Corona and sumo

[Jakusotsu]

@Yamanashi Caution: You just stepped over a very thin line.

[Ryoshishokunin]

It would probably be wise to disappear the relevant comment @Jakusotsu.  It might help my eyebrows return from the top of my head.

Edited June 2, 2021 by Jakusotsu
agreed

[Godango]

On 02/06/2021 at 08:48, Gurowake said:

I'm assuming it's a matter of being able to secure a supply.  Without having developed their own vaccines, and requiring outside manufacturers to run approval trials for Japanese distribution separately from wherever they were manufactured, they were left without a supply early on after vaccine development compared to other developed countries.  Whether they should have allowed emergency authorization of the vaccine based on trials in other countries is up for debate, but from reading things over, I think that's the main reason that they're behind.  Other countries either developed them or trusted the approval process where they were developed enough to at least warrant emergency authorization.

We're similar here in Australia. We're not set-up to manufacture a Pfizer-style vaccine, and (I'm assuming this is a global thing?) the Astra-Zeneca side effects means they're only wanting to give it to 50+, a lot of whom still are too concerned to take it. 

Mixed blessing, being in the lowest priority group. That said we in Australia have been luckier than most so I can wait.

Edited June 2, 2021 by Godango

[rhyen]

7 hours ago, Godango said:

We're similar here in Australia. We're not set-up to manufacture a Pfizer-style vaccine, and (I'm assuming this is a global thing?) the Astra-Zeneca side effects means they're only wanting to give it to 50+, a lot of whom still are too concerned to take it. 

Mixed blessing, being in the lowest priority group. That said we in Australia have been luckier than most so I can wait.

I believe that the current Taiwan administration was thinking the same before the current outbreak. 

[Kintamayama]

It's a devious virus. Just when you think you've got it under control , a new strain is found that can result in who knows what. We got it right this time (so far..) after two huge mistakes. We took a chance on something not fully tested that could have gone horribly wrong. But luckily it worked and we are blessed with life back to normal (30000 spectators at a football match yesterday with no masks..) for the last two months. Still, everybody is very cautious and mentally ready for the next surprise. All you need is a strain that the vaccine can't cope with and we're back at square one.

[Yamanashi]

Hi, I've been off the internet for a day; anything happen?

[rhyen]

5 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

It's a devious virus. Just when you think you've got it under control , a new strain is found that can result in who knows what. We got it right this time (so far..) after two huge mistakes. We took a chance on something not fully tested that could have gone horribly wrong. But luckily it worked and we are blessed with life back to normal (30000 spectators at a football match yesterday with no masks..) for the last two months. Still, everybody is very cautious and mentally ready for the next surprise. All you need is a strain that the vaccine can't cope with and we're back at square one.

India, Brazil & Africa. Hence why we need to vaccinate the developing countries first.

[Kintamayama]

8 hours ago, rhyen said:

India, Brazil & Africa. Hence why we need to vaccinate the developing countries first.

Brazil and parts of Africa are head-on Covid renouncers. First, they have to believe there is a problem. They apparently don't. As for India, it will be very difficult to overcome the problem for multiple reasons, even if they had the best health-care in the world.  

[rhyen]

https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Coronavirus/COVID-vaccines/Japan-to-kick-off-workplace-vaccinations-with-50m-doses

Edited June 6, 2021 by Jakusotsu
humongous link pruned

[Kintamayama]

All rikishi and oyakata will receive their first vaccine shots today and tomorrow. Then, they will be leaving gradually for Nagoya. Everyone in the Kyokai underwent PCR tests two days ago-no positives.

[Churaumi]

That's going to be a miserable journey if they feel as rough as I did after the first shot. At least they won't be due for their second ones until after the basho.

[Athenayama]

7 minutes ago, Churaumi said:

That's going to be a miserable journey if they feel as rough as I did after the first shot. At least they won't be due for their second ones until after the basho.

I guess it depends on people. Members of my family didn't feel any side effect at all after the first shot and a mild pain in the arm after the second + a light feeling of tireness.

[Seiyashi]

26 minutes ago, Athenayama said:

35 minutes ago, Churaumi said:

That's going to be a miserable journey if they feel as rough as I did after the first shot. At least they won't be due for their second ones until after the basho.

I guess it depends on people. Members of my family didn't feel any side effect at all after the first shot and a mild pain in the arm after the second + a light feeling of tireness.

I had a pretty "tight" arm after the first shot and couldn't extend my arm out; I don't think anyone will be doing sumo with that sort of arm. Reactions to the second that I know of seem to vary; my mum ran a slight fever and was knocked out that night, my dad had no real side effects (although he had had a prophylactic Paracetamol) and my boss was apparently out for about 36 hours.

