Posted on 02/27/2020 4:52:22 AM PST by chajin
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says he will ask all elementary and high schools across the country to temporarily close beginning Monday.
The development comes after a man in his 80s who was infected with the new coronavirus died in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido. Fifteen new cases of infection were reported there on Thursday.
Hokkaido's governor said the man who died had pre-existing conditions.
Naomichi Suzuki said, " The patient was more susceptible to respiratory problems compared to healthy people."
Officials say 2 of the 15 new cases are children under 10 years of age.
The latest cases bring the number of confirmed infections in Hokkaido to 54, the most in Japan.
All elementary and junior high schools in the prefecture will be closed for about a week.
Infected people there include students, a teacher, and a school-bus driver.
Meanwhile health officials in the western prefecture of Osaka revealed a woman in her 40s has tested positive for the coronavirus for a second time.
The patient is a tour guide. She led a bus with visitors from Wuhan, China ... the city at the center of the outbreak ... last month. She was later diagnosed and hospitalized. The woman was discharged after testing negative in early February. But she felt pains in her throat and chest and came back positive on Wednesday.
The latest developments came as crew members aboard the quarantined ship docked near Tokyo began disembarking Thursday.
Those without symptoms will be quarantined and undergo medical checkups for 14 days.
It will take about 3 days for the approximately 240 crew members of the Diamond Princess to disembark.
Across Japan, more than 900 cases of infection have been confirmed. More than 700 of those are from the cruise ship. Eight people have died.
The outbreak has prompted the Japanese government to call for major events to be canceled, delayed or scaled back over the next two weeks.
Good grief - it’s turning into a world snow day...
This must be part of that conspiracy to get Trump.
I wonder how much of this has to do with the Olympics....
Now, instead of catching the virus at school, they’ll catch it in a karaoke box or manga cafe.
I saw that, I think there was an example of this in Korea as well.
I would guess that as the virus follows its metacourse it will attenuate and become weaker so that a second infection would not be as bad as a first, but that’s only a guess of course.
Good grief - it’s turning into a world snow day...
The world has little experience to fall back on to deal with this problem. Leaders are being forced to make life and death decisions without knowing all the facts (thank you China for creating this situation and then not telling the world what it is they are having to deal with).
There are so many unknowns about this virus that it is difficult to say for sure what is and is not effective.
One thing that is effective is to not mass a bunch of people in enclosed areas (such as cruise ship or classrooms).
Another thing is to restrict travel (I expect to see more nations close their borders sooner rather than later).
Last thing is to hope for the best but prepare for the worse.
Is the Coronavirus Y2K part II or is it the Spanish Flu Part II? Do you want a government that downplays a threat until it is too late, or do you want a government that is being pro-active?
We should close the schools here in the U.S. until they find a vaccine for communist indoctrination.
I would guess that as the virus follows its metacourse it will attenuate and become weaker so that a second infection would not be as bad as a first, but that’s only a guess of course.
...
That’s a good question. Also, what percentage of people will get a second infection? Going by already known cases, I’d say it’s pretty low.
Close the schools because a man in his 80s died? The old Japan is looking better by the year.
An ignorant comment. Abe is recommending this step because population density in most of Japan is very high (well, compared to US). Mass transit is the preferred method of travel in these areas - which means trains, etc. aggregate illnesses and make them more easily distributed to commuters.
They have a good idea of how contagious COVID-19 is closing school for a period of time will help to minimize the initial impact of new infections.
And then there's the economic impact- which I have always considered to be the more serious threat, given how much Japan (and US) impact from China. Sick people don't buy as many things or make as many things. Sacrifice now in Japan may reduce sacrifice later.
Confirming once again that in a developed nation the mortality rate is about 1% and victims are usually in their 80’s.
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