Thank you. I live in Japan and while a Japanese friend tells me that he believes that there are many who agree with me, he points out what I already know. The Japanese fear above all else, yes more than even death, being in the minority. Nope, no employment for the noncompliant. The school that demanded I wear a mask in my home is a …
Thank you. I live in Japan and while a Japanese friend tells me that he believes that there are many who agree with me, he points out what I already know. The Japanese fear above all else, yes more than even death, being in the minority. Nope, no employment for the noncompliant. The school that demanded I wear a mask in my home is a medical technician vocational school. They first stormed my classroom from which I was running the online class to demand that I wear a mask after a year and a half of not wearing one. After the class I said that I would run the class from home. The immediately consented but said that I must wear a mask at home too for their online class. I said “no” and left. later that night special permission was emailed to me. Apparently, all the other teachers are wear masks at as instructed. Medical students wear masks for online classes too. Hard to trust institutions that allow or worse promote this insanity.
Fear of being in a minority is not just a Japanese cultural norm. It has spread across the world. It takes a lot of bravery to be in a minority of thought... Or even to entertain the perception that you might be. These are strange days
That is one of the more frightening aspects of the worldwide response. I have been observing group think grow in strength in politics in the US and Europe for many years but did not expect it to be as strong and widespread as it has been shown to be.
Would that the entrenched covidians would let their brains process their stupidity--or much of anything at this point! It just gets them mad or scared or both. Here in NYC, when confronted with dissenters, the response is the middle finger, since it's all they have, and which I have decided is the Nazi salute de nos jours. The good news, for what it's worth, is the Nazi saluters are becoming the minority and thumbs up and raised fists are predominating. I'm not letting myself get overly optimistic, but there does seem to be a shift going on.
I hope so and it might be there. I was getting less pessimistic once the emergency declaration was relaxed then lifted. I was after Mach of this being lifted that my schools first demanded I wear a mask. Hadn’t worn one for 1 and 1/2 school years without comment, restrictions relaxed and BOOM, they demand I wear a mask for in person instruction at one school and online another.
That does not work here in Japan. The answer is known as it has been used for millennia. “It’s the RULE.” To be shouted down by two nurses at the nursing school in front of my class as I asked “Why?”, and tried to explain that I am certified in respirators and face masks was not one of the highlights of my career. Seeing similar across the world, especially in the West, does not inspire confidence that we will prevail.
They know. One of the employees at the vocational school is an infectious disease expert. When I asked him why he of all people was wear in a mask his eyes got as wide as saucers. As I began to explain that I was certified in the use of respirators he put his hand up and said in English, “It’s political”. Reverting to his native Japanese he explained that everyone in his filed knows that what the authorities are having us do is useless at best. They know. Yet, There he was every time he worked when I did, spraying and wiping down every surface of the school in his mask, gloves and face shield. They know.
Below is the list or measures another employer requires of its employees and students. In addition, our local festival was cancelled despite the Emergency Declaration being lifted before Oita was too be held. Too many, like almost all, of the members employers have as a part of their risk management prohibitions against participating in any group events.
I post these to show that much of what we read in respect to Japan and the restrictions or lack there of we face here does not reflect the reality of the situation and to show what can happen in the uS despite national mandates being shot down in court.
Keep in mind, this is a HOSPITAL and Med, school putting this out.
“Head of Hospital,
Chairman of The Committee on Measures against Infection Prevention
Ver. 20210526
New Lifestyle Standards for Faculty and Staff,
Xxxxxxxxx Hospital, xxxxxxxx University School of Medicine
(At-work)
1. Wearing a mask (nonwoven fabric) (prevention of droplet infection)
( A ) Faculty and staff are required to wear masks in indoor common places such as on-site classrooms, corridors, toilets, and hospitals. Always wear a mask other than when eating, drinking, blowing your nose, brushing your teeth, or smoking. Cover both the mouth and nose.
Grounds: Medical school students are required to wear masks when they enter the main building (at the student's own expense). Patients are asked to wear masks in the hospital (patients are preparing themselves).
( B ) Do not touch the surface of the mask. If it is to be touched, hand hygiene must be performed before and after.
( C ) Use a different mask for commuting and another for work.
2. Prevention of contact infection
( A ) Avoid contact with others other than medical care and medical examinations.
( B ) Do not touch your eyes or mouth with your hands. When touching cannot be avoided, carry out proper hand hygiene is made.
3. About hand hygiene
( A ) Hand hygiene is carried out with alcohol, such as quick-drying hand sanitizers in principle (wash hands with soap when there are reactions to alcohol or when dirt is visible). When treating patients in the hospital, carry hand sanitizer with you at all times.
