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Have you had a long-term friendship, work or family relationship break down over COVID issues?

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I have greatly benefited from now gaining a clear distinction between friends and just people who know me.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

If you've all had the vaccine, what have you got to worry about? You're protected, right? Or just virtue signalling.

This is what I dont understand about those that insist those that dont want the vaccine should be forced to take it. Its the person that doesnt have the vaccine taking the risk.

If you take the vaccine, especially if its been a few months, you're still pretty likely to get Covid, your just a lot less likely to die from it.

The numbers are in and thats where the reality sits. Look at Singapore, 80-90% vaccinated and they've had to go back to restrictions including working from home. Look at Israel, Massive infection rates. Had to introduce widespread booster program.

But the death rates in both countries is significantly less.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

RecklessOct. 6  03:29 pm JST

@Jind, don't worry there are other fish in the sea. Everyone I know married to a Japanese woman is miserable. Some of my long term friendships have rekindled as I think people are getting nostalgic for the good old days.

Maybe you need some new friends. Me and plenty of people I know with Japanese wives are happy with them.

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

YubaruOct. 6  05:38 am JST

Speak for yourself.

Take a look in the mirror before you write the following!

I know and know of plenty of very intelligent and well educated people, medical doctors included, who are not afraid of this virus, but are more concerned about mRNA jab side effects and government coercion. People should free to take or decline these vaccinations of their own free will, especially as other effective prophylactics and treatments are available.

Let me guess, these "well educated people" "medical doctor's included" are all a part of your FB anti-vax support group?

Wrong.

They are real people, some I know personally and others through people I know and trust. I have no interest in whatever "FB anti-vax support groups" might be out there. I'm interested in facts.

And you know what? I'm not bothered by what you think. Anyone who slags off people who are actually following what's going on beyond the mainstream media hysteria and the mind-boggling conflicts of interest tying governments, regulatory agencies and the pharmaceutical industry together as "anti-vaxxers" does nothing but highlight how narrow-minded and easily manipulated they are. Having to resort to childish and deliberately misleading ad-homs shows you've lost the argument.

I doubt you care, but the vast majority of people - me included - don't have a problem with traditional vaccines, just these new ones that are being forced on us through threat of exclusion from society through unrelenting propaganda. These people include tens of thousands of healthcare professionals around the world who either refuse to take the jab because they are acutely aware of the risks or oppose mandatory jabbing in solidarity with others. They've seen - or experienced for themselves - serious adverse affects from these vaccines and want none of it. Why do you think places like NY State are calling in the National Guard to replace them? That's right, THOUSANDS of healthcare staff are refusing these jabs, at the risk of losing their jobs, family and friends - numbers so large that they are threatening to cripple the health system. These are people who would otherwise be very willing to take vaccines as part of their job. That really says something about the COVID-19 jabs, doesn't it?

So next time you try to smear someone as an "anti-vaxxer," keep in mind that there are people who know a lot more about these jabs and have seen a lot more damage they have done than you.

I don't mind if you take one or more COVID jabs. That's your choice. But don't try forcing others to take experimental medicines en masse ostensibly for the "greater good." (I'm not quoting you on that, but I suspect that's the angle you're coming from).

Cheers!

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

My family and all our friends have no problem with covid-19 at all - the only restriction we feel is about international travel. But otherwise? Everything is available and we can travel around in Japan, many nice places to go and everybody in my family and friends are now vaccinated.

During the last month covid-19 infections declined considerably. Hopefully borders will open soon.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Yup, a friend of 55 years moved to another state and got converted to extremist nonsense, and refuses to get the vaccine, screaming about his "freedoms". I reminded him he was also free to jump off tall buildings.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

I met a Japanese girl I met while vacationing in Vietnam in January 2019.

I meant to visit her in Japan.

A lot happened in 2019 on my return to USA. I had some shoulder surgeries plus some very old friends, more like family died from brain cancer. All this prevented me from visiting my new friend in 2019.

I was planning to visit my friend in 2020 during Sakura in Tokyo but as we all know, all hell broke loose with Covid-19. I thought this may be temporary and I will visit during the 2020 Olympics. No way. Two years gone and by end of 2020, nearly three years.

Me with thousands of miles away from my friend, unable to visit and my pleasant and pretty friend in Tokyo with millions of males around her, guess who would win. Not me.

She did meet a local person and got engaged quickly.

I liked her a lot but Covid-19 even till now have prevented me from visiting Japan.

