Local Gaijin comments

My experience and opinion differs from others.

I tried to see my GP for asthma and allergy symptoms. Have had some level of cough for decades as part of asthma but, it had gotten really bad and wasn’t improving. I couldn’t even make an appointment to see the doctor until I had a negative PCR test. The test was done in the GPs parking lot and cost less than ¥3,000.

I’d been on steroids for weeks and had had to be extremely careful to avoid riskier settings, worn an N95 mask and done at home Covid tests weekly so, even having near zero immunity I wasn’t especially concerned that I had Covid.

Had antibiotics on hand and took some my lung condition improved greatly. So, by the time I saw the doctor I already knew that whatever was going on was bacterial.

I agree that basically there’s no point worrying about whether your symptoms are Omicron or allergies. I meet a fairly large number of people in a week. Many of whom I have been around through many allergy seasons. And this year’s symptoms are wicked. Mine included. So, I don’t think it is quite as easy as the doctor above makes it out to be.

I do think it makes sense for people to continue to practice social distancing and masking and even home testing while going on with their lives.

Room temperatures not teachers

I have switched to N95. I like the ones I’m using quite well. I’m getting a good seal as the fabric actually moves in an out with my breathing. I expected them to be stifling but I’m not finding that at all. I’m not sure how I’d feel in summer but as room teachers and humidity are lower right now, I’m fine with them. Quite comfortable and hopefully will protect me well.

People that want to attack me for masking and/or masking with N95, please refrain from doing so. You know nothing about my medical or professional situation.

Excellent point. Many people are focusing only on the possible but rare side effects of the vaccine.

Yet, huge numbers of people are coming up with long term illnesses as a result of having gotten Covid. Few people know that even Omicron the so-called mild form of Covid is causing other potentially lifelong health issues,

Most people never experience any auto immune diseases. And if they happen to know someone who does, they don’t bother to wonder how the person came to have that disease. Doctors simply tell people with these diseases, that the cause is unknown. Or they think there is a genetic component and a possible triggering disease or exposure that sets the immune reaction that causes the disease off.

Three close relatives and myself have all suffered from an auto immune disease and each of us has suffered from a different one.

Multiple sclerosis is one, myasthenia gravis, aplastic anemia, and sarcoidosis are the others. Look them up. Life isn’t pleasant with them, even if you can stay alive.

Avoiding Covid-19 alone is enough reason to get vaccinated. Avoiding long Covid is another. I would give anything for my family and myself not to have gotten these other diseases that can be triggered by a viral infections.

Too bad that the idiots cannot see that millions of the intelligent and brave have gone ahead. They’ve been the guinea pigs.

For those that already had Covid19, don’t count on natural immunity. After 12 months, they have zero, yes ZERO natural immunity to the DELTAVariant. Studies haven’t been conducted/published yet showing whether they had immunity to it for periods of time under a year.

Although it is true that fully (2 dose) vaccinated people can get the Delta variant. Less than one half of 1% ( .5%)will get a serious case of it.

Hopefully a Delta booster will be available soon.

To be honest, I hate seeing shops flouting the rules on this. It’s tough watching that while, the places I like are following the rules. Yet, at the same time, I know pubs in my area that haven’t received their promised payments since January. It seems they have little choice but to try to get enough income to survive.

@gaicuckojin

This is the first sacrifice and the olympic gods are hungry.

More to come

This is sad. And sadly, this is not the “first sacrifice.” I thought I recalled others and quick Google search turned up one that happened in 2017. The individual had worked 190 hours of overtime in the previous month. He was 23 and also committed suicide.

She must be extremely tired. The main reason for PTSD

@Seesaw7 Actually, trauma is the main cause of PTSD.

With the IOC shoving the current schedule for the Olympics down the throat of the Japanese country which overwhelmingly wants a delay, they act as though Japan has no choice in the matter.

Well, here’s a thought. They can’t get hundreds of thousands of people in to Japan if they don’t have visas. They can’t force Japan to issue all those visas.

Another thought, every person coming here for the Olympics should be forced to undergo the same frequency of testing that the athletes do.

Every country should be required to have private planes on standby or contracts for the same. Each and every person athlete or not that test positive for the Coronavirus should be immediately returned to their ow country. Don’t allow them to roam free and don’t allow them to add to the burden on the medical system here.

Japan doesn’t have to roll over and play dead for the IOC.

I asked someone a question about their ability to get back in to Japan if they go to Guam for vaccination. I got 2 down votes?

