Not sure what to think of that. Of course it’s annoying to have your disease recur, but it does feel like he’s just up and leaving when things aren’t looking good.
I will say that I don't trust the LDP to rise above their internal bickering and backroom politics to choose someone capable of handling this pandemic but that is neither here nor there. We will find out soon.
There really isn't any stand out for LDP leadership post Abe and that's something that deeply concerns me.
A full lockdown on top of this would have unnecessarily harmed their economy with little medical benefit.
Japanese don't all wear masks. They all had experience wearing them but it wasn't common to see more than 5% of people wearing them at any one time until Covid
Japan is not remotely hygienic. Most hospitals and doctor's offices would be shut down by the health inspectors in the USA. I've seen all kinds of disgustingly dirty beds, cabinets, shelves, tables, and equipment in my 14 years here. Most restaurants as well. It was only covid that finally got them to cover food items at bakeries and buffets. It's easy to lose your appetite when you see kids sneezing on all the food.
And for the last 2/2.5 months the country has seemed mostly not caring about Covid. People are partying at bars, restaurants, and coffee shops and their masks are off. Clubs are even open.
Something else must explain why Covid hasn't been bigger here but it is not hygiene
You should check UK out then. They love to handle food and money at the same time with their bare hands.
It's not necessary that everyone wear masks, only the people that have COVID.
They might be sloppy about it and hang it halfway down their nose, but they still won’t be seen without one.
Until summer anyway, now it’s just too hot, but the heatstroke count is still way up due to people wearing masks.
I've dug into this in some depth and there is no convincing explanation. Even "luck" (which is a much underestimated factor in initial breakout dynamics) doesn't seem to explain it - unless they are persistently lucky somehow.
There's something else going on and no one really knows what it is. There is plenty of speculation, but nothing that is even close to an accepted explanation.
It's true that obesity is a factor in COVID death dates (as it is for most things) but there are plenty of places with lower levels of obesity with significantly higher death rates. Singapore and South Korea are better comparisons here and the death rate is significantly higher.
As for fish consumption - it's difficult to think of a reason why that would be significant for a respiritory disease like COVID. It wasn't for SARS.
For one, Japanese are significantly healthier on average, including many of the risk factors for COVID-19. Even a slight difference in average can make a huge difference at the tail ends, that is the number of people that actually die, as well as the people that develop no symptoms whatsoever.
Their general use of masks and gloves before the pandemic in high density urban areas is instantly noticeable. It's not 5%, it is closer to 50%.
I saw punks. Literal goth punks, with the boots and the tats and the piercings and the black clothes and the mohawks wear masks.
Before the pandemic. Not during. Before.
In America you have Karens screaming in the face of shop attendants about their "rights" and how they have a "medical condition" that prevents them wearing a mask.
So, yeah. I don't think it's a mystery that Japan did better than the US.
If you look at footage from before COVID-19, I'd say that mask usage in general was much closer to 5% than 50%:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpXcG9Nfvos
> I saw punks. Literal goth punks, with the boots and the tats and the piercings and the black clothes and the mohawks wear masks.
Dressing like that doesn't mean they're anti-social or edgy. It's just fashion.
Regardless, it does seem like GP's point is correct. The political leadership isn't necessarily what makes a difference: it's all of the other factors.
No, you are totally right. I never said it was rational :) My guess is the disease is playing up again now due to the stress he’s under.
> There really isn't any stand out for LDP leadership post Abe and that's something that deeply concerns me.
Yeah, I happen to agree with that, which might be what makes me so uncomfortable with him leaving.
He might not have been great, but things have unarguably been stable.
The man is resolute and resilient.