I wish her happiness but hoped the story would have been different. COVID-19 won and I lost.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

@runner3

Just re-read your first post. You cannot deny you write so proud of yourself how you shun your so-called relative. I guess you were not really close to that relative anyway. Otherwise one would expect at least a trace of sadness, concern. a bit of shame even for having to cut him off. But no, you are just proud to ostracize another human being. I guess you are one of the ones who claims science is always evolving, and one should not discriminate those who aren't like us in color, or sexual partner preference. But you understand people from decades ago blatantly and systematically discriminated against others because of one wrong idea or presupposition. Right now you cannot imagine your way of thinking about COvid and the vaccines to change drastically in the future with any new science, so you behave like you do. But what if future science proves vaccines did more harm than good, or prove useless, or covid is defeated by human heard immunity? Not saying I expect any of that, or have my hopes in it. Just saying what if your way of thinking was wrong. What then?

From people like I am happy your unvaccinated relative is keeping away from you ALL. Because that's another way to look at it, he is shunning you all down. You bigoted, self loading, hypocrites.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

On Facebook it's shown me who the real dummies are.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Speak for yourself.

Take a look in the mirror before you write the following!

I know and know of plenty of very intelligent and well educated people, medical doctors included, who are not afraid of this virus, but are more concerned about mRNA jab side effects and government coercion. People should free to take or decline these vaccinations of their own free will, especially as other effective prophylactics and treatments are available.

Let me guess, these "well educated people" "medical doctor's included" are all a part of your FB anti-vax support group?

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Since the government will not recognize Independent Tour Guides, we have had NO revenue for 19 months as the borders are closed and remain so. We have endured and suffered through this, jumping at every little scrap of money program they provide. It is not enough.

They just do not care and would rather us just roll over and die. I landed in Japan in 1983, fly the Japanese flag every day but have never been more embarrassed at the government of Japan until now.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Hey @ Aphlex, an apology for getting your name wrong! From this dyslexic poster, Bito Hito! Err......

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Hey @Alphex. It's NOT your fault. Do NOT put that blame on you.

You had one jab, you DID the right thing, and HAD to wait a month, right? Me, too. You were NOT responsible for how the vaccines work, and who are you to claim that YOU are THE source of your families' infections? You don't know that, and you just don't have that right to medically make that preposterous claim, nor do your family. It could've been ANYONE your family members came in contact with. It could've been THOUSANDS of people, really.

Let me say it again! YOU did what you needed to do, you were in the MIDDLE of doing what you needed to do, thus, it cannot possibly be YOUR fault! Tell your family that! Because THEY cannot say for sure one way or the other, so why heap blame on yourself?

Seriously. I'm going to be upset out here if you blame yourself, or allow yourself to be unfairly blamed for ANYONE else's misfortunes. Your FAMILY NEEDS YOU STILL. And we need to see you posting here many times more, hey? Coming from me, the most downvoted person on this website, I say, let's get through this trial without doing yourself in as a bonus! It's NOT your fault!

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Both my parents died 6 months apart last year. And, I could not go to their funeral because we did not have any. And People still not getting vaccinated, hoodlums joining political parties and life moves on.

Aloha

0 ( +5 / -5 )

My girlfriend in Japan ended our relationship because the travel ban meant I couldn't go to be with her.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Nope, aside from some closed beaches (open now) nothing changed

1 ( +2 / -1 )

No because, thankfully I surround myself with sane people. I do have a few religious extremist relatives (one or two have tended to support the fat guy). I just leave them to their own devices. If they die, they die. There's no cure for stupidity.

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

I haven't had any relationships breakdown, but I do worry that the inability to travel back home to see family has stunted some relationships.

I especially worry about my parents and my kids, who are still young. I haven't been able to take the kids to see their grandparents in over two years now. My parents are elderly and unfortunately probably don't have a lot of years left ahead of them and I would really like my kids to get to know them and develop a relationship with them while they can, but we're being robbed of that opportunity. We Facetime every week, so they do have contact, but its not the same as being able to visit in person and have experiences together that will stay with them.

Its definitely nowhere near as bad as what some people are going through, but its still a loss that I feel a bit sad about.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

El Rata was talking about forcing...

Nobody is forcing you to drink and drive, nobody is forcing you to smoke in public places...

Well duh! nobody is forcing people to avoid vaccines, nobody is forcing people to go to crowded spaces close to vulnerable people, do you undestand this is a nonsense argument?

The thing is that if something can be scientifically proved (smoking/ drinking and driving/ not vaccinating increase the risk for yourself and others) then measures can be put in place to avoid at least the increased risk for others.

