8,047 new-flu group infections reported in one week

Friday 16th October, 06:57 AM JST

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kirakira25 at 05:46 PM JST - 16th October

I found a reference to the study if anyone is interested:

http://www.ehow.com/how4916436whether-gargling-prevents-common-cold.html
Osakadaz at 05:58 PM JST - 16th October

my mum as a nurse always said that gargling washed away more useful bacteria than harmful bacteria and was basically a pointless exercise in reversing everything good the body was doing to thwart infection.. ..now tongue scraping on the other hand..
Apsara at 07:06 PM JST - 16th October

inakarob, I was on the "don't panic, it's just the flu" side right from the beginning. I won't be getting vaccinated (nor do I bother with the ordinary flu vaccination) because I don't expect to die of it if I catch it, but this flu IS different. The normal flu generally generally only kills elderly people, people with severe respiratory problems and perhaps occasionally infants. It does not kill "millions of people"- unless you mean over the last century. It usually doesn't really make its presence felt until November at the earliest- noticed a difference yet? It definitely doesn't infect nearly as many people as this one does either.

As I said, there's no reason to panic, but you can't say that there's no difference between this and the normal flu either- there are well-documented differences, and to say otherwise is just plain wrong- yes, that includes your father's doctor.
some14some at 07:38 PM JST - 16th October

I think yearly count will be ok why bother every week.
Ah_so at 08:13 PM JST - 16th October

Over 8,000 in a week. Makes me laugh when we look back to the Spring and the hysterical efforts the Japanese went to keep the flu out, such as cancelling foreign travel and screening arrivals.
sabiwabi at 08:21 PM JST - 16th October

I think yearly count will be ok why bother every week.

They want to scare us NOW!

Anyway, I suspect most of these infections start off by picking up the virus with the hands and then transferring it to your nose, eyes, or mouth. So gargling would probably do more harm than good if your hands are not washed properly (I see many use their hands to fill their mouths with water to gargle).
Farmboy at 08:57 PM JST - 16th October

The school I work at puts the kind of flu next to the students name. Every single on has been Flu A and not H1N1

Yes. It's because if you have Flu A now, they don't bother to test because it will be H1N1.
Disillusioned at 10:42 PM JST - 16th October

Flu A and not H1N1

Yep, any flu strain popping up as type A is deemed the H1N1 flu.

Anybody that has been into a Japanese public school, be it elementary, junior or senior high would know how disgustingly dirty they are. Some schools are making an effort, but you can bet these outbreaks are centered around some of filthy schools.
Klein2 at 12:35 AM JST - 17th October

Probably Apsara and I are on the same page.

I refuse to be panicked. I have heard that 3000 have died worldwide. Could that be right? I know that people are hospitalized in Japan at the drop of a hat. I read the newspapers. Put all that in a blender and what comes out is that everyone should take slightly more than reasonable precautions out of deference to social needs.

October is supposed to be the peak of flu season. OK. People are getting sick. OK. Vaccine. Probably. Warm clothes. Wash hands. Brush teeth. Gargle. Sure. But masks? body suits? special creams, lotions, mouthwashes? What? That kind of hysteria and claims stuff has got to go. Being doubly careful can be justified. The marginal benefit of being triply careful is minimal.
Klein2 at 12:57 AM JST - 17th October

InakaRob.

There are different strains of influenza. Some attack humans with stronger effect than others. Yes, they are always lurking around, and yes, they will pop up here and there. Most of the time it does not make a lot of difference. Every year, China serves us up a fresh one with our bacon.

But when there are enough people among the population who have no antibodies, or when a strain has mutated somehow, or just when it finds a new population to infect, a strain will take off. Many regional strains go global. Of course it will mutate and change faster if it spreads to more people. Sometimes it can spread faster because of the type of society and health care system it attacks. And sometimes it attacks a vulnerable population particularly hard, for instance young populations... who are weak AND who lack immunity.

Anyway, this looked to some people like a perfect storm. Like the typhoon last week, it is not awesome, but it is a killer. I am not impressed, but I sure would be if it killed my kids, so... there is that.

What is interesting to me is: Would people react sufficiently if they were not panicked? I see a lot of overkill, but maybe people would UNDER-react if they were not all panicky. If all this craziness saved 100 children's lives would it be worth it? How can medical authorities make people understand risk? I don't think they can. So what should they do?
nemoflow at 03:35 AM JST - 17th October

China is the negative issue, can not really think they are are thinking about, but why are they anyway?

People try to be words and don't manage it of their composition.

It is society, people and not anything. They should be all.

Opinion, of course.
JmannGod at 04:33 AM JST - 17th October

including 5 students who took the flu with them to chch NZ ...thanx alot!
sf2k at 10:42 AM JST - 17th October

Interesting that in a country were people bow and do not shake hands, that this keeps growing at all. Obviously not enough washing of hands nor learning how to sneeze into your elbow/sleeve.

I had hand sanitizer when I travelled through Japan, and needed it too, often the train station bathrooms had no towels or lacked supplies.

This issue is really a case study in watching the Japanese work ethic destroy itself. Reduce hours, go home, stay home. Mexico when in a major crisis ordered everyone home. This worked just fine. Japan doesn't need to be that extreme, but some sense of reduction would work.

Thus the solution is easy but it has to be matched with the will.
flatearther at 10:50 AM JST - 17th October

sftk- People actually bowed to you here? Lucky dog! I always get stuck with handshakes.
sf2k at 11:16 AM JST - 17th October

oh, haha.. no, I wasn't thinking of myself but of the other 99% of the population who actually have H1N1