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Chip Star
This is going to come as a shock to a lot of Japanese people, but preventing this diseases, and others, from spreading requires you to wash your hands with soap and water for more than a second.
You cannot flick your hand under the water and thing it’s sufficient. Gargling and wearing masks also does not prevent you from contracting viruses or bacteria.
Let’s look at this situation reasonably and respond with scientifically proven methods to deal with it instead of some nonsense that makes you feel better.
Disillusioned
I said from day one that Japan's quarantine procedures were inadequate. Putting all their faith in paper dust masks is absurd!
Patricia Yarrow
Great advice, Chip Star. I am starting to regard the wearing of white masks more as "virtue signaling" than actually an effective response.
kurisupisu
When the virus takes off in the densely populated cities it will be a nightmare.
Jijitsu
Wouldn't it do good to feclare a statewide holiday like a lockdown for 3 weeks proactively, advising people not to socialize unnecessarily. Maybe it will control the spread.
I think the government should not wait until this reaches an epidemic status.
Knowing what happened in China, it could escalate quickly here too. The economy could take a greater hit then.
Better be safe than sorry.
Chip Star
Thanks, but I can’t take credit for it. I just did cursory research instead of blindly following the group, which is what a lot of Japanese people do.
That is all it is, at best. At worst it’s a “fashion” statement.
gokai_wo_maneku
The mortality rate is 1% (mostly elderly and people with pre-existing conditions. Seems to spread like any other flu. What's the big deal with this coronavirus?
John Beara
The mask help.. just need to know which one to wear, it's the m3 n95
kurisupisu
Anything which prevents facial contact is an aid in preventing infection.
Gargling will decrease the level of bacteria in the mouth.Doctors recommend that patients do this.
It won’t prevent infection but it may lessen it....
Yubaru
It has also been reported locally that this taxi driver was in contact with 50 passengers after the one that she carried from the Diamond Princess.
The authorities are looking into these people and all the other people she may have been in contact besides them.
The government had better keep things open, information wise, on this issue!
Chip Star
Contact with your own face? You can touch your cheek all you want, just keep your fingers out of your mouth, eyes, ears, and nose.
Japanese doctors may recommend this, but there is zero scientific evidence that it is effective for decreasing the level of bacteria in the mouth unless you add salt or iodine to the water, which the vast majority of people do not do.
JJ Jetplane
@kurisupisu
Sadly, that is not true. The level of filtration matters. Regular masks don't have enough filters to prevent the virus from going through.
However, masks in Japan are like cold medication. While cold medication doesn't actually work, it does offer a placebo effect that helps your body maintain its strength to defeat the cold virus. Masks might help with that for people in asia.
Chip Star
Agreed. The placebo effect does not work on people who educate themselves instead of blindly following the group.
fillmore2
It's time for career politicians to get out of the way of the experts. stop having .....meetings, and these non-sense press conference without a plan, let the experts take over before it's too late.
Yubaru
Japan is behind in prevention for sure, and it's also behind other countries in the region in how people deal with this in their daily lives!
Recently a number of coworkers went to Taiwan for a business trip, EVERYONE was wearing masks, and prior to entering any restaurant they had their hands sprayed with an alcohol disinfectant and everyone had their temperatures taken as well, prior to being allowed in the establishment.
They also noted that these precautions were taken at banks, post offices, and any other places where large numbers of people congregate!
Personally speaking I would love to have the hospitals here use the thermometers that they use in China, the one's they just put up to the forehead and take the temp, rather than having to stick one under my arm pit every time I need to see a doctor, even when I am going for a broken finger!
virusrex
That is practically impossible, most people do it without being aware, probably even yourself. Washing hands works as long as you do it as soon as possible after touching a contaminated surface, people on the daily commute on the train do not have that luxury.
Also, ears? do you just include body parts at random?