Since many years, people are drinking and we all know, that your concentration goes down very hard after drinking. And the experience within many years shows how dangerous it is to drink and drive.

This is still a completely personal and invalid argument. If someone says a few centuries of evidence is not enough to convince him, and that maybe in the future scientists will find drinking alcohol actually improves driving, is it now ok for him to driink and drive? I mean, he "defended" his actions by not being convinced by the science.

Your argument is the same, personal, subjective, easily contradicted by the available scientific evidence, and therefore worthless as a way to defend the right of people to increase the risk for themselves and others.

You either listen to scientific conclussions or not, but what you want to do is only listen sometimes and ignore them other times, without logic nor reason, just at your convenience, that is obviously invalid.

Why all the panic and ostracisation of people who MIGHT be sick? If we exclude everyone who MIGHT be sick from society there will be no one left. Let's be reasonable.

That is what risk management does, why imprision someone that MIGHT have an impaired capacity for driving because of alcohol?

-2 ( +10 / -12 )

@Mr Kipling

No..even moderate alcohol consumption is harmful.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/may/18/any-amount-of-alcohol-consumption-harmful-to-the-brain-finds-study?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Actually the pandemic has made us tighter and more caring for each other. Both at home and at the office.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Of course we all have the freedom to choose. But if one chooses not to be vaccinated, then stay home or do what is absolutely necessary. Don't pretend like the pandemic did not happen and still go out to izakayas and do things that could infect themselves or others. And if they get infected, don't go to hospital to get treated then because it is not fair when they have a chance to be vaccinated and they didn't, and they still want healthcare people to save them.

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

If you are forced to stop drinking, it is good for your body and health.

Moderate drinking has not been shown to be detrimental to health.

-1 ( +7 / -8 )

@virusrex

Sorry, I missunderstand your first post.

You were talking about a law, which is enforced, that people do not drink and drive or do not smoke in public places, right?

If so, then sorry, I missunderstand your point.

But, one more thing again; about your comparrisson of drink and drive and smoking in public places with Covid.

Since many years, people are drinking and we all know, that your concentration goes down very hard after drinking. And the experience within many years shows how dangerous it is to drink and drive.

Therefore a law came out, dont drink and drive.

For smoking.

People are smoking since many years. It was allowed to smoke everywhere. But then after many years of experiences, we understood that also passive smoking is dangerous. So a law, do not smoke in public places, came out.

But these laws, especially for passive smoking, came out after many years of experience and investigation.

But for Covid, for the Covid vaccine, we do not yet have this many years of experience.

If you are forced to stop drinking, it is good for your body and health.

Everyone knows that from many years experience.

If you are forced to stop smoking, it is good for your body and health.

Everybody knows that from many years experience.

But, if you are forced to take this new Covid Vaccine, are you sure that it is good for your body and health? After just a few months of experience? Without a time machine?

I guess we all know the answer.

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Yes. My parents first died over the summer a week apart and then my son who suffered from asthma died at the end of September. My marriage is on the rocks because she blames me for bringing covid into the house. I had one vaccine shot at the time but caught covid before I could get my second.

My life is a wreck and I have no idea what to do anymore. I don't think it is worth it to exist.

2 ( +10 / -8 )

If you feel like talking to someone, please call one of these hotlines. http://www.suicide.org/hotlines/international/japan-suicide-hotlines.html

I dumped a friend after he went completely down the "conspiracy theorist" wormhole.

-9 ( +7 / -16 )

So sad that some governments and media are deliberately driving a wedge between people. Don't fall for it folks.

Why all the panic and ostracisation of people who MIGHT be sick? If we exclude everyone who MIGHT be sick from society there will be no one left. Let's be reasonable.

11 ( +16 / -5 )

Just like, restaurants, bars, gyms, dance studios, care homes, pro sport event's, etc. Oh and good luck with international travel.

I support vaccination, but not at all mandates or people who try to force it, and just like the lockdowns, in the long run I think these measures are likely going to generate more harm than good.

I mean, right now, even getting vaccinated here in Japan, you still have to quarantine for like 2 weeks, not only that, if you don't live in Tokyo, which has most of the right now mostly dead international airports still allowing some flights, means you will require not only the 2 weeks, but money to be able to stay in some place that allows your quarantine, and the fact that Japan isn't really recommending or implementing so called "vaccine passports" to be able to enter somewhere, it means that at least in this point in time vaccinated people do not get any real benefits in that front.

