1 year of coronavirus
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, aka the novel coronavirus, aka Covid-19 was confirmed and identified in China just after Christmas, December 25, 2019. That means that the first infections occurred as long ago as the late summer of 2019 in Chinese “wet markets,” jumping from animals to humans in a place where sanitary conditions leave something to be desired. It started slowly, a cluster of local cases. It took some time for the infection to spread deeply enough into the population for Chinese medical authorities to realize that they were dealing with a new disease. But because we are so interconnected - by commercial air travel especially - it spread around the globe like wildfire. By the time it was recognized it was already too late. Chinese tourists had brought it to western Europe in the early stages of the outbreak, even before the virus had been identified. Within a few weeks, half of Italy was infected, perhaps more. Entire countries had to be quarantined to prevent further spread. In Italy and Israel, hospitals were so overwhelmed that they were forced to use strict triage protocols and turn away everyone but the youngest and the healthiest. Some countries used their militaries to resort to mass cremation to prevent further spread. It failed. This is the scenario that epidemiologists, novelists and film makers had been forecasting and warning about for years.
I had never heard of Wuhan before.
Here in Japan, the government warned us almost right off the ball. Before New Year’s 2020 we were already into the obsessive hand-washing thing. That was joined in mid-January by the obsessive face mask-wearing thing. Donning face masks as a precaution was an easy accomplishment in Japan where common use of face masks to prevent simple diseases like colds and influenza or to retard hay fever symptoms is well established. Face mask use here is as close to 100% as it’s possible to get.
With all of the conscientious hygiene and face-mask-wearing going on, incidences of more mundane viruses like the common cold and influenza are measurably reduced from previous years, from the expected rates.
The World Health Organization recognized Covid-19 as a new disease on January 13, 2020.
On January 31st, the WHO declared a global infectious disease emergency.
On March 11th, 2020, the WHO declared a pandemic.
From February 4-to-May 16, 2020 the British-registered Diamond Princess cruise ship was quarantined in Yokohama Port after one passenger (Chinese) was diagnosed with Covid-19. The onboard infection was handled in what is now condemned as an inconsistent manner. But I don’t blame Japanese authorities, because at the time we were still learning what the disease was and what to do about it. Separation, hygiene and disinfection were the game. Health authorities were on a steep learning curve. By the end, at least 712 out of the 3,711 passengers and crew had tested positive for the virus. Fourteen of those onboard died.
In the midst of all this, I traveled to Canada for almost three weeks. I departed Japan on Friday February 28th just as things were getting hot in Japan. On television at Narita Airport I watched Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announce closures of schools and the introduction of travel bans. At first, those bans were just for China, but they were expanded throughout March as the size of the pandemic wave became increasingly apparent. By the time I returned to Tokyo on March 18th travel bans had begun to be introduced in Canada, as well. I felt lucky to get out of Canada and back home in time. Luckily, I dodged mandatory quarantining at both ends.
I arrived in Vancouver, British Columbia to spend one night there. I was shocked to witness the complacency there towards the disease. The evidence of Canadian complacency grew worse when I traveled east to my hometown. When I arrived, the pandemic had not been declared yet, but the global health emergency had already been in effect for a month. But nobody seemed aware of it. I continued on my trip to Toronto, then Montreal, and then Halifax, Nova Scotia. If I was ill or infected, I would be called a “superspreader.” I was not infected, though - something that was not, in fact, confirmed until Monday, July 20th when I was briefly hospitalized for something completely different, and given the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nasal swab diagnostic test as a matter of course upon admission.
The thing here is that Canada has been three months behind the game from the very beginning.
There was talk of canceling the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games. On March 2nd, the Tokyo Organizing Committee released a statement saying that preparations for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics were “continuing as planned.” The following day, a spokesperson for the International Olympic Committee confirmed that the Games would proceed according to schedule. There was some back-and-forth on the matter until, on March 24th, the IOC and the Tokyo Organizing Committee jointly announced that the 2020 Summer Olympics and Paralympics would be rescheduled to a later date. A new date was not immediately announced, but was subsequently negotiated for July 23-August 8, 2021. In November, IOC President Thomas Bach was in Tokyo inspecting facilities and holding meetings, and proclaiming the continuing plan to go ahead with the Games next summer.
There was never any “lockdown” of Japanese society in the face of the pandemic. The Japanese government does not have the legal authority to prohibit activities like what we saw in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Instead, the Japanese government can only “advise” people to limit travel, to stay at home, to socially isolate, etc. Towards that end, on April 7th, Prime Minister Abe proclaimed a state of emergency from April 8th to May 6th for Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo and Fukuoka. Finally, on Thursday, April 16th, the State of Emergency was expanded to include all 47 prefectures. It was ridiculous as ineffective to limit the public’s mobility in some areas while they could still move freely in others. The substance of the State of Emergency remained simply pleas from government to stay indoors, be very hygienic, wear masks, limit social contact, limit business hours, refrain from public transportation and large public gatherings, etc. Japanese tend to be obedient towards authority, so advice or recommendations from government are commonly accepted as the law.
