That's one thing most people don't know about virus and why it is dangerous, it mutates. The more it spreads, the more it mutates. Sometimes when it mutates, it becomes stronger. Sometimes it becomes weaker. Though I may not be right, but I think the reason we have a lot less cases and deaths in Asia (with the exception of China) than in the West was because the strains of Covid-19 here are a lot less lethal in the West just because here in Asia, most countries already started doing something against it early on back in January once they saw what was happening in China. By reducing the spread early on, the strains of the Covid-19 coronavirus here were not able to transform into a deadlier strain that we see in the Western world. Another reason for less deaths here in Asia is maybe because the people here are just healthier than the people out in the West. Anyhow this is just my theory. I am not saying it is a proven fact.
The Difference Between the US and Malaysia When Dealing with the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
What is the difference between the US and Malaysia when dealing with the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic? Well, it is like black and white. While the number of the coronavirus infections and deaths continues to increase in the US (United States of America), a lot of people are protesting against the lockdown; on the other hand, here in Malaysia as the government is about to start to reopen the economy and lift the lockdown, more than 250, 000 signatures were garnered at Change.org in order to file a petition to stop the measures from being partially lifted. This is despite the number of cases being much lower than in the US with just 6,353 compared to 1.19 million and number of deaths which is 105 compared to 68,565.
Also the city of Penang, where I got stuck during the lockdown for the seventh week now, postponed reopening the economy and still continued with the full lockdown (or movement control order (MCO) . Eventually the plan is to lift the lockdown on May 12, and yet there is a talk, it might even get extended to two more weeks. Mind you, the economy of Malaysia is also being affected tremendously. This just shows how serious this country, its government and its peoples about controlling the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus.
The Difference Between East Asians and Other Asians (such as Southeast and South Asians)
The Big Difference Between East Asians and Other Asians
Here's something I've noticed. What is the big difference between East Asians (China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, I will include Singapore since they have a big population of Ethnic Chinese. I might also include Vietnam (from the historical perspective, their culture is almost like China) and other Asians (Indonesia (has a small percentage of ethnic Chinese, Thailand (more ethnic Chinese whose intermarriage with the Thais made them more Thais), Malaysia (23.4 percent are Ethnic Chinese), Philippines, well you get the picture.
With East Asian countries, they to do things for the collective good. They care about their society than being individualistic. So that's the reason that when a government tells them to do something that's beneficial for them, they do it. That's the reason these countries are able to deal with this coronavirus effectively. But other countries, the people, all they care are themselves (I am talking about individualism). That's probably the reason despite the governments telling them to do this and that, and yet they don't follow. This is just my opinion based on knowing and interacting with different kinds of people and having lived in these countries. The thing is no system of thought is perfect, but sometimes we can learn from other cultures too and how they do things.
And this is one of the main reasons why I decided to stay here in Asia (Malaysia) instead of going home back to the US. I feel much safer here. They really take this problem really seriously here. No one thinks about their economy first. They think about the lives of the people first before anything else. What's the point of having an economy if a lot of lives are lost, if a lot of people are unhealthy. As I talked to someone who survived the swine flu, she told me that we might lose money or a job, but we can get them back, but health and life, these are things we cannot get back once we lose them.
Check the link to an article below to see the difference between how the US and Asia are handling the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/im-back-home-in-the-u-s-from-asia-and-shocked-and-angered-that-all-americans-arent-taking-coronavirus-seriously/?fbclid=IwAR1pZaAuoRY66b27WoeM0ZvdwxFLFhlFJVxi21S8GL2Z2rThepzJ5q-tv2s
This Is As Real As It Gets With The Covid-19 Coronavirus
"I was just doing my job and I have done everything I can by wearing masks and cleaning my hands" See the link below about someone's experience with the Covid-19 Coronavirus in Hong Kong. This is as real as it gets. For those of you who still think this is all overblown. I can't believe the misinformation and disinformation and people who think they know more than the scientists in different parts of the world studying this virus as they learn more about it. Just so you know, the virus has already mutated into different strains, which makes it more dangerous. I think since here in Asia (with the exception of China), they have less deaths than in Europe and North and South America, it's because the countries were able to control the spread, making the strains of the virus here a little less dangerous than the strains of the virus outside Asia since Western countries pretty much downplayed the whole thing until it was too late.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3082597/coronavirus-musician-hong-kongs-covid-19-bar?utm_content=article&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1588468628
Does Mask Really Protect You From the Covid-19 Coronavirus?
