No. of flu patients to top 6 million mark soon in Japan

Friday 06th November, 01:52 PM JST

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kirakira25 at 07:10 PM JST - 6th November

Hey dejaboo, how are you feeling? I am ready to pop!

I am assuming that as one of the 5.85 million I will not be needing this vaccine?

Can anyone with more medical knowledge than I tell me if, by having the new flu whilst pregnant, that the antibodies will also have been passed to my soon-to-be-born son? I had it around week 27. Is he protected? If not, I am concerned, because even though his older brother and sister have also already had it, one is in kindie and the other in hoikuen and I am sure the bugs hitch a ride home and into our apartment every afternoon!
Takuma7 at 07:23 PM JST - 6th November

People in US wash their hands thats why less in US. They also wash after using the restroom and all have soap in them.
kyoken at 07:48 PM JST - 6th November

To all the men, don't worry about the new flu. A recent study has shown that nearly 70 % of all fatalities is with women. Seems the virus has a clear preference.
dejaboo at 08:09 PM JST - 6th November

Hi again kirakira. Can't answer your question, but hope someone can. I'm feeling OK, but heading into month 7 is very dangerous for this flu accirding to my doc. Have managed to be very careful and avoid it so far (touch wood). Others - why do you guys think people in the US are cleaner than people here? I've spent time in the US and people there sneeze and cough all over the place just as much as here and my country (Australia). People also eat with their hands a lot more (without washing beforehand. The population density here is just so high so of course it will spread more. Yeah, people here are disgusting, but that is the same as people everywhere.
jonswan at 09:23 PM JST - 6th November

In the US and the UK it is common practice to cover your mouth when coughing. I have watched in disgusted disbelief as young and old, men, women and children in Japan simply cough in other people's faces - so really, there's no wonder at all why this is spreading faster than elsewhere. I watched a guy on the metro last night standing above a couple of sleeping teenagers and he basically repeatedly coughed in their faces. It is simply baffling that something so vile and offensive is so commonly acceptable here - clearly it has never been something taught in schools or families. Ugh.
stirfry at 09:34 PM JST - 6th November

probably 5 million just have the sniffles, but its trendy in japan to say you have swine flu
ca1ic0cat at 10:37 PM JST - 6th November

dunno, the swine is pretty virulant so I wouldn't be surprised if 6M have it soon. My friend's daughter was exposed to it at a halloween party so we are all waiting to see what happens.
hakujinsensei at 11:08 PM JST - 6th November

My 2 year old daughter is down with the flu now. Whether it is the swine flu is anyones guess, for the most part they are just checking for A and B strains of the flu and swine flu shows up as A type. It is anyones guess as to the actual number of swine flu cases as for the most part, only fatalities are given the test to distinguish which specific strain is present.

As for my girl, her temperature started out at 39 when the Hoikuen called me to come get her Monday at noon. We took her to the doc that evening and her fever was 38. They prescribed tamiflu and her fever was normal by morning. The first couple of days she was pretty rambunctious but you could see in her face that she was tired and she was in a HORRIBLE mood but suffered almost no flu symptoms. Now she is just about back to normal, really just a slight cough is her only symptom at this point but nearly gone.

After living thru the Hong Kong Flu of 68, the Swine Flu of 82, and various other scares over the years I was not alarmed much about the latest pandemic, never planned on getting shots for myself or my kids either. The flu kills a half a million people worldwide annually, and at this point, the confirmed swine flu deaths seem to be not statistically abhorrent, and in fact it appears to be lacking significant virulency. If you are healthy, and have access to regular medical care I doubt anyone is at any more risk this year than any other year.
jinjapan at 03:32 AM JST - 7th November

anyone out there have any idea what the number of flu cases were last year in japan ? about the same as this year? more? less?
some14some at 06:15 AM JST - 7th November

Y8,000 x 6M - big business and still to grow until 2010.
kirakira25 at 09:02 AM JST - 7th November

@dejaboo - yes, they say months 7-10 are the most dangerous (3rd trimester) but try not to worry - it sounds to me like you are doing everything you can to prevent it and not so long to go now!

Me, I am 2 weeks off D-Day now, and trying everything from G&T to Hiking to Curry to....well, "other stuff" to get this little guy out!

I wish now back in August we had had the "proper" H1N1 test. Back then, they weren`t testing specifically for swine flu, but Type A and if you had it they assumed it was H1N1. At the time there was no other flu going around so it was a reasonable assumption, but this week my daughters school has been closed because of H1N1, and last night she had a fever and now I start to worry was it really H1N1 in August? Or is it H1N1 now?

Having said that, the way she is running around and dancing to cartoon network as I sit and type, I can`t believe this is flu.....!
Apsara at 09:19 AM JST - 7th November

I wish the media would give comparisons, but they never do. How many people had had flu by this time last year? How many have non-H1N1 flu? These figures are meaningless if we have nothing to compare them to.
ashika1009 at 06:35 PM JST - 9th November

This article is a bunch of bunk. The distinction between some general influenza and the swine flu is not clear for one thing. And even if it is those numbers do not add up. Ridiculous. That doesnt mean you shouldnt wash your hands frequently, especially in an urban environment. Not that one has to go so far as that "I wash and wash and wash my hands but they are never clean!" bit. At that point one is going both Stephen King and quite mental.
ashika1009 at 06:40 PM JST - 9th November

Neverknow2 does have a very good point tho. Too many people hacking up on crowded trains here. Then again in China folks tend to clear one nostril at a time without the benefit of tissue. Venting the tubes, if you will.Mucous bombs away! But remember, one must respect all of the unique aspects of each culture. Everything goes and no universals.Just dont drop me in New Guinea with the cannibals, if you please.
elbudamexicano at 01:52 PM JST - 10th November

Japan is a crowded country, and if you live in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka etc..where the people are all living in very crowded conditions (the morning and evening rush hour trains like the Yamanote, the Chuo, Odakyu etc..) are all just great places to have infections spread like wild fires and, they are. H1N1 is no joke a little baby girl of only 6 or so months old died so better avoid crowded places like trains, airplanes etc..for me no overseas vacation this end of the year (just to be on the safe side)