Your comment is the one that is demonstrably not true, viruses are not tiny flying bugs that move on their own, so any physical barrier that can stop contact with the secretions they are contained in is perfectly useful in preventing transmission. Touching your masked is hugely more safe than touching it directly, same as after washing your hands (and neither is 100% effective)
Your ideas about placebos and cold medication are wrong. Cold medication fights the symptoms, and do actually work (for example reducing fever, cough, pain, etc.) placebo is something that by itself have no effect but people think does, so in a very limited way feel somewhat better. All kinds of medication offer a placebo effect on top of their actual effect.
A correct use of a mask also actually helps, but exactly the same as washing hands it has to be done properly, both can be completely useless if people don't take care of using a correct technique but that does not make the measure itself a "placebo".
Michael Machida
It would have been smart if the Japanese Government blocked all Chinese visitors from coming to Japan like America did. Thoughts?
stormcrow
Frightening yet fascinating about how viruses move around.
Disillusioned
Yeah, and replace it every 20 minutes because as soon as it gets moist it becomes an environment suitable for viruses to thrive with fresh air, moisture and warmth. This means, you are more likely to get sick if you wear a mask than if you don't wear one. Japanese high schools are a very good example of this. They make all students and faculty wear masks during the flu season, but every year 30-50% of the students and faculty end up with the flu in schools that demand they wear face masks, which is the same for schools that do not demand face masks to be worn. This clearly shows that masks to bugger all to prevent the spread of viruses.
MarkX
We can debate the merits of masks all day, but maybe by just wearing one it does prevent yourself from touching your nose or mouth. With that physical barrier, you won't be tempted to, thus reducing the risk of infecting yourself.
Of course washing your hands thoroughly is of the most importance, but again as another poster noted if you are on a train from Haneda to Narita, in the evening, it takes almost 1.5 hours. When and where are you supposed to wash your hands if you think you have touched a contaminated surface.
Let's face it, unless you wear a damn hazmat suit, this virus will spread and all anybody can do is try to be as careful as possible. If people want to wear a mask and it makes them feel better, but they are still taking other precautions, I don't see the point in beating them up over it.
kurisupisu
Masks limit infections-a simple fact.
Otherwise, doctors and nurses in hospitals would not be wearing them
vanityofvanities
Viruses are not bacterias. They are strange creatures - Something in between living and non-living existences. It is said they die in unsuitable situations for them but they revive when the situations return. They mutate and helped mutations and progresses of human genes, I read somewhere. Anyway, we have to wait until the vaccines are made.
Fighto!
Turn back the planes from PRC NOW!
Meiyouwenti
The Health minister believes the coronavirus “has yet to reach a state of an epidemic “
It’s obvious that the Abe government is not serious about protecting Japanese lives from the virus, which seems far more infectious than previously thought. An immediate ban on all inbound travelers from China is the least Abe can do to contain the epidemic.
mu-da
The CDC does NOT recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory viruses, including 2019-nCoV.
This is the result of letting people go home untested who were brought back from China and other bad decisions like just waiting and doing nothing. What really would help is shutting down all educational facilities and places of assembly and enforce teleworking. The overcrowded trains in Japanese cities should be the main focus of preventation. Unless government officials get their head out of the sand this will get much worse.
Paul Laimal-Convoy
Masks can help in two areas:
1/ They can prevent moisture, continuing viruses contacting your face (and your nose, eyes, mouth etc), so can give limited protection from sneezes or coughs by others.
2/ They can protect others from YOUR coughs.
However, even at this level, the overhaul effectiveness in preventing viral infection is quite low. Globally, doctors have stated that regularly washing your hands with soap (and/or alcoholic santiser), coughing into the crook of your arm (or hand, providing you wash them afterwards ASAP), avoid touching your face and (of ill) staying at home and not going to work are the best ways to avoid infection.
kwatt
Seasonal influenza kills about 1,000 - 2,000 (most of elderly ) people in Japan. Corona virus killed one elderly woman so far and maybe a little more would die of it. I'm more scared of influenza than corona virus. It seems very strong to infect but not strong to kill many.
Maria 'Bing' Velasquez Reid
Turn back the boat! Why is it still there?!
Ah_so
It may already be too late for that to stop the spread in Japan. I would guess that there are at least a hundred infected people out there.