I saw some postings from some people on my Facebook that they refuse to wear a mask. I think the main reason we had less coronavirus cases here in Asia (with the exception of China) is because of the mask. The rest of the world did not realize this until it is too late, and suddenly the rest of the world, outside of Asia, has more cases and deaths than they can handle. As for me, I started putting a mask on as soon as I found out what's going on in China, having knowledge of what a virus is capable of doing and at the same time, friends from China and Hong Kong started warning me about it, knowing that I traveled a lot and am was more likely to encounter a lot of people along the way. I tell you, a mask is very effective. I have allergies. Back in China, I had to deal with pollution. Without the mask, I would get really sick when the pollution was so bad. But with the mask on, I was able to handle the pollution. In Thailand, they also would have the burning season, and without the mask, the pollution would affect my my breathing really bad. Mind you, it is easy for me to get bronchitis. At the same time, I used to have asthma when I was a kid. So in a way, I am susceptible to any kind of respiratory illnesses and viruses. That's why I care about posting these warnings and getting on people's posting of misinformation and disinformation. Even the Malaysian government, Thai government and Vietnamese government can send you to jail for posting these because these things can create chaos rather than social order. Without social order, the coronavirus pandemic can become a lot more disastrous. That's why these countries have so much less cases than in Western countries.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3082635/coronavirus-all-hongkongers-be-given-masks-can-be?utm_content=article&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1588485874
What the Lockdown Is Meant to Do
This was written by someone here in Malaysia. I don't think everyone knows what the lockdown is meant to do. This person explained it really well. Dear All , This is an important message for all ! For those who are arguing on both sides that we must open now or it is too soon to open, *this is the most important thing you need to know*. Here's the most asked question to answer: *When will it be SAFE to end the lockdown, to re-emerge?* *May 1st? Or May 15th?* *Or June end? Or July end? Or August?* Here's the real answer: *Never*. *It will never be "SAFE.*” Why ? Social distancing, staying at home, all of these measures - were these not meant to "cure" Covid-19 ? *No at all ! These were measures to slow it down, so as to not overwhelm our healthcare system*. For the most part, so far we've done that. However it should be clearly understood that It does not change the virality of Covid-19 ; or how it spreads from one person to another. *Nor does it have any effect on the mortality rate*. *It was intended to just delay it until we find a PERMANENT CURE .* A very important point to note here is that - As soon as we re-emerge, the virus will spread again, & the people with weak immune systems will still succumb to it in large nos . *This is a harsh fact which all of us have to realise .* The people who missed it this time, may eventually get it - regardless of whether we re-emerge on May 1st or September 30th ...... *What is it , that we need to do now ?* We need to protect our healthcare system in every possible way to handle the load, but we don't need to mislead ourselves over the outcome of this quarantine. *Hard Truth of life now is* - *It is slowing it down, but not curing it.* Eg : If you're driving to Alor Setar from Kuala Lumpur at 50 miles an hour or 100 miles an hour, the distance doesn't change, does’t it ??? Therefore the need of the hour now is - *if our lifestyle is causing you to have a weakened immune system, use this lockdown time to correct that*. This should be one of our major resolutions / actionables now without any doubt ! *Otherwise, you've placed a “heavy target “ on your own back* *which will be very difficult to carry* ... Youngsters as well as older *people should understand & make sure that this is not the time for indulging in comfort food* - but it's a time to give ourselves the healthiest, most robust immune system our body is capable of. *How can this be achieved*? 1 - By Having healthy , nutritious food , 2 - Compulsory, 8-hour, night sleep. - drink lime water ( warm water ) daily morning without fail ; 3 - Not having refrigerated or aerated drinks ; 4 - Detox yourself everyday & 5 - maintain social distancing for next couple of weeks/ even months until we have a vaccine or definite, standardized, proven medicine that ensures rapid cure. It's as simple as this !!! Hope you all understand that this is just the beginning & not the end . We need to be careful about ourselves by maintaining really good healthy & hygienic habits in this lockdown period ! *Stay Indoors ! Stay Safe !* Got this via WhatsApp.
