Utopia comments

Wow, I am finally seeing a Japanese expert who is truly a voice of reason. More real experts like Professor Iwata should speak up and influence Abe and the company for the sake of Japanese people. Too often, media only covers those so called experts who just repeat government propaganda like parrots.

If that's true, good for China and good for the world.

Having said that, I just can't trust what Chinese government reports.

Ban on Korea was a bad move!

Things are just not working out for Abe, are they?

I hope that Japan gets a better leader.

I did not find any article from Western Media supporting what Abe is claiming. Did anyone find such article indicating that all G7 leaders are behind Abe to support Olympic in July?

Abe should just forget about Olympic. Olympic is not going to happen in July. Everyone knows it. Abe should focus his energy on helping his people coping with the virus instead of insisting keeping the Olympic held in July.

G-20 meeting would be more practical.

Here's some posting on Japanese guideline that may manipulate the coronavirus death count.

Original twitter posting in Japanese:

https://twitter.com/flydragon333/status/1239205801719300098

US 4chan:

http://boards.4chan.org/pol/thread/248335091

I got that from a friend of mine. If this is true, then the current official death count should not be trusted.

Politics.

even wikipedia is doing the same thing. disgusting

Yeah, that's pathetic.

Yet, they generally seem to include cruse ship when they talk about the test count.

Brother, even the gov doesn't support what they are saying. Take a look at my last post.

Will do!

Didn't everyone from the cruise ship deborad already? If so, why are they still reporting confirmed and death count separately?

I wonder if Caliboy/Mika and the others spreading Abe's propaganda in this site actually believe in what they are saying or do so just to get paid....

Either way, I guess the best thing is to ignore them,

IOC should make the decision pretty soon instead of waiting till end of May as they said. Sooner the better.

There is no way to hold the Olympic in July based on where we are now.

The game should be either postponed to next year or canceled entirely.

This is a joke. Why is Japan so afraid of the testing it’s citizens?

a) Olympics

b) Infrastructure incapacitated

c) Incompetence

d) Budget restraints

e) Fear of infection thru patient

Probably for all those reasons. It's ridiculous level. I think I saw an article a few days ago saying that Japan has capacity to perform up to 3800 tests per day. Why are they testing far less than their capacity?

@noriahojanen

Whatever you are trying to argue, the fact is self-evident and undeniable; Both Italy and SK (despite latecomers) have produced a far more number of casualties than Japan have. If not yet convinced, please show me any successful case where random, proactive testing have led to a smaller death toll.

Why don't you show me any successful previous pandemic cases where proactive testing is discouraged to reduce the death toll?

Again, Testing and Patient Care are not competing activities. Testing is to eliminate/slow down spread of virus, and Patient care is to reduce the death toll. You have do both.

US congress just had a hearing with CDC on why US cannot perform enough tests to properly assess the spread. Many congress men used SK's example to question level of tests done in US.

Outside of Japan, all the first world countries are rapidly ramping up their testing capabilities and started proactive testing just like Italy and SK. .

Japan is NOT unique. I hope you wake up and see what's going on outside of Japan.

@noriahojanen

I don't find your logic plausible. You are stating that testing efforts and patient care are competing for the same limited resource and, therefore, proactive testing should be discouraged to provide better patient care(??). I think that's BS. Testing efforts and patient care are two mutually exclusive fronts in the war with COVID19.

You need to perform rigorous testing in order to eliminate or slow down the spread.

You have to do both, not just one in order to win the war with the virus. Those two fronts do not compete for each other; they have different goals.

Both Italy and SK are at the front line of the battles. Both of those countries should be praised for proactively attacking the common enemy, the virus. Certain failures in patient care front in those countries are due to triage issue cause by exponential increasing number of patients. Yes, they may have lost some battle, but that doe not mean they are failing the war. They just have to do the better job in patient triage and allocating the resource more effectively to increase the patient survival rate, but that does not mean they should stop testing efforts required to slow down the spread.

Yes, Japan has to learn from both Italy and SK as well as China. China and Italy started proactive testing once initial outbreak became more rampant in general population. If they have started earlier, they probably have the better numbers now. I think SK was very proactive from the start, but the secretive religious group apparently evaded the SK's efforts. It's hard to predict that kind of anomaly. In any rate, the important thing is that the war is not over yet, and these countries are at the front line fighting the battles coming at them. Japan should lean from them and be more proactive.

@noriahojanen

Thank you for the link. I read the article. If you read it, you will also find the following in the article :

Downing Street’s approach to the outbreak has come under increasing scrutiny, as other countries including Italy and Ireland have taken more draconian measures, such as shutting schools and cancelling public events.

Moreover, the article does not tell you much about UK's testing approach. I believe UK is much more proactive in testing than Japan. They even set up a first drive-through testing location just like SK.

@Flute

Good points! I agree with you 100%. I could not have said it better!

The Osaka prefectural government is asking anyone who had been to concerts on seven dates in mid- to late February at the four venues to get tested for the coronavirus, whether or not they have symptoms.

Wow, the local government is trying to do the right thing. Abe should learn from this.

@Ian,

I got it. Yes, I guess that could be a strategy.

In any rate, Abe and his government just can't face the truth.

@Ian,

Well, the experts are saying something like 80% of those infected will be asymptomatic. So you are right that the problem for those infected but asymptomatic will eventually go away, but those infected will still continue to spread the virus to others. Unless you identify those infected by rigorous and proactive testing and properly quarantine them, you won't be able to slow down the spread.

Akie, I am not tying to disrespect the people of Japan. I do believe that Japan has high degree of public hygiene and its people are trying their best to slow down the spread. My only complaint is how the government is handling the situation. It should take more proactive approach.

I agree as well.

Akie, I agree with you. Japan should increase the scale of the tests. Moreover actual number of daily tests being done is far below the capacity revealed by the government.

SK and Japan are at opposite extremes. SK is rigorously and proactively testing to identify those infected, and Japan is taking passive approach by testing those only showing symptoms and meeting certain eligibility. We will only know which approach is better once things are settled down, but for the time being most of Western medical experts are praising SK's approach.

Even in US, Trump and CDC initially downplay the situation just like Japan, but now they are changing their stance after so much criticism coming from many Americans and medical professionals who praise SK's approach. Only time will tell..

Even in US, many states are now starting to provide free testing.

Trump and CDC initially downplay the situation just like Japanese government, but now they are changing their stance after hearing so much criticism coming from many Americans and medical professionals who praise how South Korea's handling the tests.

Let's not kid ourselves! COVID19 is becoming a pandemic. It is highly unlikely for Olympic to be held in July based on where we are with the virus. At best, it may be postponed to the later time in 2020 if not cancelled entirely.

Wallace, I can't agree with you more.

Abe should really refocus his attention from Olympic to his people. If he fails to do that, people of Japan should impeach him. They deserve better..

Japan is capable, but not willing....

There are many complaints from Japanese citizens who got denied for COVID-19 testing from the government.

Many Western media and experts believe that Abe is downplaying the current stats. Although the official death count is only 12, that number may well be skewed and not reflect the actual death count from COVID-19.

It seems that the decision is based more on political reason than science.

SK should just take the similar measure to protect its citizens from Japan since COVID 19 situation is Japan is not much better than Korea if not worse. There is no point to protest or reason with Abe's government.