Swine Flu and Game Cancellations?

According to today's (May 18, 2009) Nikkan Sports (paper edition), several Kansai area sporting events have been canceled or postponed. Those include college baseball and the new Kansai Independent League games. Professional baseball for the next week at Kyocera Dome, Skymark (Kobe), and Koshien are still on, but that may change.

Hiroshima has moved from staying in Kobe to a hotel in downtown Osaka to start off inter-league play as the outbreak seems to be concentrated in Kobe. I had read that fans at Kyocera Dome were asked not to shoot off jetto fusen (the long balloons) so as to prevent possible spreading of germs.

The H1N1 influenza has "skyrocketed" in the Kansai area to 52 cases. (I saw a notice in the 1990s about the "cocaine epidemic" hitting Tokyo where there were 30+ cases in one year!) Wearing typical cold masks has become standard in most places where there is a lot of human interaction (like supermarkets, stores, and sporting events). Is it overreaction / alarmist? Looking through all of the hype, what's left appears to be that this strain of flu is no more or less likely to kill than any other - it's just that there is no vaccine against it.

Still, with this new type of flu in the air or not, one should still practice good hygiene, wash hands with soap after returning home and gargle. The kids have been told that since kindergarten, yet they still only grudgingly wash their hands. Will this change it? I've been a good example with the washing the hands part, now I'm trying to be so with the gargling as well.

- The H1N1 influenza has "skyrocketed" in the Kansai area to 52 cases. (I saw a notice in the 1990s about the "cocaine epidemic" hitting Tokyo where there were 30+ cases in one year!) Wearing typical cold masks has become standard in most places where there is a lot of human interaction (like supermarkets, stores, and sporting events). Is it overreaction / alarmist? Looking through all of the hype, what's left appears to be that this strain of flu is no more or less likely to kill than any other - it's just that there is no vaccine against it.

10,000 confirmed cases, 80 deaths. Less than a 1% fatality rate. I'd say it's alarmist. [World Health Organization]

My in-laws were here in California a couple weeks ago, and upon arrival back at Narita, someone came on the plane in a radiation suit and tested all the passengers. My in-laws were actually concerned about it.

I've always found the Japanese to be pretty alarmist about this stuff, BSE, SARS, and now this one.

But on the other hand, Japan has a dense population, so I could see the risk of transmission being higher than average. And they aren't the only alarmist ones; here in Northern California there were schools that were closed for up to a week.

I highly doubt that NPB will cancel any games. I'd be shocked if they did now that inter-league play is right around the corner.

Enjoy your game and Koshien Stadium. And if you're looking for something to eat, why not try Koshien's Curry and Rice? It's pretty good and is special only to Koshien Stadium. I know that Curry and Rice is not typical baseball food but it'll make the experience all the better IMHO.

I have a close relationship with the president of the Orix Buffaloes and he has said that they are not planning on canceling any games up until the end of the month. I'm not sure the reasoning of this, but this is what came out of the meeting they had at the Dome on Sunday. They may require masks after this point.