I really hope that we STOP propping Japan up as some sort of success example, they are not. Japan has been extremely weak on testing, I mean extremely. A testing rate of ~3.4k/1m is nowhere near enough for a country as densely populated as Japan. Comparison: US is at 43k/1m, New York state in particular has a test rate of 89k/1m.
Earlier Japan was trying to shove this whole outbreak under the rug so that it could avoid cancelling its Olympic games. The criteria for getting a test in Japan is extremely stringent, not because they don't have the capability to produce the test, but because they want to artificially keep the numbers down to not alert the citizenry. Now that the Olympics is cancelled, they are forced to keep shoving it further to prevent a political fallout.
Not saying that hospitals in the US aren't over reporting deaths. They are and they receive $ for doing it. However it does not justify using the clown show that is Japan as a rebuttal.
Admittedly SARS-CoV-2 has a death rate similar to the yearly flu for the younger healthy population, it is significantly more contagious and is quite deadly for the elderly. Japan has one of the oldest population on Earth and is densely populated.
The overreaction by western governments does not mean that it is not a threat, nor does it justify complete inaction.
Admittedly SARS-CoV-2 has a death rate similar to the yearly flu for the younger healthy population, it is significantly more contagious
Basis for saying it is more contagious than the flu?
We don't have flu testing kits each year for flu season. And even if we did, the flu (like the Wuhan flu) spreads far more widely and rapidly than can be tested for. A total number of infected for both viruses can only be determined by statistical analysis.
and is quite deadly for the elderly. Japan has one of the oldest population on Earth and is densely populated
All flus/colds are more deadly for the elderly. Show me a place with significantly more elderly deaths this year than most years.
The overreaction by western governments does not mean that it is not a threat, nor does it justify complete inaction.
I did not conclude the Wuhan flu is not a threat on the basis of government overreaction. I concluded it's not a threat on the basis that it's not killing more people than a flu does, anywhere in the world.
I really hope that we STOP propping Japan up as some sort of success example, they are not. Japan has been extremely weak on testing, I mean extremely. A testing rate of ~3.4k/1m is nowhere near enough for a country as densely populated as Japan. Comparison: US is at 43k/1m, New York state in particular has a test rate of 89k/1m.
Earlier Japan was trying to shove this whole outbreak under the rug so that it could avoid cancelling its Olympic games. The criteria for getting a test in Japan is extremely stringent, not because they don't have the capability to produce the test, but because they want to artificially keep the numbers down to not alert the citizenry. Now that the Olympics is cancelled, they are forced to keep shoving it further to prevent a political fallout.
Not saying that hospitals in the US aren't over reporting deaths. They are and they receive $ for doing it. However it does not justify using the clown show that is Japan as a rebuttal.
Why would Japan have to test more people for this year's flu?
Do we expect countries to test people during other flu seasons?
It's not the flu.
Admittedly SARS-CoV-2 has a death rate similar to the yearly flu for the younger healthy population, it is significantly more contagious and is quite deadly for the elderly. Japan has one of the oldest population on Earth and is densely populated.
The overreaction by western governments does not mean that it is not a threat, nor does it justify complete inaction.
Then it's the cold.
Basis for saying it is more contagious than the flu?
We don't have flu testing kits each year for flu season. And even if we did, the flu (like the Wuhan flu) spreads far more widely and rapidly than can be tested for. A total number of infected for both viruses can only be determined by statistical analysis.
All flus/colds are more deadly for the elderly. Show me a place with significantly more elderly deaths this year than most years.
I did not conclude the Wuhan flu is not a threat on the basis of government overreaction. I concluded it's not a threat on the basis that it's not killing more people than a flu does, anywhere in the world.