NorwegianboyEE
I’m not in Japan anymore, (and thank god for that all things considered.) but i’ve been there enough to predict from the very first report of the taxi driver being infected that the disease would spread in Japan like a spark in the dry savanna igniting a wildfire. All these infected people have most likely taken the commuter at some point, making all the passengers there future vectors. The very way Japan works can almost be seen as a metociously designed environment for highly infectious diseases to ravage. Combine that with a overly traditional and conservative, but useless governmemt, and it spells out a recipe for disaster.
and yes, it needs to be said. Those thin paper masks won’t do a thing. Moisture can easily pass through, and even so it’s been proven the virus can spread by going through people’s eyes. Just covering the mouth is not enough.
kwatt
Many Japanese wear face mask because of seasonal pollen allergy every year. Mask is very good prevention for pollen. However a little more people would wear mask because of cause of corona virus spread though.
Flute
So since we now know there is several cluster in Japan, can people stop with the hate stuff ? Surd Japan messed up for some stuff but well, the virus was spreading around in Japan even before it was known that human to human transmission was possible. So well...
rgcivilian1
@This is going to come as a shock to a lot of Japanese people, but preventing this diseases, and others, from spreading requires you to wash your hands with soap and water for more than a second
More importantly than your post is the well known, open sneezing aka blasting, nose picking wiping mucus and coughing phlem spat everywhere. Proper hygiene and etiquette will go a much longer distance.
theFu
Anyone remember the Japanese flu season of 2009? Somewhere around 20% of the Japanese population caught the flu that season. A little over 200 people died.
Normal Flu spreads easier than Wu-Flu does.
In some parts of the world, before effective vaccines existed for Chicken Pox, mothers would learn about a child who caught it, then schedule a gathering to bring all their friends over and get the disease out of the way. Perhaps that should be the plan for this wu-flu too?
William77
Unfortunately Japan is paying the price to be geographically close to China and to have strong economical ties that brings lot’s of it’s citizens in prolonged contact with many Chinese or even live there.
So in this case it’s really nobody’s fault I think.
Let’s just hope that the local authorities can track down every subject and contain the disease.
mrbaberunee
60 flights from various cities in China arriving at Osaka airport today, maybe 12 cancelled.
Tokyo-Engr
It is now too late to stop travelers from China. This should have been done a couple of weeks ago (and still that may have been too late).
From what I understand the size of this virus is 140 nano-meter. Unless the mask is capable of this level of filtration (most of what I have seen in Japan are not) then the mask will not prevent infection. Also I see many people wearing a mask on the train, get off the train, remove the mask, hold the handrail an escalator, and then immediately touch their face. I have really seen this more than 3 times. This would negate any benefits of the mask even if it was capable of filtering the virus. I think this shows a lack of understanding.
I am now in Singapore and here the government seems to be very, very open even showing the location of all infections on TV with detailed / unemotional reporting which is fact based. Apparently after SARS in 2003 (I had a business trip here during that as well) they have had drills for this every year and have also established Standard Operating Procedures and Recommended Practices which they implemented.
There are constant announcements about washing hands and the guy doing the announcements was one of the leading doctors who fought SARS here. His top recommendations start with hand washing, use of alcohol on hands (which penetrates better than soap and kills the virus), opening windows in taxis to allow a fresh air "purge", and not staying in public areas longer than necessary.
The recommendation on masks is to wear to prevent spread to others as they are stating clearly they are unlikely to prevent infection unless they are the proper type (which now cannot be found anywhere). The government asked people not to wear masks unless they are at risk of infecting others (the mask would not filter out all virus but would reduce the expelled airborne particulates). This is now being openly debated here with four doctors recommending all wear masks.
naturalmystic
Wearing a masks helps in that we touch our faces less.
Disillusioned
It is not a simple fact at all! Doctors and nurses wear 12x surgical masks that are designed to stop the spread of viruses and they are changed every 15-20 minutes during surgery. People are wearing paper dust masks that are not designed to stop the spread of viruses and believe they offer protection due to false media reports and urban myths. That is the simple fact!
