstrom was more direct. The WHO’s statement “seems to suggest that people without symptoms don’t spread COVID19,” Bergstrom tweeted. “Does this mean shoppers, students, protesters, etc., don’t need masks/ distancing? No.”

Full article:

https://time.com/5850256/who-asymptomatic-spread/

kurisupisu - in Australia the province of Queensland has cordoned itself from the rest of Australia.

Province? It’s a state! And, it’s three times the size of Texas.

Nearly all Australian states closed their borders. There is only one that remains closed, Western Australia.

FOR THOSE CRYING FOR THE COUNTRY TO SHUT DOWN, PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:

1) How many children should starve in order to make you feel safe?

2) How many families must go bankrupt in order to make you feel safe?

3) How many business owners should lose everything they've worked for in order to make you feel safe?

4) How many people have to lose their jobs, their health insurance, their life savings, to make you feel safe?

Come up with the number of people that you think should surrender their lives for YOUR feelings and YOUR safety.

Does it make you feel safer knowing that your unwarranted fear and panic are costing others their livelihoods and even their own lives?

Each time you whine and complain about keeping the country shut down, remember what it's costing OTHER people for you to sit in your house watching TV, swallowing the panic narrative and hoarding toilet paper.

Also, remember this - if the TV news had never told you to be afraid of this virus, you wouldn't have been. You would have never given it a thought. You would have gone about your life as usual along with everyone else. You would likely have never known there was a virus at all. You would have thought that this was just another type of flu.

So, remember that all your fear and panic exists because you were TOLD to live in fear and panic. Regardless of whether things reopen or not, you still have the choice to stay home and not go places if you feel that is what is best for you and your family.

In 1 month the virus has been here for half a year, but for some reason people are not dying en masse. This despite the Hanami parties, the low amount of tests, the slow government reaction (due to the Olympics), the weak State of Emergency, and the epic fail of the Abenomasks.

Despite all this, why are we not suffering like they do in Europe/US? Or are they hiding deaths now as well?

@Do the hustle I am writing from my beachfront mansion overlooking the Coral Sea on the coast in Queensland and the border is CLOSED.

Tokyo population 0.1% positive history(estimate 12000 have caught virus to date) 5592 recorded cases

Miyaki 0.03% positive history (projecting 70 have caught the virus) 88 recorded cases

According to the government testing

Talk of thousands of asymmetrical cases and government cover ups is wrong and dangerous.

Why I don't know but the virus isnt widespread.

1) How many children should starve in order to make you feel safe?

2) How many families must go bankrupt in order to make you feel safe?

3) How many business owners should lose everything they've worked for in order to make you feel safe?

4) How many people have to lose their jobs, their health insurance, their life savings, to make you feel safe?

Come up with the number of people that you think should surrender their lives for YOUR feelings and YOUR safety.

These are perfectly valid questions, even though you ask them in a confrontational way. And the same valid question goes the other way - how many people should get infected and die to prevent a decline in the economy.

In the UK, the government probably locked down a week too late - a week that ultimately resulted in thousands of deaths and infections.

48 out of a population of x millions?? Not losing sleep

It's the "I'm immune" mentality - as they got through the National Emergency unscathed, they must surely be Immune - especially when you look at what's going on in other Countries.

The medical community believes the second wave will come this winter when the temperature drops. Not if but when.

Also, remember this - if the TV news had never told you to be afraid of this virus, you wouldn't have been. You would have never given it a thought. You would have gone about your life as usual along with everyone else. You would likely have never known there was a virus at all. You would have thought that this was just another type of flu.

There are thousands of strains of the initial virus which came out of Wuhan.

Transmission and severity of symptoms are, as we see, different all over the world.

Due to human behavior we are seeing spikes in some states in the US, the UK and Japan.

Some of us will be infected and show no symptoms and others will not and possibly die.

It is like a crapshoot.

Far from this being something that is only seen on the media and far from our daily lives; it is not.

I personally know a family of 3 that were admitted to hospital for two weeks.

After being discharged, there was a 2 week isolation at home.

I met the mother in the 6th week and there was still slight difficulty and pain with breathing.

Non smokers and healthy the infection, which was described to me like a flu x2, was fought off without fatalities.

Anyone doubting what a second wave of the constantly mutating virus might bring should look at the history of the 1918 pandemic.

It is still a crapshoot for the time being....

>

And what does Tokyo's Governor think about all this: "In justifying the decision [to lift the emergency], Koike said Tokyo’s health care system was well equipped to deal with new patients" [from today's Asahi Shimbun].

Yeah, bring 'em on.

@Do the Hustle

Thanks!

Yeah, there are probably many asymptomatic carriers. But according to the latest data, asymptomatic carriers very rarely transmit the virus to others, if at all.

That was from the WHO and I don't trust their statement. Most people are infected by others who were asymptomatic (including pre-sympotomatic) at the time.

so far this week it's something like 288 cases and 9 deaths. But that doesn't match the roughly 2.2% mortality rate. That would be 409 cases.

Also if deaths are miscategorized the real case rate would be higher still. Let's say it's 30%. That would be now 545 cases

So which is wrong, the case rate or the mortality rate?

City behaviour is going to be different between 50 cases and 550. Say each of those 550 interact with 5 people. Mapping where outbreaks are located, and tracking the 2750 people down to do the case tracing.

It's not over, there's still a lot of work to do

It is not a second wave relax ! Reported or not like it or not the number of infections has always been lot lot higher. And if people aren't dying this really isn't such a bad thing.

Unfortunately, having so many asymptomatic carriers makes it even more complicated.

Yeah, there are probably many asymptomatic carriers. But according to the latest data, asymptomatic carriers very rarely transmit the virus to others, if at all.

I’m so tired of hearing the negative Nancy’s.... they have been warning of a 2nd and 3rd wave since March.... and you know what? It never came. And when I hear people state, “what if it was a member of your family that tested positive?” So what....they would get it, recover, and move on with their lives. Let people live their lives... if u don’t wait to join us. Stay Inside!

@Mirai Hayashi

Precisely! It's astonishing the lack of empathy people have unless it directly affect them. People always think of things in the context of themselves. It's not affecting me so why should I care? 

...People's lives matter. If you don't care about your own, and least think about the people around you who may be vulnerable.

It's ironic that some of the trolls here that have been spewing out "all lives matter" are the very same people who advocate methods of behaviour that increase the risk of infection and/or death to the general public.

As for the numbers, it seems that the more Japan falls in line with International testing standards, the more its numbers seem to reflect the global state too. If only it would increase its education and treatment standards to global standards.

This is the beginning of the second wave. Stay safe everyone.

Christopher Glen - 48 out of a population of x millions?? Not losing sleep

Not sure if your opinion would be the same if you, your wife, kids or parents were part of the 48.

Its 48 infections, not 48 deaths; no big deal.

Lock down Tokyo!