AP: H1N1 flu causing schools to shut down “across Japan”
The Associated Press filed this video report in which it told viewers that schools were shutting down “across Japan” because of the swine flu:
I think they might need a geography lesson. As of this morning, the flu had only been confirmed in Hyogo and Osaka, and school closures were taking place in that region of Japan. Many international viewers probably don’t know about the geography of Japan, and assume that “across Japan” must mean that a wide area of the country has been hit by flu cases.
As this map highlighting the flu-hit areas in red shows, that is hardly the case:
I don’t doubt that the flu will spread to other areas of the country in the coming days and weeks, but there’s no need to make alarming reports implying that a flu has spread across a country before the evidence is available to support such an idea.
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Ha Ha, The news media must tell the truth, but as always, they can be tricky and deceptive in order to sell more papers. It IS true that the flu has spead ‘across’ Japan. After all, look at the map; what does the word ‘across’ mean IN THE DICTIONARY?
When can we expect it up north, and how do I convince my boss to close down our school down “for safety precautions”.
I just found this video on You Tube that really shows how germs and viruses spread. It is so cool. It’s meant for kids but I even learned a lot!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56mq1t1BqfY
Journalists – taking license with the facts?
Well, in their defence, it really is “across Japan”, from the Pacific Ocean side to the Sea Of Japan side.
… But seriously now, they are seriously stretching the truth!
Even that picture is confusing as Hyogo extends from the Pacific (well, the Inland Sea, Osaka Bay) to the Sea of Japan but all the infections so far have been in Kobe and the surrounding towns right by Osaka Bay.
if you look at the news in japan – you might feel the same way. the sensationalizing of it all, you`d think that we all have to wear biohazard suits.
Actually, the infections were first reported in Kobe, then discovered to have spread to Osaka, then were found to have spread to Kita Kinki, on the Sea of Japan. It went from 0 to about 170+ cases in 2-3 days.
So, initially, it seemed like the virus had suddenly “burst out” across the country.
They now believe the infections were spread at a high school (Kendo?) tournament, and so it will probably stay localized if the school closures, etc. work as intended.
Japan has sensational news, but they also have an aging population that is particularly sensitive to normal flu epidemics, so yes, they freak out a little.
There is ignorant fear-mongering, but there is also ignorant ridiculing of serious matters. I have been watching the local news closely, as I live near Kobe and have two small children, and there has been a lot of coverage but nothing I would consider to be “over the top” reporting. People here are relaxed but cautious, and eager to send the kids back to school. Perhaps in Tokyo they are reporting it differently.
Ah yes, my mistake, I hear now that it has spread as far as the Sea of Japan, and now Nara too.
Wifey said that they tracked the source to a schoolgirl in Osaka who got sick but recovered at home, but passed it on to her brother who was the person who then spread it to the volleyball teams, etc.
I love it when you catch the AP being stupid. (It’s so easy! But I still get a big smile each time someone else points it out.) Allow me to mix languages to say: muchos kudos.
There a couple of confounding issues:
1) H1N1 does not exhibit symptoms immediately. Cases can take 2 weeks to begin to show symptoms and the person is contagious during this time; they could be spreading it for up to 2 weeks without knowing there is anything wrong.
2) It takes time to verify that one has the particular H1N1 strain. You have to be identified (see above) and then have the blood test done after one develops symptoms (viral load has to hit a particular level before tests are certain).
3) Since the symptoms look like the flu, some people who have it may not be going to the hospital. This is a general, cultural thing and Japanese may be more likely to go to the hospital with flu symptoms then Mexicans or Americans.
So the new report may be right but they may not know it. Given Japan’s density, this will only get worse before it gets better. And as some of the comments mention, the story was prescient.
“3) Since the symptoms look like the flu”
Um…maybe because it IS the flu???
I really hope this whole swine flu epidemic wraps up soon I had plans to go fairly soon, this must be killing their tourism industry right now.
I hope also that it end soon in this region because half of july i go to kyoto for a summer course.
I have plan to visit japan by first week of the june, how safe its?
WAY safer than visiting New York!
I think what the guys here at JapanProbe are noticing is that the media LIES, this time its just a little more obvious….
The North Korean “ROCKET LAUCNH” was fake too, it never even happened.