The declaration of a state of emergency caused a sudden run on medical and daily household goods like face masks, hand sanitizers, toilet paper, gauze (a substitute for masks), and many food items. Some of these things disappeared from retail shelves, but they were easily available from online shopping companies, causing a sudden quantum expansion of online shopping and home delivery services.
The state of emergency was extended until May 26th. Across the nations, school graduation ceremonies took place in March in downsized events that excluded families’ participation. The start of the school year in April was delayed until the end of May, and when schools did resume physical classes there were detailed anti-contagion plans in effect. Classes were shortened, and the start of the school day was pushed to a later time in the morning as a means to reduce rush hour commuter congestion. Daily body temperature checks became universal. Class sizes were reduced to enable distancing within the classrooms. Face mask and/or face shield use became a requirement. Strict measures were observed regarding students’ and staffs’ physical conditions - coughs and sneezes, temperature and appetite, etc. Some school events were cancelled outright: no clubs, no Sports Day, no freshman school trip, no graduation trip. Classes were held later in the summer, the summer vacation was shortened, and classes were similarly pushed until later in December and March 2021 to regain time lost at the start of the school year. “Sanmitsu” - the Three Cs - became one of the buzzwords of the year in Japan: avoiding closed spaces; crowds, and close contact. Not always possible in the densely populated metropolis.
“Sanmitsu” - the Three Cs - became one of the buzzwords of the year in Japan: avoiding closed spaces; crowds, and close contact.
In the spring time, the Abe government proposed one financial aide bill after another until one was finally passed. There was a lot of confusion and anxiety as people’s revenue streams quickly evaporated. Stumbling blocks included: how much money to offer?; to offer money to households, to individuals, to businesses, or to some combination of those?; to include foreign residents, or not? Foreign residents and visitors - students, temporary workers, trainees, etc. - are commonly disregarded, minimized and dismissed in Japan because the Constitution here recognizes citizens’ rights, not human rights. More than one financial aide package was eventually passed, but I almost missed out on it. I knew nothing at all about what was available to me individually due to 1) language deficiency, and 2) a lack of publicity. By the skin of my teeth I learned about what was available and I managed to apply for it just in time. It had to be done online, because in-person applications were not being taken.
Due to a paper face mask shortage in the spring, the Abe government promised to deliver washable, reusable cloth masks to every household. I finally received mine in June. I still haven’t opened and used it. By the time it arrived, the supply of masks in stores had been re-established.
In July-August we experienced the Second Wave of the virus here. Night club workers in the Kabukicho red light district of Shinjuku, in central Tokyo, and similar venues in other large cities were often blamed. It didn’t make sense to me. We know how to retard the spread of the virus: wash hands often; wear face masks, keep a distance from others. Why wasn’t it working? Then in November, while North America was in the midst of its Second Wave, we were already into the Third Wave, which was worse than the first two - more out of control for some reason, and with different demographics. More young people were getting infected, while fewer people needed Intensive Care. By November, the death total from Covid-19 in Japan for the entire year was just a little over 2,000 people. More people committed suicide in Japan in November. The Japanese government proceeded with its plans for relaxing international travel by outlining new entry / re-entry protocols. In November, there were whispers of extending the schools’ New Year holiday - not as a counter-virus measure so much as a fiscal-stimulus measure. The suggestion is that a longer year-end holiday will give consumers more opportunity to spend money. Good for the economy. Also in November, news of imminent vaccines being available from Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca began to shine like a light at the end of a dark tunnel, even though their distribution here will not happen until after the New Year. A home-grown, domestic Japanese vaccine is not anticipated until 2022. I worry that the vaccines’ application will be confused and even almost haphazard. If Japan wants to realize the Olympic Games next year, it is probably thinking of mass vaccinations starting in the late-winter and spring time.
There is a terrible prejudice beginning to show itself. Some people are actually voicing the notion that the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions are somehow less worthy than the healthy of medical attention and vaccinations. It’s a eugenics argument. The elderly and the vulnerable are weak and in line for an appropriate early / earlier death. The healthy and strong deserve to live. Our species and our societies will benefit from a decrease in the weak and impaired. The argument of health and strength, however, only works until one gets sick - and sickness is always hovering. I mean, it’s a non-argument.
One thing I suspect is that it is the professional cleaners as much as the medical scientists who will resolve the pandemic for us. Cleaning and sterilization as much as inoculation are what will save us, and what will enable the Olympics to be held next year.