By Kirye
and Pierre Gosselin
COVID 19 deaths in Japan diverts attention from growing number of suicides
It’s a long known but also a tragically long ignored problem in Japan: suicide.
With all the focus on COVID-19 nowadays, other more pressing problems often fall off the radar and get ignored.
One problem in Japan is suicide. And while economic hardship intensifies as stricter measures are implemented to avert COVID-19 deaths, suicides will surely increase.
Moreover, in the media the focus remains on the daily “new cases found”, which serves for spectacular headlines which spread panic among, but distracts from the reality. Deaths from COVID-19 are tapering off in many countries
Looking at the new daily COVID-19 deaths in Japan, we see that daily deaths are now very low:
Chart source: Worldometer.
Yet, the panic continues.
Suicides: 9336, COVID 19 deaths: 974
When we compare COVID-19 deaths to those caused by suicide over the past months since COVID-19 pandemic began, we see what the much bigger problem is:
As the chart above depicts, there have been a total of 9336 suicides as of the end of June, compared to 974 COVID-19 deaths. Yet, all the panic is about COVID-19
According to Tokyo Keizai (toyokeizai.net/articles/-/363), in Japan, so far 0.8 people per 100,000 people have died from COVID-19. Meanwhile, 16 people per 100,000 people die due to suicide each year.
In the past when the economy deteriorated, suicide rates rose 50%, to 24 people per 100,000.
So although the lock-down measures may be reducing COVID-19 deaths, the economic hardship is causing a far greater cause of death, suicide, to soar by 50%.
The situation is similar or worse in many other developed countries. The price of preventing one death by COVID-19 death is probably many more in terms of suicides, never mind those resulting from poverty-caused illnesses.
Let’s get our eye back on the ball, and away from the sidelines.
Kirye
This a most revealing post, and points out the complete distraction that covid has been allowed to become. I enjoy your posts, thank you
The conclusion is not supported by the data. 24/100k in tough times, 16/100k in COVID times. So COVID is like normal times; no impact on suicides.
The bar chart appears flat so far for 2020 – zero trend; maybe slightly down.
There are spikes in January and March for suicides. Why?
Is there a cultural thing?
Doesn’t seem to match the pattern in the USA.
“COVID 19 deaths in Japan diverts attention from growing number of suicides”
Perhaps this notion comes from MSM publicized anecdotal reports, bypassing rigorous analyses.
In the USA, authorities have botched the reporting badly such that it is hard to know what has happened.
However, the issue has pushed drug deaths off the front page. Those and suicides don’t get much attention unless a celebrity is involved.
The infection rate in Japan is only 1% as high as the US or U.K. It helps That Japan is an island but they somehow controlled the virus much better than other places. Why?
Number of emergency department visits for self-inflicted injury: 479,000
All suicides
Number of deaths: 47,173
Deaths per 100,000 population: 14.5
Cause of death rank: 10
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm
Ten people attempt suicide, one succeeds according to the CDC.
Must be at least 93,000 people in Japan attempt suicide if the statistic applies in the Japan.
If there is a fifty percent increase, the attempts could be fifty percent higher or the success rate increases.
How can you prevent suicide? You can’t.
Everybody becomes ill during their life here on earth. There are diseases of all kinds in this world and obviously humans do become ill.
You will never eradicate diseases on this planet, controls can be developed, immunizations, but diseases will always be there.
I have a clinical parasitology text book. In 1972, at the time, it was estimated that 16 percent of the world’s population suffered from trichinosis.
Can’t be stopped, you can control the mumps, measles, polio, diphtheria with immunizations, but the diseases never go away.
You can wear masks until the cows come home, it won’t stop ye olde common cold and never will.
However, gloves worn in places where you touch food, a restaurant, a grocery store, they are going to help prevent the spread of bacteria and possibly viruses. You wash your hands for a reason.
The mask mandate has scarred the face of humanity and the psychological damage is done.
The planet is not a hospital, it is a breeding ground for all life forms, viruses and bactereia included.
You are always at risk, hazmat and all.
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I can recommend the site “MedCram” where you can see medical literature on Covid Novel virus. It is still being investigated. It seems to be a disease of blood vessels when the immune system is triggered by the virus using the cell replication functions normally present Tiny blood clots can be seen in sections through the hearts,lungs,kidneys of those who have died. Take a look ! It,s worth the trouble. The teacher has medical education qualifications and hospital experience. Refreshing.!