The Truth about Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic. The Truth Doesn't Lie.
The Lowdown About the Covid-19 Coronavirus Based on my Own Calculation Using Google to Research the Numbers, and Then I calculated it myself. The thing is all these people who are just posting anything that goes with what they believe in are not using their brains, common sense and logical reasoning. Maybe their beliefs are based on emotion since they're desperate to go back to normalcy. When posting something. Do the following. Check the info, analyze them and see if it makes sense. Don't take it at face value. Question it. Pull it apart. Analyze. It is so easy to post without thinking of the consequences. Without doing this, it is all misinformation and disinformation.
Stats for Coronavirus as of April 28, 2020
US (this is with the lockdown, a big population of 331,002,651) 1,010,507 cases 56,803 deaths Almost 6 percent fatality rate, so that is equivalent to 1 out of 20. So for every 20 people who get infected, 1 will die. So would you or your loved ones be willing to be one out of those 20?
Sweden (no lockdown, very small population of 10.23 million) 19,621 cases 2,355 deaths With no lockdown, the fatality rate is 12 percent. That is in a small country in which the cities are not as crowded as in the US. So that would be more than one person dies for every ten people who get infected. Does this make sense to you all who are just making it worse than it is right now? I did this not just for a project I am doing now but also for myself since I travel a lot, and I need to figure out what risk I have if I continue to travel.
Why This Covid-19 Is Deadlier than You Think
The Lowdown About the Covid-19 Coronavirus Based on my Own Calculation Using Google to Research the Numbers, and Then I calculated it myself. The thing is all these people who are just posting anything that goes with what they believe in are not using their brains, common sense and logical reasoning. Maybe their beliefs are based on emotion since they're desperate to go back to normalcy. When posting something. Do the following. Check the info, analyze them and see if it makes sense. Don't take it at face value. Question it. Pull it apart. Analyze. It is so easy to post without thinking of the consequences. Without doing this, it is all misinformation and disinformation.
Stats for Coronavirus as of April 28, 2020
US (this is with the lockdown, a big population of 331,002,651) 1,010,507 cases 56,803 deaths Almost 6 percent fatality rate, so that is equivalent to 1 out of 20. So for every 20 people who get infected, 1 will die. So would you or your loved ones be willing to be one out of those 20?
Sweden (no lockdown, very small population of 10.23 million) 19,621 cases 2,355 deaths With no lockdown, the fatality rate is 12 percent. That is in a small country in which the cities are not as crowded as in the US. So that would be more than one person dies for every ten people who get infected. Does this make sense to you all who are just making it worse than it is right now? I did this not just for a project I am doing now but also for myself since I travel a lot, and I need to figure out what risk I have if I continue to travel.
Even though China is Back to Normal, Social Distance is Still the Norm
Even though the lockdown has already been lifted in China and everything is going back to normal over there, it doesn't mean they cannot remain vigilant. They're still practicing social distancing. They still have to wear a mask wherever they go outside. Also their body temperatures are still being checked whenever they enter a public space. In addition, they have to show an app on their phone that shows that they're negative from Coronavirus. If it shows positive, they're immediately taken to a quarantine area. I asked some friends back there about this.
https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3081745/coronavirus-chinese-school-gives-pupils-hat-tip-teach-them-how?utm_content=article&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1587986161
The Lockdown in Malaysia Has Been Extended Until May 14, 2020. Now What?
The lockdown in Malaysia was supposed to end tomorrow but it has been extended for the third time until May 14, so I will be here at least for the next two weeks, and if I get an automatic visa extension, probably until end of May 2020. So anyway now that travel is going to be unsafe and restricted, I am now looking for a job in Asia, get a working visa and just stay in one country instead of hopping from one country to another every month or every three months. More likely I might end up going back to China. This Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed my plan of traveling to a lot of countries here in Asia. The way I see it, even if there is no lockdown or restriction on travel, while there is no vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus, I don't think it is a great idea to be traveling around and more likely spreading the virus all over the place. So for now, I am just gonna lay low for a while. Somehow since an opportunity just came up in China for me. Maybe it was meant to be that I should go back to China. Maybe it is destiny..