This is also incorrect. The flu virus is a contact virus. Some reports have stated coronavirus is airborne, which are completely false. If this was the case, half of the world would already be infected. The masks create the perfect environment for a virus to live. People are always touching their masks to remove them for eating, drinking or speaking. Human saliva is anti-bacterial. The hairs in the human noise are designed to catch and kill viruses. This is why your breathe is hotter when exhaling through your nose. Most flu infections occur through the eyes. People have their little bacteria factory mask on their face, they touch it and then scratch their eyes. Boom! They have the flu! As for coughing on others. A cold and flu virus only lives for 24-48 hours in the human body. By the time people start coughing and sneezing the virus is already dead.
8T
100 percent correct!
8T
How many Japanese guys I see everyday using the toilet, only to wash 3 fingers with icy cold water, then shake their hand to dry or dry off on their pants or use a dirty handkerchief in their pocket..........
TheLongTermer
I had the flu in Japan before, working at a place with lot of overtime and stressed out, never been so sick in my life. The flu here is no joke. This strain, who knows
Stay healthy as you can
Tokyo-Engr
Here is an interesting article about the lab in Wuhan. I draw no conclusions just add it to the pile of information I have been accumulating. One good point in the article is the 4th photo down showing a 3M mask capable of filtrating the virus being properly worn (not loose fitting, straps which hold the mask tightly against the skin, and finally the mask is completely over the nose above the bridge of the nose so there are no gaps.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8003713/China-appoints-military-bio-weapon-expert-secretive-virus-lab-Wuhan.html
kurisupisu
@Dillusioned
I’ll keep wearing my mask as nurses and doctors recommend-I have plenty of them.....
Akie
Urgently, Japan needs to identify the source of the virus.
Alexandre T. Ishii
I don't know why people have to use masks like this: to avoid virus be infiltrated the respiratory organs or not to transmit diseases to others. Off course most are wearing masks not to be transmitted or to avoid the virus be infiltrated. As much I can see from the news it is unavoidable that way, as professionals also were affected. My point of wear a mask is: spray alcohol at the edges of the mask before wearing it or just apply direct alcohol around the nose and mouth before wearing the mask...Isn't that working better anti-virus?
SaikoPhysco
Wonder what Bill Burr thinks about preventing the spread of this virus?
Strangerland
They did; China.
TheLongTermer
I watched a Japanese guy sneeze, no mask and no covering his mouth, being down wind of that, who knows.
In this case im sure a mask would help prevent spreads and some protection.
Strangerland
It’s called the Wuhan virus for a reason.
sf2k
Do you think the taxi driver wasn't wearing a mask or wearing gloves?
Akie
The good news is that China already has man made antibody against the virus.
William77
No wonder that some of the worst kind of diseases come from China.
I remember when I traveled to Shangai back in 2010 most of the small streets in the centre of the city were extremely dirty and the shoppers had little to no hygiene to preserve their products.
The best solution as many western countries did already is to limit or completely stop any flight from and to China main land.
Tokyo-Engr
@Akie
I agree it is possible your post is true. I also agree with the posts from Strangerland.
Numan
If this gets worst, Japanese people will start blaming everything and everybody but themselves. I have begun to see how people like in this picture distance themselves from others on the train. I have also started to notice how mostly older Japanese people usually men look at non-Japanese asians differently when they are on the train now. Sometimes it is frown, sometimes they move away, and sometimes they will tell their friend to look too.
Luckily, no one has experienced any outbursts or physical confrontations; and hopefully, no one will.
J-gov has been dropping the ball big time on this situations.
It is like Fukushima, but harder to ignore and cover up!
quercetum
Will it work for sheeples then?
peladon
The virus has not yet peaked in China, it will take another two months based on extrapolations.
With the infection bloom just beginning in Tokyo, Hokkaido and Wakayama, expect it to peak here around June.
The Chinese will not be the only asians who will not go to the games......
Jimizo
Source, please.
