Why are Italy and New York so bad when Japan and South Korea seem to not be spiking like crazy?

Coevett wrote:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/pictures-that-show-just-how-well-social-distancing-has

Same thing in the UK.

USA and UK are two countries were at least two generations have been brought up to :

1 - have a total disregard for authority.

2 - an absolute hatred for older people

This is completely the opposite in East Asian countries. In fact it's the opposite of any civilization in the history of the world we know of that survived long enough to leave any traces of its existence.

In the UK you read the comments under coronavirus articles at news sites like the Daily Mail and you weep for humanity, with younger people openly rejoicing at 'the ultimate boomer remover'.

One British YouTube runner posted a video the other day complaining about Parkruns being cancelled just to protect the elderly and suggested they were animals anyway for voting Brexit.

I thought that people from the USA and the UK were the only people you liked?

This is spot on and quite refreshing to read.

I was about the post the same comment. I disagree with most of what Coevett says but that post hit the mark. Absolutely true.

I do not know about Japan, but the testing was immense from the start in S Korea, a bit like in Norway that got a heavy early spike in cases at the start from skitourists coming home from the Alps.

Norway has tested 50.000 people while it is just tested about 130.000 in the US with a population 60 times Norways, and it is calming down in our country now.

Coevett wrote:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/pictures-that-show-just-how-well-social-distancing-has

Same thing in the UK.

USA and UK are two countries were at least two generations have been brought up to :

1 - have a total disregard for authority.

2 - an absolute hatred for older people

This is completely the opposite in East Asian countries. In fact it's the opposite of any civilization in the history of the world we know of that survived long enough to leave any traces of its existence.

In the UK you read the comments under coronavirus articles at news sites like the Daily Mail and you weep for humanity, with younger people openly rejoicing at 'the ultimate boomer remover'.

One British YouTube runner posted a video the other day complaining about Parkruns being cancelled just to protect the elderly and suggested they were animals anyway for voting Brexit.

This is true. Old people sabotaged both of these nations. Its a lesson for the younger generations going into the future. You say its different from any civilization in the history of the world, but so is the vast income inequality in the US and Britain. I think in the future we'll find these attitudes are a hallmark of a society with vast income inequality.

We had a moment when some on the left and some on the right, agreed to something, then this genius had to bring income inequality into it.

I've read the line "see no virus, hear no virus" regarding Japan's lack of testing. Supposedly, if they keep the numbers artificially low by suppression or falsification, then they won't have to cancel the Olympics.

SprintTriathlon wrote:

I do not know about Japan, but the testing was immense from the start in S Korea, a bit like in Norway that got a heavy early spike in cases at the start from skitourists coming home from the Alps.

Norway has tested 50.000 people while it is just tested about 130.000 in the US with a population 60 times Norways, and it is calming down in our country now.

My generation (hi PeteT!) embraced the disasterous diet recommendations of the 1977 McGovern Commission and the dia-besity epidemic which has resulted is now coming home to roost. Even my same-age and older friends who are not obese are pre-diabetic or diabetic carb/junk-addicetd and suffering from all kinds of metabolic ailments (i.e."pre-existing conditions") and I will not be surprised if they contract this virus and suffer accordingly.

Metabolic disease, which includes diabetes, obesity, heart disease, thyroid disease and cancer is totally preventable or at least manageable with a whole-foods, animal-based diet in conjunction with regular exercise, 8 hours undisturbed sleep and daily sun and fresh air when possible. My health and overall fitness at this time is the best it has been in my 63 years and coronavirus has only sharpened my health and fitness game like a wolf keeps the deer alert and agile. My workouts are my health test on a regular basis and it is flying colors during this troubled time.

No one talks about the role of healthy immunity because they want to stock up on infinite shelf-life processed garbage foods and watch netflix to deal with their insomnia until it all blows over. It is our personal responsibility to fight this on even a cellular level with a proper lifestyle and mindset.

YMMV wrote: It is our personal responsibility to fight this on even a cellular level with a proper lifestyle and mindset.

