A magic on the increase of infected cases

This graph shows the number of cases with SARS CoV2 infection in different countries. The vertical axis is the number of cases while the horizontal is the days after reports have been made.

I could not help grinning at this graph. Because it clearly shows some intention has worked in the curve of Japan to pretend the number of infected cases is increasing slower than reality. Since the basic reproduction number of this virus is estimated 2.2, the number of cases should have increased in exponential way. In the sensitive societies, the increase of cases should be in the same way wherever it may be. Comparing it with those of the other countries, it is quite obvious. Of course, it is our government that has done it. In the beginning of the outbreak, the government hesitated to show the real number for China and Olympic Games. They might be optimistic for the expansion of the outbreak. They have not hold any meeting with professionals at the governmental office until the beginning of February even though there have been some cases and cases of death reported by the end of January. Their apparently legal but ethically wrong policy seemed to lessen, or limit the number of the test for diagnosis at clinical sites even though much more was possible. They pretended such as RT PCR test has not been of use for "screening" of the infected cases due to its marginal sensitivity as well as to the small number of infected cases in the society. In some cases, the test has been performed even in postmortem.

As stated before, the test RT PCR has been of use for the person tested, for the society and as the basic epidemiological data to evaluate certain administrative measures taken to do with the epidemic. 

But they still keep the test capability much lower than needed. At present, it seems they would like people not to know the truth in order to avoid panic among them. They might think this falsification of the data helps to hide the probable collapse of medical care system which is thought to happen with explosive outbreak of COVID19. This collapse is just a nightmare which is going on Northern Italy now.

The medical staff could be infected and won't be able to go on working to give medical service.

What the government is doing right now is to legislate to declare emergency in the country. It would limit private rights. I wonder what this authoritarianistic government is intending to do. No wonder, they would try to hide the reality of total failure for what they have done in the past. A nightmare is going on here in addition to COVID19 outbreak.

What makes me feel sad is that 40% or even more people in this country is still supportive to the government as for the measure they take for this outbreak. Wondering whether they are cast a spell, are indifferent to their own situation or have become dumb in the past years. The PM Abe is compared to a magician who finally fails his plot with this outbreak by NYT, though.