Tokyo-Engr
@Numan
What you observe is not limited to Japanese. In Singapore the Singaporean Chinese are distancing themselves from mainland China (it is not hard to distinguish due to language, intonations, and mannerisms). On the news here I am watching several Chinese in Thailand who have been interviewed and said they are being avoided by the local Thai people. The 3 men interviewed all said they understand this.
I think this is human nature
Numan
@Tokyo-Engr
Human nature or not! I am not in Singapore. I wouldn't be able to observe that. I am simply describing what I have seen in Japan since I am here.
@Disillusioned
Yeah, I'll tell the experts how wrong they are! :)
MarkX
Is it just me, or is this problem starting to take on a Fukushima like atmosphere. There is a lot of unknown, people are worried and afraid of those from a particular area, there is not a lot we can do to protect ourselves.
And in the end most people will and should blame the government for not doing a better job of protecting the people.
Jonathan Prin
Sorry to say but just the beginning.
Toilet with soap to wash hands everywhere would be welcome.
sicksound
I’ve been raised in Italy and since you are a kid you’ve been taught that one of the most disgusting thing to do is to cough or sneeze and not cover your mouth. I could remember countless episodes where I have been reprimanded for not covering my sneezes or coughs, and therefore the act of covering myself is now automatic. Since I came here I don’t know how many time I saw people sneezing and coughing and spitting without not even have the grace to turn to the other side.
Not only they should teach how to your wash hands properly, but also teach these simple manners that not only could mitigate the Coronavirus situation, but also would affect the spread of other respiratory infections, meningitis and tuberculosis which altogether killed 4.000.0000 people in 2017.
itsonlyrocknroll
Read the contagion risk.......
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
The reality is WHO, only has theories!
A mixture of opaque, vague conjecture.
The science, combined with the reticent perfidiousness. Attributed to the Government of China, to any reasonable response to any degree of openness.
If the numbers are correct over 55 million citizens of China are under lock-down.
That is a some 39.5%, give or take of Japan entire population, dependence on official figures.
For a moment think about that?!!! Yes
obladi
I don't blame Japan for this
rgcivilian1
@Anyone remember the Japanese flu season of 2009? Somewhere around 20% of the Japanese population caught the flu that season. A little over 200 people died.
This is a lot more worse than the common flu, sorry nice try. This is an enhanced man-made viral pathogen that is gaining resistance against regular cold/flu medications meaning over the counter and prescribed. From what I researched and verified it via diplomatic channels as well as research pro's this bug is a next generation super virus. The chances of getting tested and identified early enough gives a person a 90% chance to overcome it. Once it becomes respiratory well like where it began people drop like flies as the videos and media have proved that. Beef up your immune system, eat hearty, drink lots of water and by all means up one's own awareness and hygiene. For goodness sake don't' be heroes. Stay within 1-2 meters of people. Yesterday I was out and about saw an old guy constantly wiping his forehead and coughing, but took no chances and did a round about in the opposite direction and luckily was upwind. Nothing personal against anyone but until technology can come up with medical cures like on Star Trek or Elypsium I'm not taking any chances with the 1 life I have. Got to do my part and take care of what I have been given.
itsonlyrocknroll
I don't believe proportioning "blame" is in question, or issue.
It is prevention and prioritizing the safety of/to public health. And there potential risks.
“We have to be very careful about what kind of infectious diseases will appear at the Tokyo Olympics,” Kazuhiro Tateda, president of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases, told a briefing on Wednesday.
“At these kinds of mass gatherings, the risks increase that infectious diseases and resistant bacteria can be carried in.”
AC 2020 …..Emergency medical service system and disaster medical response system undergoing the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games (the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020)
http://2020ac.com/index_e.html
Numan
@obaldi
Americans might start blaming all asians.
Japan's inaction and indecisiveness is making it worse! Thanks Nippon!
itsonlyrocknroll
I sympathize totally rgcivilian1, when presented with the overcrowded nature attributed to the Tokyo tube network.
The chances of a some coughing, sneezing, “typhoid” Mike or Mary, or precipitously a Coronavirus carrying Clare or Carlos jammed up against my handbag, does not provoke or inspire even a modicum of confidence in prevention measures associated with any Government public health system.
unkopower
Can Japan goverment make a statement telling Japan cashiers, retail workers to start using the coin dish again and not try to touch customers hand when giving back change!
