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Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

japantimes.co.jp

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Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#251

Post by sharken »

vr46 wrote: post #211

Hmm, could they be lying to keep the Olympics? If so, how would they get away with it? (Not accusing, just repeating something a Japanese friend said.)

At this point it will hardly matter what numbers Japan present to the world, it is the rest of the world that will decide.

Continued lockdown will make it very hard to train properly, leading to a belief that the olympics should be moved. The show must go on does not seem to apply.

Already now the European football championship has been postponed.

Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#252

Post by aikinai »

hkmurakami wrote: post #55
ysw0 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think this is the case. Japanese (and other East Asians) already have a pre-existing mask culture. Wearing a mask is normal over there and is encouraged. They also do not hug, shake hands and have body contact with does that are not family or close friends. Another big factor is that they tend to follow the rules unlike in Italy or America where social distancing suggestions were not taken seriously by a large chun…

Also generally speaking the culture doesn't have too much "family style" eating habits which helps at the margins.

There’s way more family style eating in Japan than the US at least.

Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#253

Post by bamboozled »

chrischen wrote: post #149
adev_ wrote: post #78

Not so surprising. You have also the same outliers with Hong Kong and Taiwan. - In Japan, people naturally respect social distancing. Touching someone is considered rude, everyone bows instead of shaking hands and nobody kiss. - Almost everybody wear mask when they are sick to avoid contaminating others. They do that since way before Cornavirus and on voluntary based. - Washing hands is common, being clean (bath cult…

- People do shake hands in Japan. In Western countries hand-shaking is limited almost exclusively to business (I’d imagine the same goes for Japan). - Washing hands is common, but not necessarily any more of a practice than in Western countries. But in many places like in subway station bathrooms they do not have soap. Some of the cultural things like mask wearing (which was born out of the density and close proximit…

Hot tip, if you’re in Japan and don’t want to shake hands right now. Bow first. I find people of Japan will shake hands to make you feel welcome if you don’t bow.

I just had a young doctor in a hospital shake my hand, I would say out if the important cultural need to be polite and pay respect to someone older. I don’t care or blame him even though I was surprised.

On a side note, I would say upwards of 75% of people in Tokyo are wearing masks

Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#254

Post by [deleted] »

rendaw wrote: post #151
adev_ wrote: post #78

Not so surprising. You have also the same outliers with Hong Kong and Taiwan. - In Japan, people naturally respect social distancing. Touching someone is considered rude, everyone bows instead of shaking hands and nobody kiss. - Almost everybody wear mask when they are sick to avoid contaminating others. They do that since way before Cornavirus and on voluntary based. - Washing hands is common, being clean (bath cult…

I don't think this is the answer. - There's no more social distancing in Japan than in the US. Nobody goes around hugging, shaking hands with, or kissing strangers in the US. Trains are still packed. - Most public bathrooms don't have soap and I've rarely seen people wash their hands after using the bathroom anyways. - People don't listen to the government - most people I know are arranging or participating in flower…

[deleted]

Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#255

Post by boomboomsubban »

paulddraper wrote: post #95
adev_ wrote: post #78

Not so surprising. You have also the same outliers with Hong Kong and Taiwan. - In Japan, people naturally respect social distancing. Touching someone is considered rude, everyone bows instead of shaking hands and nobody kiss. - Almost everybody wear mask when they are sick to avoid contaminating others. They do that since way before Cornavirus and on voluntary based. - Washing hands is common, being clean (bath cult…

> Almost everybody wear mask when they are sick to avoid contaminating others. The U.S. response is absurd. I went grocery shopping the other day, and despite clear evidence of panic (empty shelves, hurried shoppers, long lines), but not a single person wore a mask. Somehow, everyone is too scared to go to work, but not scared enough to wear a mask. We're on course for the worst depression in history because we don't…

> went grocery shopping the other day, and despite clear evidence of panic (empty shelves, hurried shoppers, long lines), but not a single person wore a mask.

That means nobody knew they were sick and went shopping anyway. Which is good.

Many people in the US think masks are like gas masks, used to prevent dangerous things from getting in your body. Masks are used to prevent people from spreading a disease, and you should assume anyone wearing one is sick.

Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#256

Post by boomboomsubban »

barry-cotter wrote: post #217
maps7 wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- Almost everybody wear mask when they are sick to avoid contaminating others. They do that since way before Cornavirus and on voluntary based. We're told that masks do not work

Indeed. Here’s the US Surgeon General spreading disinformation on Twitter. > Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS! >?They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk! http://bit.ly/37Ay6Cm https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/12337257852839321...

The Surgeon General is correct. Masks are for the sick.

Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#257

Post by lovemenot »

fiblye wrote: post #206
l_davis wrote: post #50

In Japan, people wear masks so they don't spread their germs. In the US, people want to wear masks to avoid other's germs. Totally different mindset. And in the US we are being discouraged from wearing masks because they don't block the virus from going in even though they could be keeping asymptomatic people from spreading. Well I feel duly embarrassed for not thinking that way earlier. Just ordered some cotton mask…

> In Japan, people wear masks so they don't spread their germs. In the US, people want to wear masks to avoid other's germs. Totally different mindset. Absolute orientalist BS. I work in a Japanese workplace. Lots of people here don't normally wear masks. When they do wear masks, they pull them down to cough or sneeze so that they don't walk around with a wet and dirty mask. The idea that I could be dirty and infecti…

>> Absolute orientalist BS.

I politely disagree with your observations, though I acknowledge that I may not be right, I have observed and discussed this behaviour dozens of times with Japanese people in Japan for over twenty years and most find your parent's observation to be correct.

Please don't call people a racist for espousing reasonable views that you don't happen to believe.

Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#259

Post by joshfraser »

boomboomsubban wrote: post #243
maps7 wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

- Almost everybody wear mask when they are sick to avoid contaminating others. They do that since way before Cornavirus and on voluntary based. We're told that masks do not work

If you are sick, masks are an effective way of preventing others from catching it. If you are healthy, masks do not prevent you from getting sick. It's a fairly easy misunderstanding to make.

Then why do doctors wear them in hospitals?

Re: Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?

#260

Post by tcbawo »

mirimir wrote: post #241

I wonder if there could be a genetic factor. Maybe something ~unique to Japanese?

I was curious of a genetic link after hearing about a family in New Jersey where four members died after one dinner party [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51978164]. Being relatives, though, they may have all had similar comorbidities.
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