( B ) WHO guidelines for hand hygiene timing (1) before touching the patient (2) before clean / sterile work (3) when there is a possibility of exposure to body fluids (4) after touching the patient (5) after touching any items around the patient.
Hand hygiene should also be carried out before breaks, before and after meals, before and after using the toilet, when entering the hospital from the medical office and when entering the hospital, before and after touching common objects (keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc.).
4. About meals
( A ) Meals are to be consumed alone. Do not eat or drink in groups of two or more people (defined here as 会食).
( B ) Do not have conversations during meals.
( C ) Ensure at least 1 m of distance between people and try to avoid sitting face to face as much as possible.
( D ) Do not get or give people meals.
( E ) Don't use tableware.
( F ) Hydration is carried out in the staff room, etc., and not in the patient areas such as the corridors.
5. About meetings
( A ) Encourage web conferencing.
( B ) When holding a meeting, keep the distance between people.
( C ) Improve ventilation and provide sufficient ventilation.
( D ) The meeting should be held in a short time.
6. About the break
( A ) During breaks, the room should be ventilated (about once every 30 minutes). ( B ) Conversations should not be carried out without being masked.
( C ) Do not have long conversations.
( D ) Perform hand hygiene before taking a break.
( E ) Select an individual responsible for implementing staff room rules to ensure they are carried out before and after use.
7. Conversations on the university and in the hospital
( A ) Do not talk in narrow passages or corridors.
( B ) Do not have loud conversations.
( C ) Don't talk while walking.
8. About conferences
( A ) Do not keep the station dense.
( B ) Improve colds and provide sufficient ventilation.
( C ) The implementation time is short.
New Lifestyle Standards for Faculty and Staff, xxxxxxxxx Hospital, xxxxxxxxxxx University School of Medicine
(Daily Life)
1. About physical condition management
( A ) When there is poor physical condition such as fever, cold symptom, taste disorder, etc., do not commute, and confirm the correspondence to the affiliation. If the cause of fever is unknown, you will be staying at home until 4 days after fever according to the rules of University Headquarters.
( B ) The temperature is performed before going to work, and it records it.
( C ) If there are symptoms such as fever, cold symptom, taste disorder, etc. in the family, and PCR test needs to be carried out and the member must wait for the result and the correspondence is confirmed before the faculty/staff member can return to work.
2. Commuting and transportation use
( A ) When using public transportation, wear a mask and ensure proper social distancing protocols.
( B ) Refrain from conversations on public transportation such as buses and trains as much as possible.
( C ) Overseas travel must comply with University regulations.
3. About meals
( A ) Do not eat or drink (defined here as a 会食) in groups of two or more people other than with your family members.
( B ) Do not have conversations while eating out.
( C ) Do not talk as much as possible when eating at home.
4. Lifestyle
( A ) Avoid snuggling. Maintain social distance.
( B ) Don't have long conversations with others. (wear a mask)
( C ) Hand hygiene should be performed before and after meals, before work, and after returning home after touching items touched by others.
( D ) Wear a mask in the family depending on the situation.
( E ) Avoid situations where more than one person exercises indoors.
5. Ceremonial occasions
( A ) Check the prevalent situation in your area of residence or place of attendance, and consider participating remotely if moving or staying is a risk.
6. Participation in travel and events
( A ) When traveling, check the trendy situation of the residential area and the planned travel destination, and stop traveling if travel or stay is a risk. Don't have meals with others at the destination.
( B ) Participation in large-scale events such as sports watching confirms the epidemic situation in the residential area and the place of scheduled attendance, and if movement or participation becomes a risk, participation is postponed. Avoid having meals in the presence of others when participating.
7. Returning home
( A ) The minimum necessary for returning home is to be made.
( B ) Do not have meals with others when returning home.”
Conversation in conversation classes is hamstrung by students being afraid to share what they have done outside their residence with their classmates and teacher. I can not share what little my family has been able to do, camping, hiking, dinning out, family over for birthdays and the holidays, etc. with colleagues for fear of reprisals from employers.
Don’t think the battle is won if the federal mandates in the US are shot down. If employers latch on to this in the States as they have in Japan, life will not be fun.
Yesterday I finished a three day long medical interview workshop as a Simulated Patient (SP). I was a SP for 54 4th year medical students at a different school than the one I posted about earlier. The interviews were conducted over ZOOM. All but 4 of these 54 medical students wore masks for the one on one ZOOM meetings. Tomorrows’s doctors. This BS ain’t ending anytime soon.