Luis David Yanez
The only thing that really scares me of this virus is how people are reacting to it.
A virus that produces no symptoms in most cases, mild pneumonia in some cases and severe pneumonia in less cases with people with compromised inmune systems, and which infection can be prevented by simple hygiene, is being treated as the most dangerous virus in the world, with people applauding draconian measures being taken to "contain" the virus, which for the most part are just security theater, but a real violation of human rights.
From a epidemiology stand point, it is of concern, and measures should be taken to contain it, but this overreaction by the public, and mainly propagated by the day-by-day news hungry media, is just making this epidemic worse.
Calm down, engage in common sense hygiene, and if you have a compromised inmune system be more careful, but really, there are so many other diseases that fit this description, that this kind of common sense actions should be taken all the time, and not just when a hype new virus appears.
justasking
@Luis David Yanez
You may be healthy and would just shrug it off if ever you get the virus. But unlike you, children and old people are not as strong. You, as a carrier of the virus, becomes a danger to them. Without a vaccine and knowledge of the extent of the disease, overreaction is justified. Overreaction makes you not touch anybody, run away from coughing people, avoid crowded places and always wash your hands. It's not a bad thing.
Same with flu - that's why we get flu shots even though flu is very easy to remedy for strong young people like you.
Luis David Yanez
First, you have no idea of who I am, how healthy or not I am, so you are just making a straw-man out of my own person.
Secondly, as you just pointed out, preventive measures should be taken all the time, including the flu.
Getting scared, and all panicky isn't going to help anyone.
N. Knight
Bacteria has nothing to do with it... it is a virus not a bacteria. So doctors may well recommend this for bacterial infections but it does nothing for a coronavirus.
Facemasks are not shown to prevent contraction of the virus by the wearer, however they can help prevent the virus being expelled in sneezes and coughs by someone with the virus whether they are presenting or not.
That being said, more than normal hand washing with soap and water is by far the best way to try to prevent the virus spread, Hand sanitizers are generally ineffective against viruses.
N. Knight
So the contaminated dish and coins are not a factor in your thought process, then?
Sciògi Nàga
I am Japanese. I get information from the world media and spend every day. COVID-19 is a natural virus that is rampant.
And it has been suggested that this virus is an aerosol infection. It is not a contact or droplet infection.
In fact, the spread worldwide and the prevalence in China, and 1,716 Chinese doctors were infected with the coronavirus, of which six died. I think this is completely proof of aerosol infection.
OssanAmerica
"experts fear that supplies of face masks and other sanitary protection items will run low in other countries — even for routine medical use. Pharmacies in the United States have begun reporting shortages."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/business/coronavirus-face-masks.html?auth=linked-google
Just heard masks sold out in many Home Depots in NYC area.
N. Knight
Ha ha ha... lemmings...
N. Knight
Im sick as a dog in bed right now so I probably have it already... if not this one maybe one of other corona viruses... will be OK in few days and back in the pub... no worries!!
prayforNKnightChip Star
Nobody was arguing this.
Its to protect the patients from anything the nurses and doctors are carrying.
mmwkdw
Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1499
I've encountered some folks here in Japan, who simply wish to share their coughs and sneezes with everyone, maybe they're just too lazy to raise their hand. A couple of weeks ago, one such person in a local store, was accosted by an American Chap who basically told the fellow to get a mask.... pretty pertinent nowadays!
Dirk T
I can't be the only non-Japanese man who has noticed that Japanese men do not usually wash their hands after doing their business in the men's room?