Edited June 24, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Jejima]

I felt weary after both of my shots (AstraZeneca) - but nothing too terrible

 

[Seiyashi]

So apparently, needles for rikishi are also larger compared to ordinary people:

 

[Churaumi]

I felt absolutely miserable for almost exactly 22 hours both times. I had both my shots at 11 a.m., starred getting hot around 3 p.m., then felt absolutely awful around 5 p.m., then the next day at 3 p.m. it vanished. Mrs. Churaumi had a slight fever but was otherwise fine after the first one, and felt pretty bad but not as bad as I did after the second one.

[Churaumi]

Looks like the rikishi needles are the same guage, but it makes sense they might need that extra half inch.

[Kishinoyama]

I had the Pfizer, the wife and our son had Moderna. I only had a sore, slightly swollen warm arm. The wife was tired after both shots with the same arm symptoms. Our son said he was fine after both shots. I am certain that he had the same symptoms with his arm but his Autism limits his desire to have a conversation.. 

[Kamitsuumi]

CDC has similar suggestions for needle length: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/general-recs/administration.html#t6_2

For >118kg, 38mm needles are recommended.

[Wamahada]

Due to Corona no spectators will be allowed at the Olympic Games. Any idea what this will mean to Sumo?

[Seiyashi]

1 minute ago, Wamahada said:

Due to Corona no spectators will be allowed at the Olympic Games. Any idea what this will mean to Sumo?

Nothing much, for multiple reasons: the Olympics takes place between basho, the NSK doesn't answer to the IOC, and most importantly, sumo has got about a year's worth of experience holding basho with corona safety measures in place. Worst case scenario if an emergency is declared (again) is, just hold a basho or part of it without spectators, as has happened repeatedly over this period (none in Osaka entirely last year, and none for the first three days last basho).

[Seiyashi]

Some corona-related updates:

Asahi reports that 7 people from Takasago beya, including shisho Takasago (ex-Asasekiryu) and Asanoyama have been infected with the coronavirus. A very weird touch of irony that it's after ex-Nishikijima and Asanoyama have been caught and disciplined for breach of guidelines, and at least in Asanoyama's case, presumably more abiding by them now, that they get infected.

Aki will take place in the Kokugikan as usual, with the 50% limit on spectators (therefore max 5000) in place. The November basho will be properly the Kyushu basho again, taking place in the Fukuoka Kokusai Centre, with a limit of 3,700 on spectators. The rules for spectators will be the same as in Tokyo. Sumo trains will not operate to ferry rikishi to Fukuoka (so same procedure as the decamping to Nagoya, I presume), and the banzuke will be announced in Tokyo.

[Churaumi]

Is anyone else feeling the schadenfreude that Asanoyama didn't get 'rona from violating protocols but gets it now? 

Seriously I hope the best and most harmless for them all. Sometimes you just have to chuckle at crap situations. Most times it's all you can do.

[Tsuchinoninjin]

On 27/07/2021 at 21:35, Churaumi said:

Is anyone else feeling the schadenfreude that Asanoyama didn't get 'rona from violating protocols but gets it now? 

Seriously I hope the best and most harmless for them all. Sometimes you just have to chuckle at crap situations. Most times it's all you can do.

Japan just broke their one day record for cases for the first time since April. The situation is a bit different now, essentially delta has arrived in force.

I think what Asanoyama did was dumb, but to punish him with a year ban then hold the olympics in the very same city some weeks later when cases are even more out of control is some kind of deep rooted insanity that is difficult to explain succinctly in written language.

Like in the US last winter, all the mandates weren't perfect but influenza was essentially eliminated and COVID still went nuts. And delta is even more infectious. That's how crazy this disease is and still the olympics roll on like some 'before-times' zombie.

[Seiyashi]

1 hour ago, Tsuchinoninjin said:

I think what Asanoyama did was dumb, but to punish him with a year ban then hold the olympics in the very same city some weeks later when cases are even more out of control is some kind of deep rooted insanity that is difficult to explain succinctly in written language.

That conflates the powers that be behind both situations, though. Asanoyama was punished by the NSK for violating the rules that would minimise damage if a basho took place, given the reality that they had to hold basho or go deeper into the red with no government support forthcoming. I'm actually fairly happy with the NSK regarding its corona measures, because those were actually very sane and fairly effective compared to their injury measures in place until very recently. That's bearing in mind that their objective is not to eliminate it entirely but make sure the basho can go on.

The Japanese government is sort of held hostage to the Olympics by the IOC with no real easy way out - it's either going ahead and risking more infections or losing a lot of money in sunk costs and damages. It's understandable why they went ahead as a default option, although one does wish (and I'm sure most Tokyoites wish so too) that their government had had a bit more gumption and was either more decisive in dealing with the pandemic, or had the cojones to just put their foot down to the IOC. It's not so much insanity or even incompetence, just a lack of, I don't know, drive? Vision? Direction?

Edited July 29, 2021 by Seiyashi