Wth? I asked a legitimate question. I’ve been researching this. So far, it appears that it isn’t possible unless one has a Japanese spouse or possibly working for a large company that would allow it to be a business trip.

Seriously, if anyone has any information on the topic, please share.

Pretty sure I was, by definition, raped by a Japanese girl in university when I was drunk out of my mind and not in my senses. I told my buddies and they just laughed and said nice and patted me on the back. If I were a woman people would make a big deal about it. Oh well, it makes for good bar banter and I honestly laugh about it now.

Clearly not the same thing.

@GD Tokyo Pathetic. I might have to take a leave of absence from work and go home to get vaccinated in a timely manner.

Have you checked about getting back in to Japan if you have left?

For those in or near Yokohama

BOTH PCR and antibody tests are available at Bluff Medical and Dental Clinic in Yamate.

English, Japanese and Tagalog spoken

I don’t know PCR test price.

Antibody test was ¥6,000- well worth the money for the piece of mind.

You must call to arrange for testing BEFORE going to the clinic

They have a tent sat up outside to keep potential cases separated from usual clinic patients.

Probably on vacation now though

Raise Japanese tax to 40%. Health insurance should pay for Japanese to have hospital treatment in the Philippines or Indonesia when our hospitals are full here.

Actually, normal Japanese Health insurance probably would pay for hospital treatment in the Philippines or Indonesia. At least it used to. I know that years ago, Japanese insurance would reimburse insured people treated abroad the same amount as the treatment would cost in Japan. So, if you needed treatment in a low medical cost place like Japan, you’d be ok. But, for the U. S. you’d better have travel insurance.

they are guests...

Nonsense. If they don’t have insurance, and need treatment without the ability to pay, they are freeloaders

Why is this needed? We have been told it was safe to hold the Olympics.

The need for insurance when traveling isn’t just Olympic or COVID related. There are plenty of other illnesses and injuries that can occur when traveling.

It isn’t the responsibility of people paying in to the Japanese insurance system’s responsibility to pay for travelers healthcare costs.

Travel insurance for coming to Japan would cost peanuts.

This should be a requirement for every traveler all the time.

Can someone enlighten me if tickets were refunded or if the tickets people bought are good for next year? They really need the money from spectator tickets so they'll accept any reason to have spectators.

I’ve read that people in Japan are supposed to be able to get refunds. If not already, soon. I don’t know details.

Even though I’ve been in Japan for decades and have proper documentation and a Japanese phone, when I attempted to buy tickets the system told me tickets for my (outside of Japan) area were not on sale yet. I decided if they were going to be that way, it wasn’t worth the trouble of going.

The Olympic chief also pledged that the IOC would "undertake great efforts" to make sure as many participants and spectators as possible are vaccinated before arriving in Japan, if a vaccine is available by next summer.

100% should have to be vaccinated.

Japan shouldn’t welcome becoming a petri dish for the world.

old man-13

“You can turn it off but you still must pay. All citizens of Japan must pay for NHK , if you are not paying you can be fined and jailed. Anyone here not paying is irresponsible. It's the law so pay NHK everyone.”

That’s factually incorrect. People that have tuners that can receive tv signals must pay. That is the law. No tuner- no NHK fee responsibility.

I personally manage quite well and am within the law, without a tuner or fee.

The article stated: “In Japan, generally speaking, most people only drink raw milk in early childhood when it is served in school lunches.”

This is factually incorrect.

R A W milk is not served in school lunches.

FWIW, I researched sanitizers the other day. I found that 70% alcohol (which is what most available sanitizers are) is not effective in killing bacteria or viruses. Further, if I recall correctly, they need a ten minute contact time which is not likely reached. Evaporation occurs before that time is reached.

A chlorine solution is best. I believe that needed a 10 % concentration and don’t recall the contact time needed.

Apologies, I didn’t see that B Jay posted essentially the same thing since I last read these comments.

It seems some posters have missed a crucial part of this article. It stated:

“Only 31 results of 273 tests have been received so far, revealing the 10 confirmed cases.”

So, that means 10 people out of 31 tested positive for the new corona virus. Not 10 out of 273. 30% of the people whose test results were finished have tested positive.

And today, another 10 positive results.

@Reckless Removing people who test negative from the boat isn’t a good idea. It has been reported that the test isn’t that accurate yet. People have tested positive, then after some time tested negative and then later tested positive again.