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For clarity, Japan can’t be lumped in with South Korea as regards testing or any kind of effectiveness. Statistics about confirmed cases here are utterly meaningless.
I live in Yokohama and there are extremely low levels of testing. The number of cases are almost definitely exponentially higher than any statistics show.
For an illustration:
- South Korea testing as of 20 March = 316, 664
- Japan testing as of today (23 March) = 20,228
To be honest, the measures have been poor to non-existent and the media is seemingly towing the party line by focusing on how bad it is in other countries. Trains are still packed, work from home is ‘encouraged’ (policy doesn’t get followed by many) and people are very much out and about (50,000 people went to an Olympic torch event last weekend). All of this is basically an attempt by the government to make Abe less unpopular and to try to save the Olympics (in my view, won’t happen).
I don’t know what the future holds for Japan and COVID19, but I’m pretty anxious about it (especially with a two month old and 2 and a half year old).
- South Korea testing as of 20 March = 316, 664
xDOMx-
More testing for a specific thing gives you more positives than what you aren't testing for, so if you test more for C.19 then you will of course get more +ve results.
Even despite that the self reporting (which is massively under the actual number of people contracting flu) influenza rates are still massively higher than that for C.19 in every countries data that I've looked for.
Also the number of C.19 cases are seemingly being used as an aggregate, not taken as a weeks worth as per the government and indeed WHO method of reporting cases per 100k for influenza, this massively distorts the figures even more especially during peak times of an outbreak.
Mr_Bump
Can anyone argue that Belgium hasn't proven that lockdowns (*in European cultures/climates) dont work?
Lockdowns seem ineffective and far more costly when compared to rigorous comprehensive testing. (Japan/SK)