Deaths in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK is 75,000 compared to 450 people in the modern Asia Pacific
Sawako Utsumi and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis emanated in Wuhan and then spread throughout China. In time, China got on top of the first wave of coronavirus. However, what is surprising is the enormous differences in death between parts of Europea and the Asia Pacific.
After all, the nations of Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan all have close links with China. Likewise, many Chinese nationals are inter-connected with the region. Therefore, given the geographic angle and shared space where trade and tourism flow naturally, the obvious presumption is that the Asia Pacific should suffer enormously from the coronavirus fallout.
Yet, it is the European nations of France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom that are suffering enormously. Thus, by the end of April 18, over 75,000 have perished in these European nations. However, in Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan only 450 have died.
Ironically, the only nation that is suffering an increase in reported cases in the highly developed Asia Pacific is Japan. Of course, for readers of Modern Tokyo Times, then our angle is based on the approach of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike. This relates to both over-focusing on the Olympics because coronavirus entered Japan in the middle of January.
Providing the Olympics went on this year – or was postponed the following year – then this would be viewed to be a success for Abe and Koike. Thus, both individuals went on a charm offensive to prevent the cancelation of the Olympics based on economics, television contracts, and post-Olympic land deals. Hence, Abe and Koike underplayed the severity of coronavirus until the Olympics was postponed. Therefore, the coronavirus crisis parallels with the postponed Olympics.
The virus was given breathing space to spread in Japan because it took three months before serious action was taken. Despite this, the current death toll is still remarkably low. Yet infections are now increasing. Hence, if Japan suffers, the political angle is largely to blame because Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan have all taken the crisis seriously from the beginning.
Getting back to Europe, then France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom are suffering horrendously. Is this based on being carefree from the start of the pandemic? Is it based on the health care systems and antiviral drugs being insufficient? Is it based on hygiene and facemasks? Is it the second-class treatment of the elderly in nursing homes? Is it based on not utilizing modern technology? Of course, you can easily notch on other angles but something is amiss with these European nations.
Overall, with Japan being the anomaly, it is clear that South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan have done everything to contain the crisis. Indeed, even when South Korea faced a major problem with the spread of this virus, this nation dealt with the situation immediately. Therefore, the actions of these nations are a shining example during the first wave even if problems remain.
However, in France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom it is clear that nursing homes have become death traps for elderly citizens. Also, adequate protection for nursing home workers was shoddy from the start. On top of this, despite these nations witnessing what happened in China and other nations, they just watched events instead of acting.
Thus the death toll is horrendous in these European nations. Indeed, it seems inevitable that 100,000 deaths will occur in the next few weeks. This is a far cry from the image of modern Europe because currently, it is the nations of the Asia Pacific that appear sophisticated.
European citizens in France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom have been let down by their political and scientific elites. After all, the coronavirus hit the Asia Pacific region first but still unprepared.
The health care angle to utilizing technology appears to point to a less than developed France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom – and you can easily add America. After all, from President Trump of America to Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in New York, the approach was extremely blasé.
Overall, the highly developed nations of the Asia Pacific – with Japan being distracted by the Olympics – seem more than a step ahead of France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Therefore, with death rates in hospitals and nursing homes being so high in comparison with the nations of the Asia Pacific, then why so shoddy? Hence, citizens need to raise important questions about many aspects of society in France, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
This should encompass health care systems, antiviral medications, other hospital treatments, nursing homes, hygiene, political ineptitude, diet, the utilization of technology, emergency response mechanism, and an array of other areas.
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