A Virus Can Mutate, so It is Better to Err with Caution
Sometimes the government has to do what it has to do to protect the rest of its people by being very strict. The health of its people is more important than personal freedom. Pretty much one person's irresponsible action can lead to the the sickness and deaths of a lot of people. For people who don't know virus, the more the virus spreads, the more likely it will mutate. The more it mutates, either it gets stronger or weaker. And that's what's happening now. There are now many strains of the virus. But based on some new findings about how it behaves, there is a possibility that it is not getting weaker but becoming stronger. So there is a possibility that by the time a vaccine is developed, that vaccine is not effective anymore since the virus has already become much more powerful than the vaccine. This is the worst case scenario. In most cases, it is better to err with caution.
The 1918 Spanish Flu Might Repeat Itself in the US with the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
I have a feeling history is about to repeat itself, especially with these people protesting the lockdown. Some people never learned. For those people who are still criticizing what the governments are doing, not just in your country but also other countries. Ignorance and stupidity are the two things that almost always get them into trouble.
And please respect the people who are trying to save your life..
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/22/opinions/denver-1918-lesson-avlon/index.html?utm_content=2020-04-22T23%3A00%3A09&utm_term=link&utm_medium=social&utm_source=fbCNN
Why There Are Less Cases of the Covid-19 Coronavirus Cases in Asia (With the Exception of China) than in the West
The reason why a lot of countries in Asia have less coronavirus cases is because the citizens are following the rules. Some don't even have to be told. They already knew what to do. As for other few countries in Asia, where some of the population don't follow the rules, the governments started becoming stricter, sending the people who break the social distancing measures to jail, fining them or both.
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3080764/coronavirus-lockdowns-are-not-reason-hong-kong-and?utm_content=article&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1587424521
Shooting a Vertical Video is Quite Hard.
Shooting a vertical video is quite hard. When it comes to composition, it feels restricted due to its narrow field of view, limiting the “mise en scene” we usually get from the cinematic field of view of a movie we see in a movie theater or a wide screen television. Definitely I am not used to it since I am more of a filmmaker that usually shoots on aspect ratios: I 1.85:1 and 2.39:1, but I have to train myself to be able to do it on this format, especially if the format is for the phone. This especially applies to IGTV or Instagram Story. Not to mention TikTok. Actually now Netflix is experimenting with mobile-first features such vibrating movies. In addition, Spotify is releasing vertical music videos. Finally, Chinese production companies are now making dramas for the phone using the vertical format. For sure, this is the future. But it doesn't mean we will lose the horizontal video format. As long as we have televisions and movie theaters, these horizontal formats are here to stay, but on the other hand, filmmakers like me need to adapt and learn how to make a film too using the vertical format. And if it is possible, it would be nice to shoot every project both ways, but that would be a lot more work. Anyway I think there are projects which are suitable only for vertical format and there are projects which are only suitable for horizontal format. On the other hand, a project can be done for both, but it will involve two creative approaches which, I think, are way different from each other. As for me, I have to retrain myself to learn how to shoot a film or video using the vertical video format, but the only way to learn is by shooting a lot more vertical videos. Maybe even try to shoot a fictional short film. I think, doing a vertical documentary video is easier than doing a fictional short film or even a feature length film in a vertical format. So expect to see more vertical videos from me, but I think my choice of using the vertical video format will depend on the subject matter and its intended outlet such as IGTV. I am even considering doing micro film (less than a minute) for TikTok. Let’s see how it goes.
“Liberate” In the Midst of a Global Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic.