Thank you. I live in Japan and while a Japanese friend tells me that he believes that there are many who agree with me, he points out what I already know. The Japanese fear above all else, yes more than even death, being in the minority. Nope, no employment for the noncompliant. The school that demanded I wear a mask in my home is a medical technician vocational school. They first stormed my classroom from which I was running the online class to demand that I wear a mask after a year and a half of not wearing one. After the class I said that I would run the class from home. The immediately consented but said that I must wear a mask at home too for their online class. I said “no” and left. later that night special permission was emailed to me. Apparently, all the other teachers are wear masks at as instructed. Medical students wear masks for online classes too. Hard to trust institutions that allow or worse promote this insanity.
Fear of being in a minority is not just a Japanese cultural norm. It has spread across the world. It takes a lot of bravery to be in a minority of thought... Or even to entertain the perception that you might be. These are strange days
That is one of the more frightening aspects of the worldwide response. I have been observing group think grow in strength in politics in the US and Europe for many years but did not expect it to be as strong and widespread as it has been shown to be.
don't just say no. ask why. let their brains process their stupidity in an attempt to explain.
Would that the entrenched covidians would let their brains process their stupidity--or much of anything at this point! It just gets them mad or scared or both. Here in NYC, when confronted with dissenters, the response is the middle finger, since it's all they have, and which I have decided is the Nazi salute de nos jours. The good news, for what it's worth, is the Nazi saluters are becoming the minority and thumbs up and raised fists are predominating. I'm not letting myself get overly optimistic, but there does seem to be a shift going on.
I hope so and it might be there. I was getting less pessimistic once the emergency declaration was relaxed then lifted. I was after Mach of this being lifted that my schools first demanded I wear a mask. Hadn’t worn one for 1 and 1/2 school years without comment, restrictions relaxed and BOOM, they demand I wear a mask for in person instruction at one school and online another.
That does not work here in Japan. The answer is known as it has been used for millennia. “It’s the RULE.” To be shouted down by two nurses at the nursing school in front of my class as I asked “Why?”, and tried to explain that I am certified in respirators and face masks was not one of the highlights of my career. Seeing similar across the world, especially in the West, does not inspire confidence that we will prevail.
Medical institutions that don't know how a virus works?
They know. One of the employees at the vocational school is an infectious disease expert. When I asked him why he of all people was wear in a mask his eyes got as wide as saucers. As I began to explain that I was certified in the use of respirators he put his hand up and said in English, “It’s political”. Reverting to his native Japanese he explained that everyone in his filed knows that what the authorities are having us do is useless at best. They know. Yet, There he was every time he worked when I did, spraying and wiping down every surface of the school in his mask, gloves and face shield. They know.
Thank you for answering. What hope is there for us, I wonder, with that type of obedience?
I'm sending best wishes to you and you finding an institution that appreciates you.
Below is the list or measures another employer requires of its employees and students. In addition, our local festival was cancelled despite the Emergency Declaration being lifted before Oita was too be held. Too many, like almost all, of the members employers have as a part of their risk management prohibitions against participating in any group events.
I post these to show that much of what we read in respect to Japan and the restrictions or lack there of we face here does not reflect the reality of the situation and to show what can happen in the uS despite national mandates being shot down in court.
Keep in mind, this is a HOSPITAL and Med, school putting this out.
“Head of Hospital,
Chairman of The Committee on Measures against Infection Prevention
Ver. 20210526
New Lifestyle Standards for Faculty and Staff,
Xxxxxxxxx Hospital, xxxxxxxx University School of Medicine
(At-work)
1. Wearing a mask (nonwoven fabric) (prevention of droplet infection)
( A ) Faculty and staff are required to wear masks in indoor common places such as on-site classrooms, corridors, toilets, and hospitals. Always wear a mask other than when eating, drinking, blowing your nose, brushing your teeth, or smoking. Cover both the mouth and nose.
Grounds: Medical school students are required to wear masks when they enter the main building (at the student's own expense). Patients are asked to wear masks in the hospital (patients are preparing themselves).
( B ) Do not touch the surface of the mask. If it is to be touched, hand hygiene must be performed before and after.
( C ) Use a different mask for commuting and another for work.
2. Prevention of contact infection
( A ) Avoid contact with others other than medical care and medical examinations.
( B ) Do not touch your eyes or mouth with your hands. When touching cannot be avoided, carry out proper hand hygiene is made.
3. About hand hygiene
( A ) Hand hygiene is carried out with alcohol, such as quick-drying hand sanitizers in principle (wash hands with soap when there are reactions to alcohol or when dirt is visible). When treating patients in the hospital, carry hand sanitizer with you at all times.