On a day when I seem to be in a crappy mood, this is a very good sentence to bear in mind, for today and days like it.

In Japan, people tend to place greater importance on community rather than the individual. Since the country is 98% Japanese with no major religion, there isn't much divide. Hence, collectivist values. As an example, during the hardship in the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami, citizens found tens of millions in cash that washed up from homes and returned it to the police.

Can probably say the same about SK, since they are also a homogeneous country.

In Italy, the outbreak started in the north, near Milan, the fashion capital of the country. In recent times the fashion industry has imported a lot of Chinese workers. I wouldn't be surprised if a worker went home for a visit and brought back the virus.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/16/the-chinese-workers-who-assemble-designer-bags-in-tuscany

Let's be really honest, Italians are heavy smokers, very lazy and out of shape.

That's why they're dropping like flies.

As far as the Italians go, they live in very tight quarters and kiss everyone on the face. Plus their avg population is much older.

NYC also very tight living conditions. If it is true droplets in the air can transfer it then it may be spreading through ventilation in some buildings. I'm not sure if every apartment in nyc has it's own private air.

I'm actually surprised Texas has as many cases as it does considering how spread out we are. We're the 21st most dense state yet 9th or 10th somedays on number of cases. I would have thought our lack of density would have lessened the caseload. And we seem to be getting a lot less tests than other states. Many people reporting their local hospitals are out again. So... the number might be worse.

When this is all over I'm sure people will analyze all this things to death and figure out what caused the differences.

BW, please stop spreading misinformation. Your 5% increase per day prediction fell flat. There’s no shame in being wrong, but don’t continue to try to justify the incorrect hypothesis. Please. NYC wouldn’t turn the Javitz Center into a hospital if this was nbd and just a bad cold. 15-20% of young people with no underlying conditions wake up and can’t breathe. This is different.

Not so, I'm 19, and the only older people I dislike are the ones who did drugs and slept about when they were my age simply because they take the piss out of you for not being a self loathing, nihilistic 5l0bs like themselves. However, I will agree, most authority I despise as I have been in the education system for most of my life and I can see a farce for what it is. Bojo is the prime minister in name only, the people really running the country are unknown to the public and seem to care only for destroying this once wonderful nation and turning it into a third world dump. If you don't believe me go on holiday to Croydon, Lewisham, Newham, Tower Hamlets etc. and tell me what you think.

I'll throw my speculative two cents.

Japan is an island and S. Korea may as well be--not much traffic through

the northern border--and they both aren't exactly on good terms

with China. There probably wasn't much traffic with China and, I'm

speculating, it was probably closed pretty quickly.

So a quick reaction and it can be stamped out. Taiwan seems similar.

Compare to Europe where the reaction was more to worry about the

possible discrimination against Chinese.

The US closed to Chinese traffic before Europe but then didn't really

follow up--it was during impeachment and Trump was being called a

racist after all.

The virus seems incredibly contagious and contagious without symptoms.

How contagious seems to have caught most everyone off guard. Including

the Chinese who thought they could cover it up and stamp it out before

it got out of control. They didn't and now are in full cover their butt

propaganda mode.

This politicizing of the crisis weakens your argument. As does the over-the-top hysteria.

I guess it works on Trump-hating leftists, but fair-minded people are still not sure if we should wreck our economy and throw millions into financial distress based on so many unknowns.

Why did Trump cave in?

SKorea and Japan aren't spiking (and seem to have a handle on it) due to one thing .... and that thing is that Asian cultures are not averse to wearing masks. We in the US at least feel it's silly and beneath us. That's it. Ware masks along with the hand washing and distancing and it's all over.

Freedumb wrote:

SKorea and Japan aren't spiking (and seem to have a handle on it) due to one thing .... and that thing is that Asian cultures are not averse to wearing masks. We in the US at least feel it's silly and beneath us. That's it. Ware masks along with the hand washing and distancing and it's all over.

Galen was light years ahead of everyone on getting over the stigma of mask wearing.