Strangerland
I think that's pretty common around the world, not specifically Japan. I just saw two guys do it in Toronto yesterday - both white.
https://www.livescience.com/37326-bathroom-hand-washing-habits.html
25psot
Bats are natural reservoir for 300 more viruses so labs which play
with this stuff may "accidentally " start new pandemic every 7 -13 year..
virusrex
Not really, the doctors were not working under normal circumstances seeing one or two infected patients each day and getting enough rest and plenty of time for the tedious and time consuming procedures of disinfection. People working on epidemics with hundreds or thousands of cases are working in an environment that is close to be 100% contaminated, if they are not carefully trained and given time to do things properly getting infected is inevitable, it does not matter if you reduce the probability of infection to 1 in 1000 if you are in contact with the infectious agent thousands of times per day.
The famous European report that said that the virus is easily transmitted by people without symptoms ended up being false because the person that originated several infections in a meeting was actually very sick and feeling terrible but the authors of the report never bothered to confirm their information with the patient. This points out that correct information is difficult to get by in the middle of the chaos and is the reason why lots of people keep thinking mask need to have pores smaller than viruses, that surgeons change masks every 15 minutes during surgeries or that viruses thrive in moist warm environments, all kinds of things that can be confirmed as false with a few seconds of googling but that people choose to keep believing instead.
AramaTaihenNoYouDidnt
I was once told long ago at my kids kindergarten that in order to kill hand bacteria you are to wash with soap, loather for 10 seconds at least (sing a silent happy birthday song should amount to 10 seconds) and rinse thoroughly well. I have to admit, it works.
Henny Penny
I wonder if the Japanese government to say nothing of the WHO is aware of the immense pool of public health knowledge found among those who write comments here? I'm surprised I'm not seeing recruitment advertisements on this pages from the WHO, the CDC, etc.
Moderator
No need to be facetious. Please post something more pertinent to the story.
Thunderbird2
Time to break out the NBC suits and flamethrowers?
I know that's what some people here are secretly suggesting thanks to the underlying paranoia. Common sense: wash your hands after going to the loo, and covering your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing. People say 'masks don't work'... which is why surgeons wear them... of course they work.
Toasted Heretic
I wear a mask on public transport. I wash my hands thoroughly. I am not a medic or a doctor, so I cannot say if these actions offer full protection or not. But it's all I have.
There's a lot of misinformation out there. I think the best advice is to listen to the experts. The actual experts.
mmwkdw
Carrying out the basic sanitary actions, as washing your hands with soap and/or even a disinfectant spray, will certainly be better than not doing so.... And should be common practice. As too, not coughing openly over other people... without either placing hand in front of mouth, or wearing a face mask - etiquette issue ?
Also, a more realistic attitude from Companies during virus periods needs to be adopted - when a person suspects that they have contracted a virus, they should be allowed to seek medical confirmation without penalization - this should apply to both Permanent and Temporary Staff by Law (indeed as a matter of National Security). Companies should have a nearby local health provider designated as a preferred point of contact for Employees who are concerned, but also allow local (to employees) health providers to validate any concerns.
Sick leave should be not set as a fixed number of days per year per person, but as a reward for not contaminating the rest of the Company workforce when validated/justified - one employee with CoronaVirus can effectively shut down the entire office. And employment rights should be extended to protect such effected employees - so the Government needs to take action too. Sadly... it is very doubtful that such forward thinking will spring into life here.
pug boy!
RE: MASKS AND SUCH
Even the best rated disposable mask. the N99, must be disgarded after 8 to 9 hours.
This mask afheres to thr skin, making a no gap contact edge. It constantly worries me to see people wearing masks, like the N95, with a large gap on the side where it covers the cheek.
MOST COUNTERPRODUCTIVE!
Plus, you must not touch mask surface with your hands, as that can put the virus in the mask, and when removing the mask, again do not touch the front, only sides.
However, none of this is going to help if you do not wear wrap around glasses, and disposible gloves.
Even your clothes can get the virus on it, so remove clothes, with gloves on, and have washed, dry in 60°
I do not know offhand, but, if this virus is not DNA based, but RNA based, when it replicates mistakes/errors are made, unlike DNA which has a mechanism to correct major mistakes.
This means the virus could be open to mutate, which may produce a problem in finding a drug for provention or cure, and it could possibly change into something more deadly for all ages and health status...
God I hope not, as it is, the Olympic Games look in danger... and I was worried about Fukushima!