COVID and social pressure

by liberal japonicus

Since the blog has such a rep for sweetness and light, and we are living in the best of all possible ages, I thought I might present another topic near to my heart. A lot of articles (frex here and here. A bit more accurate one is here) have lauded Japan's success. The dark side of that success is below the fold

I'm part of a team of volunteer translators and proofreaders who are trying to get article from this site (https://note.stopcovid19.jp/) and get them into serviceable English translations so foreigners living in Japan can see what advice is going out from Japanese. From this translation, I pull the following:

Is "Reporting a history of action and behavior“ necessary? The coverage of COVID-19 has focused on "who, when, where, and to whom they were exposed." From the epidemiological viewpoint, it makes sense to share this information moderately. Because those who would be considered “close contacts” need to have time while paying careful attention to their health for a period of time. However, depending on how that information is disclosed, there is a risk that the privacy and human rights persons who have COVID-19 will be violated. Actually, a brutal attack on a specific person that we might even call a "lynching" has been reported on TV and on the web. The participating experts clearly stated “From the viewpoint of epidemic, meaningful data in the report for a history of action and behavior is limited”. Additionally, they warned "Infection is a matter of probability. if anyone requests the results of detailed investigation and disclosure of information to municipalities for the sake of low risk members, the municipal worksite will be overwhelmed.” Then they proposed the following because of their concern with the present situation. “The municipality should disclose the personal information of those who have COVID-19 carefully. If this point is disregarded there is the possibility that the people who will take advantage of the opportunity to smear a person who is infected. Eventually no one will be able to take consultation from medical institution or Public Health Center even though they have COVID-19." Of course, from an early stage, the news media have paid attention to the privacy of people who have COVID-19. However, especially in a rural area where the number of infected people is smaller, each person who has COVID-19 usually has been the recipient of bullying. A regional newspaper in Northeast Japan, Kahoku Shimpo has stopped reporting the detailed history for person’s actions and behavior in the early stage, also has made guidelines that, as an internal rule ask that reporters not visit schools and hospitals where the infection have occurred directly. The reason this paper keeps this in mind to send the privacy-conscious and moderate reports is based on the lessons in Great East Japan Earthquake that happened nine years ago. At this disaster, they had to report facts during a time of widespread character assassination and fake news. However, to begin with, the disclosure of information that can identify an individual, such as the history for action and behavior of the person who has COVID-19, must be a great danger in our web society. The person’s privacy can be assumed by gathering many kinds of news sources such as published article of newspaper, the information that municipalities have opened, many kinds of rumors appear on Internet, even if someone cannot specify an individual only by the information of one article.

One of the experts worried about the current status quo and said the following. Although one newspaper reports moderately, if anyone can match those reports with information on the web, evenly "” The address and room arrangement”” where the person who is targeted can be found out immediately. It has become extremely difficult to protect personal information. On the other hand, from the members of media also told with expressing concern "The media cannot control web and Internet, but at least it is necessary to avoid the news contents can be misused on the web.”

Another section discusses the balance that has to be achieved in reporting on hospitals, as many of them are private businesses, and reporting of cases can set off a panic. (the same applies to public hospitals.

A friend of mine's son was an early case of COVID (#2 in the prefecture), which he apparently got because he was in London and returned to Japan. The businesses of in-law relatives has suffered and there are people who are taking alternate routes to avoid driving in front of her house. Her descriptions of city and hospital officials trying to avoid giving tests so they wouldn't be classified as a place that is connected with COVID is both sad and frightening. There is a lot of chatter among foreigners arguing about conspiracies, hiding of data, with the accompanying counter arguments suggesting that the person either is too gullible, an argument used on both sides in a really pathetic mirror image.

Coupled with that, you have people like Taro Aso, finance minister and total tool, suggesting that Japanese cultural superiority is why we have the situation we do.

So another post for the mill. Information, how much do we need?

Comments

[wj]

We need all the information we can get. But we also need to be aware that, even with the best will in the world, "preliminary reports" are just that - preliminary. And changing numbers as additional data comes in (whether that data is covid-19 case counts or votes) is simply how the process works. The alternative is to get NO data for the hours or days or weeks until complete data is available.

Also, as with any human enterprise, occasionally mistakes will happen occasionally. Like this
https://washingtonpost.com/business/2020/06/05/may-2020-jobs-report-misclassification-error/
Not ill-intentioned falsification of the data, but simple mistakes. Not to say that falsification can't happen; just that it isn't the only possibility.

I suppose it comes down to this. We need as much information al possible. But we also need a citizenry which understands how the data is collected and reported. With more of the latter, the nonsense about "alternative facts" would get much less traction.

[liberal japonicus]

Well, the metaphor of a fire hydrant comes to mind. Or one of those three stooge moments, where Larry says 'I need water' and then Curly turs on the fire hose.

If a society harnesses social pressure as a way of changing behavior, you _don't_ need all the information you can get. I've got no idea why Japan's approach has 'worked', but some part of that 'working' is the kind of ostracism and bullying that has emerged. This pressure keeps the have nots in line. The big thing is that there can't be the kind of huge gaps of inequality. There has to be some semi plausible equality.

Of course, at this point, wj and I form two armies, he of the 'we need everything', and me 'no we don't'. Less filling, tastes great. Everything turns into a 70's commercial.

Not really sure what the answer is and in fact, don't actually know what the question is now.

[wonkie]

I think the cat is out of the bag and lots of people are going to die while we all grow to accept the virus--accept meaning get used to it and start worrying about other things.

Biden is going to have an overwhelming mess to clean up.

[wj]

Biden is going to have an overwhelming mess to clean up.

Too true. But at least he's got the experience of riding shotgun while Obama did the same. Granted, he'll have a wider, more comprehensive mess. But still, he's going to come in better prepared than anybody else would be.

[Hartmut]

But, provided he actually gets the chance to do it, will he be thanked for it? Cynic that I am the whole Jabbabonk mess will imo get successfully blamed on him with the usual consequences in Congress in 2022 and (him retiring after one term due to health/age reasons) the election of his successor.
We are doomed, I tell you, dooooooomed!

[cleek]

Biden won't be thanked directly. he'll be thanked obliquely by the next Republican claiming credit.

this has never happened before.

[wj]

Cynic that I am the whole Jabbabonk mess will imo get successfully blamed on him [Biden]

"successfully"? I'm not so sure. I'd say that the effort to blame the Great Recession on Obama was, at most, temporarily successful. And even that much, I suspect, because the unemployment rate didn't actually peak until he was in office. This time, it's going to be far harder to blame anyone but Trump**.

In addition, people see patterns. (Sometimes to the point of inventing conspiracy theories.) This will make twice in a row when a GOP presidency has ended in a major economic mess. That may be enough to break thru some pre-existing mindsets.

** Of course, there's usually only partial (if any) justification for blaming the President for the economic cycle. Although in this case it's far more justified than usual.