Not only that, at this point in time SARS-CoV-2 is for all intents and purposes no longer a high risk virus, not only there is already a very effective vaccine against serious infection, but before this year ends there will be available an antiviral medication that supposedly also works very well.

Continuing to treat SARS-CoV-2 as if it was March of 2020 makes no sense, and it helps no-one.

But it has really become more of a moralistic battle, with little to no compassion or attempt of mutual understanding of others.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

It's not just about me, anyone who's smart enough wouldn't let anyone in their house who isn't vaccinated.

I agree it is probably not virtue signaling, but I think it is mostly anxiety, and a lack of understanding of risk.

The vaccine is non sterilizing, and recent studies based on data on the wild on transmission, put the infection protection at around 30%, but it still provides excellent personal protection to not get a serious infection.

So basically, you are only lowering an extremely small amount of risk by discriminating against family members, which I suppose you love. So from that point of view, if you really believe you are lowering some kind of high risk by discriminating against others, you are not. You already took most of the risk that is posible by vaccinating.

Not only that, understanding basic human psychology, your discrimination is more likely just hardening his position, because no one likes to be discriminated in that form. So you are probably just pushing your family member into a deep depression, while doing nothing to little to actually help that person, or make him take the vaccine.

8 ( +14 / -6 )

It's not just about me, anyone who's smart enough wouldn't let anyone in their house who isn't vaccinated. Just like, restaurants, bars, gyms, dance studios, care homes, pro sport event's, etc. Oh and good luck with international travel.

Also, it is widely known that vaccinated people can carry the virus still, so by not allowing him to family functions you are also guaranteed not to be responsible for him being infected and possibly becoming very ill or even worse, which as someone who is unvaccinated he is at greater risk of. Funny, but by choosing this path you are protecting him and yourselves.

3 ( +11 / -8 )

It's not just about me, anyone who's smart enough wouldn't let anyone in their house who isn't vaccinated. Just like, restaurants, bars, gyms, dance studios, care homes, pro sport event's, etc. Oh and good luck with international travel.

Speak for yourself. I know and know of plenty of very intelligent and well educated people, medical doctors included, who are not afraid of this virus, but are more concerned about mRNA jab side effects and government coercion. People should free to take or decline these vaccinations of their own free will, especially as other effective prophylactics and treatments are available.

And what about people who've already had COVID-19. You still want them to take a vaccine they don't even need?

9 ( +19 / -10 )

A couple of old acquaintances who, despite not being American, have cited Americans and their "patriotism", as well as denial of the effectiveness of vaccinations, as a reason for not being vaccinated themselves. One of those acquaintances saw their mother die of it as a result, whom I was quite fond of as a child. They got defensive and denied it had anything to do with her not getting vaccinated, which I know was their idea. Good riddance to them.

-9 ( +10 / -19 )

prionkingToday  09:46 am JST

If you've all had the vaccine, what have you got to worry about? You're protected, right? Or just virtue signalling.

It's not just about me, anyone who's smart enough wouldn't let anyone in their house who isn't vaccinated. Just like, restaurants, bars, gyms, dance studios, care homes, pro sport event's, etc. Oh and good luck with international travel.

-6 ( +14 / -20 )

Not really, my circle of friends and family understand that people have different opinions and we respect that.

Also, we think it's not okay to force people to do what they don't want nor we see our fellow human beings as vermin.

14 ( +20 / -6 )

Despite the best efforts of the mainstream media to divide society, I haven't lost any family or friends because of it. Differences of opinion with some, and even stronger bonds with others, but no lost relationships.

10 ( +16 / -6 )

Fortunately no. My family and friends are all in agreement that the measures taken to reduce the risk of infection are better than the infection.

9 ( +17 / -8 )

runner3Today  07:50 am JST

I have a relative who hasn't got the vaccine yet. He has no good reason not to. He keeps saying he's going to get it. I told him he's either going to get the vaccine or covid. Everyone of our friends and family are vaccinated. So for now he's not invited to any family functions. It's people like him that's allowing this virus to spread and hang around longer than it should be.

If you've all had the vaccine, what have you got to worry about? You're protected, right? Or just virtue signalling.

9 ( +31 / -22 )

I have a relative who hasn't got the vaccine yet. He has no good reason not to. He keeps saying he's going to get it. I told him he's either going to get the vaccine or covid. Everyone of our friends and family are vaccinated. So for now he's not invited to any family functions. It's people like him that's allowing this virus to spread and hang around longer than it should be.

-8 ( +24 / -32 )

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