Kaiju-King42 wrote:Not to mention China is almost certainly hiding information about the virus and is lethality rate. Things are likely worse than the official news sources let on.
There's no evidence to suggest this.
I live in Japan, and while it's a concern, the death rates are right in line with the original rate published in China. The same goes for both Italy and Korea. Places like Iran will certainly see worse death rates, but that's most likely in part o unsanitary conditions and a bad healthcare system. 2 elementary kids from Hokkaido got the virus a few weeks ago and both are fine now.
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote:People really need to learn that epidemiology is more complicated than "take this number and divide by that number".
I agreed with your original post.
Japanese schools have been impacted. I have a lot of friends who work as travel agents and for travel companies and their lives are fucked right now. Another guy I work with works part time as a youth basketball coach, and suddenly that's all temporarily canceled. My job is canceled for the next month (I work as a teacher so I'm compensated and my job is safe), which may sound fun on the surface, but I'm concerned about the wellbeing of my students, who have nothing to do for a month (lots of public places are closed so there's little to do), and it does impact their education. Even beyond that, graduating seniors, are having their graduation ceremony severely scaled back, and people that are graduating college now are having a difficult time finding work for April (Japanese hiring for companies runs from march to April). I've had friends back in Brooklyn be racially discriminated just because they are of Asian descent. I've had another friend, who can't visit her pregnant sister in the United States because of how much pressure there is currently to not travel. My mother can't visit me in April like originally planned, and as it stands now my plans for Okinawa are canceled.
My main point, and annoyance on all this, is that it's incredibly frustrating seeing Americans right now, who most likely be unaffected (in the grander scheme of things) freak out and lose their shit, over something that's actually currently affecting where I am. It's really
pathetic. Again, I'm not saying don't be concerned, but the posts of random death tolls, without any context, by Mandasaurus are really annoying. Especially when Mandasaurus lives in a really rural area (not being a stalker, it's right under his Avatar).
Let me say something that will blow your minds:
Japan, Korea and China rely heavily on public transportation, particularly crowded ones. Americans tend to use more cars and live spread out from one another. Japan and China also have really shitty work cultures. People still go into work if they are sick normally, unless they are super duper sick, because of the expectation to keep working. People don't just take a day off because they "don't feel well". Additionally, Japan in general, has way more "club" and "ceremonial" activities where people meet and interact with one another afterschool/work. Many Asian households are also multi-generational. People in their 20's live with their parents (and this is normal) and grandparents. This is why it will be particular bad for Asian countries.
Americans in comparison, tend to be more solitary. Some can see it as wishful thinking, but I would not freak out in assuming that this will play out in the same way as America. Again, not saying don't worry, or don't prepare or anything, but some of this shit is really pissing me off.