People with assault weapons protesting against the lockdown. And with the word "Liberate." It looks like a civil war or an armed revolution waiting to happen in the US in addition to the coronavirus pandemic. OMG. While I was in Hong Kong as soon as I heard the word "liberate" that's when the protests started happening. It started as a peaceful protest. Then it became more violent. Good thing, the protesters had no assault weapons or any guns because gun laws over there are very strict. They just improvised with whatever they could make to fight against the police. I mean, I am not taking sides with what happened in Hong Kong when I was there during the protest since it wasn't my problem. I was just a foreigner there. But I am just giving an example how the word “liberate” can start something like a protest, a revolution or even a civil war. Usually this word “liberate” is a catalyst for something violent.
How Vietnam, Like Taiwan, Was Able to Control The Spread of the Covid-19 Coronavirus
Just like Taiwan, they already prepared as early as January too as soon as they found out about the coronavirus in China. Preparation is the key.
https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/16/835748673/in-vietnam-there-have-been-fewer-than-300-covid-19-cases-and-no-deaths-heres-why
Malaysia Is Strict With The Lockdown (or MCO) But For Its Own Good
$230 fine if you violate the lockdown rules. If you don't pay right away, you can go to court and might even go to jail here in Malaysia as well as more fine since it increases cumulatively. And there's only more than 5000 cases and less than 100 deaths here. Now why the fuck this country became more restricted? Just because this country cares enough that they don't want to become another country in which the coronavirus virus cases went up so high, and now it is out of control. And I like that. I feel safer here than in the US. And no, this is not a Communist country. It is a democratic country with three major religions and three major ethnic groups who seem to get along really well. They even called their lockdown "movement control order" so that its citizens don't feel like they are in a prison.
https://paultan.org/2020/04/10/mco-violators-must-pay-within-2-weeks-or-go-to-court/
Malaysia Distributed Millions of Masks For Protection Against the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
Got these masks from the government here for free. They were distributed to every house in the neighborhood. It is not N95, but it is second best to N95 when it comes to protection from the Coronavirus. Now the government here seems to be even stricter since the cases have increased to more than 5000. A lot of people have been arrested and sent to jail for violation of the social distancing rules. You can really see how serious they are about the Coronavirus here.You rarely now see people talking without having at least six feet between them and with their masks on. On the other hand, I saw some videos of people back in the US speaking to each other without their masks on and very close to each other. No wonder there are so many cases over there. Then at the same time, add those people who are saying that this is overblown and who act like shitheads. Now put those two together, and what you got there is a real catastrophe. Glad to be here in Asia, where I feel much safer.
Be More Afraid of the Idiots Than the Covid-19 Coronavirus Itself During this Pandemic
I tell you there are way too many idiots out there. What they do is to find information from so called experts to support their claims that this virus is not a big deal. And they read blogs from medium.com which is pretty much like a site that gives any idiot a chance to become bloggers and make themselves look like experts. For those idiots, here is what you can do to prove that your claim is right, go to a hospital near you, spend some time over there with no protection whatsoever, even do a video of what's going on in the hospital to prove your point. You can use your phone to shoot the video. Show what's really going on, what you've been saying all along. Expose what you say is overblown. Show what you say is a conspiracy or a hoax. Even interview the doctors and nurses and ask them what's really going on. That is my challenge to you. Come on. Do it. Maybe if you get to prove your point, we might even consider you as a hero, who helps us see the light at the end of the tunnel. If you don't do that, you are spreading misinformation that some other idiots might believe and get this problem worse than it is now. I am no expert, but I use common sense. The truth is I am more scared of these idiotic people than the virus itself. They're the ones who are gonna fuck up what everyone is working on to help slow down the spread of this virus. If you know these people, avoid them like a plague (for the lack of a better word).
Too Many People Don't Have Common Sense Dealing with the Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic
Too many people out there don't have any fucking common sense. And that's the thing that is going to make this pandemic worse. I think these people should party with the same people who believe the same thing they do, that this is all overblown and do a video of their party. Just don't involve other people otherwise who care about living and their health. Just stay among yourselves. Then in a few weeks, maybe two weeks, do another video of yourselves and let's see if you have any missing people among your group after a few weeks or a few days. I think it would be a great challenge for you. But if you don't do it, you're all talk, no action. Or maybe you still have a little bit of common sense. Right now, a lot of the postings from my friends on my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter are about their friends and loved ones getting sick and dying. This is all over the world.