( B ) WHO guidelines for hand hygiene timing (1) before touching the patient (2) before clean / sterile work (3) when there is a possibility of exposure to body fluids (4) after touching the patient (5) after touching any items around the patient.
Hand hygiene should also be carried out before breaks, before and after meals, before and after using the toilet, when entering the hospital from the medical office and when entering the hospital, before and after touching common objects (keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc.).
4. About meals
( A ) Meals are to be consumed alone. Do not eat or drink in groups of two or more people (defined here as 会食).
( B ) Do not have conversations during meals.
( C ) Ensure at least 1 m of distance between people and try to avoid sitting face to face as much as possible.
( D ) Do not get or give people meals.
( E ) Don't use tableware.
( F ) Hydration is carried out in the staff room, etc., and not in the patient areas such as the corridors.
5. About meetings
( A ) Encourage web conferencing.
( B ) When holding a meeting, keep the distance between people.
( C ) Improve ventilation and provide sufficient ventilation.
( D ) The meeting should be held in a short time.
6. About the break
( A ) During breaks, the room should be ventilated (about once every 30 minutes). ( B ) Conversations should not be carried out without being masked.
( C ) Do not have long conversations.
( D ) Perform hand hygiene before taking a break.
( E ) Select an individual responsible for implementing staff room rules to ensure they are carried out before and after use.
7. Conversations on the university and in the hospital
( A ) Do not talk in narrow passages or corridors.
( B ) Do not have loud conversations.
( C ) Don't talk while walking.
8. About conferences
( A ) Do not keep the station dense.
( B ) Improve colds and provide sufficient ventilation.
( C ) The implementation time is short.
New Lifestyle Standards for Faculty and Staff, xxxxxxxxx Hospital, xxxxxxxxxxx University School of Medicine
(Daily Life)
1. About physical condition management
( A ) When there is poor physical condition such as fever, cold symptom, taste disorder, etc., do not commute, and confirm the correspondence to the affiliation. If the cause of fever is unknown, you will be staying at home until 4 days after fever according to the rules of University Headquarters.
( B ) The temperature is performed before going to work, and it records it.
( C ) If there are symptoms such as fever, cold symptom, taste disorder, etc. in the family, and PCR test needs to be carried out and the member must wait for the result and the correspondence is confirmed before the faculty/staff member can return to work.
2. Commuting and transportation use
( A ) When using public transportation, wear a mask and ensure proper social distancing protocols.
( B ) Refrain from conversations on public transportation such as buses and trains as much as possible.
( C ) Overseas travel must comply with University regulations.
3. About meals
( A ) Do not eat or drink (defined here as a 会食) in groups of two or more people other than with your family members.
( B ) Do not have conversations while eating out.
( C ) Do not talk as much as possible when eating at home.
4. Lifestyle
( A ) Avoid snuggling. Maintain social distance.
( B ) Don't have long conversations with others. (wear a mask)
( C ) Hand hygiene should be performed before and after meals, before work, and after returning home after touching items touched by others.
( D ) Wear a mask in the family depending on the situation.
( E ) Avoid situations where more than one person exercises indoors.
5. Ceremonial occasions
( A ) Check the prevalent situation in your area of residence or place of attendance, and consider participating remotely if moving or staying is a risk.
6. Participation in travel and events
( A ) When traveling, check the trendy situation of the residential area and the planned travel destination, and stop traveling if travel or stay is a risk. Don't have meals with others at the destination.
( B ) Participation in large-scale events such as sports watching confirms the epidemic situation in the residential area and the place of scheduled attendance, and if movement or participation becomes a risk, participation is postponed. Avoid having meals in the presence of others when participating.
7. Returning home
( A ) The minimum necessary for returning home is to be made.
( B ) Do not have meals with others when returning home.”
Conversation in conversation classes is hamstrung by students being afraid to share what they have done outside their residence with their classmates and teacher. I can not share what little my family has been able to do, camping, hiking, dinning out, family over for birthdays and the holidays, etc. with colleagues for fear of reprisals from employers.
Don’t think the battle is won if the federal mandates in the US are shot down. If employers latch on to this in the States as they have in Japan, life will not be fun.
this is frightening.
Yesterday I finished a three day long medical interview workshop as a Simulated Patient (SP). I was a SP for 54 4th year medical students at a different school than the one I posted about earlier. The interviews were conducted over ZOOM. All but 4 of these 54 medical students wore masks for the one on one ZOOM meetings. Tomorrows’s doctors. This BS ain’t ending anytime soon.
😳
Just received an email from the same institution giving the times and dates for the medical students to get their Covid “booster” shots.
😞