Face masks scarce in Japan; resale prices soar

At times like this, the government should make the resale of goods like this above retail cost illegal and throw the clowns who do straight into jail. That would stop all this bs.

The good thing is people, deprived of masks, will spend more of their time and effort repeatedly washing their hands, a much more effective prevention measure.

THERE AEE SOOO MANY UNEDUCATED PEOPLE IN ASIA.

Can wearing a medical face mask protect you against the new coronavirus?

If it's a regular surgical face mask, the answer is "no," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt said.

A more specialized mask, known as an N95 respirator, can protect against the new coronavirus, also called 2019-nCoV. The respirator is thicker than a surgical mask, but Schaffner doesn't recommend it for public use, at least not at this point.

Masks are useless, besides which the virus will get into you via your eyes and ears. People don't cover them do they?

A cover, but not a cure-all

“The regular kind of mask you’d find online is not all that helpful against any kind of virus,” warns Amy Shah, a double board-certified medical doctor in allergy and immunology. “Is it bad? No. It’s not like it’s harmful. But will it completely protect you? No. The best thing you can do is wash your hands frequently — with water and antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds — and to keep your immune system up,”

The general and continuous answer from the health pros is the average non surgical masks are useless in preventing you from getting infected but have some ability to prevent you from infecting someone else. So wear it if you're sick but dont expect it to protect you

If it's a regular surgical face mask, the answer is "no," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt said.

Yes, that is correct. However, these people are not scrambling to buy 12x surgical masks. They are scrambling to buy dust masks, which have virtually zero effect on preventing the spread of a virus.

Wash you hands before you touch your face or eat. The masks are basically useless.

Face masks were sold out at our local pharmacy, as of yesterday. I was told by a neighbor that they are also sold out on-line.

Anything that helps to block the particles that are expelled upon sneezing helps to prevent the spread of the virus. It is probably a good idea to try to protect the eyes, as well, since small particles might lodge there. Even a pair of glasses will help. And, of course, wash one's hands frequently.

I told people a month ago to start buying now. On merukari some sad people are selling a case of two or three boxes for more than 10,000 yen, and single packages for 5000 or so. Anyway, personally I find it funny to see people panic over not being able to get masks and... it's a miracle.... they continue to live. Hopefully this convinces some people the absolute farce that masks present, and that they are not necessary at all. But, TIJ.

A year back I bought several thousand masks as I realized that viral outbreak would come.

And I give them away ....absolutely!

My doctor said that people wearing masks, washing extensively and not going out in public (in fear of the CV) as much this year (combined with a warm winter) has greatly reduced the amount of flu sufferers.

...It's something I guess.

As for the masks being useless, it depends on what you mean. If you wear a mask you're much less likely to touch your face and for some psychological reason, you're more likely to wash your hands if you're wearing one (I can't remember why though). So not totally useless but not useful in the way you'd assume.

One user presented two bags of seven surgical masks for 99,999 yen

Writer needs to research the system of Mercari before writing this. 99,999yen is not the price the Seller is selling them for. This is the price sellers write when they want to negotiate the price of item they are selling. They usually take the highest offer.

Just a small taste of things to come.

Gosh I hope and pray this doesn't escalate to pandemic level.

China's population means anything not managed well in China will become the world's problem.

Baby formula scare in China, babies in New Zealand went without...just saying.

I saw a young guy on the train wearing a surgical mask with another closer-fitting mask on top!

Whatever makes you feel safe, I suppose...

It angers me that people are profiteering on this awful disaster. The government should move to restrict people and businesses charging ridiculous mark-ups on safety gear. As for those profiteers - I believe in karma.

Best thing to do is avoid the whole mess and telework which I am doing right now.

I have just been teleporting everywhere I go. I have nothing to worry about then.

Masks. Paper doilies. Get real and do not buy into the endless "feel good" propaganda. Wash your hands. Wear a muffler like in the old days to protect your nose. Looks like a freaking zombie zoo outside these days.

"A pharmacy near JR Shimbashi Station in central Tokyo posted a warning that it would sell each customer or group no more than two bags of surgical masks, a measure intended to prevent people from buying large quantities of the product and reselling them for profit."

Isnt that what the businesses do? Buy in bulk and sell individually, with profit. How dare the peasants engage in capitalism.

Stop the illegal trafficking of Masks to China. Buying it in Japan and selling to Chinese is a big business now. It worth like Gold in China. If Japan does not stop it then It will be disaster for Japan.

That's capitalism for ya. It tends to do that kind of thing. Exploit, expand and extrapolate. Bit like an unpleasant virus, ironically.

Readiness goes a very long way and it paid off yet again. Waiting to the last minute only leads to 2 things. 1. supplies are depleted quickly and you left standing looking at empty shelves and 2. YOU will pay big when supplies come in as prices rise due to demand.

Save now pay later and its unfortunate but that is economics.

@Osaka_Doug

Plenty of doctors on the main Tv channels and news have already explained well how the virus spread.

The Health Ministry has also a full page dedicated to it.

And doctors do point out that masks are really efficient for a sick person.

Amy Shah, a double board-certified medical doctor in allergy and immunology. ... "The best thing you can do is wash your hands frequently — with water and antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds — and to keep your immune system up,”

This "doctor's" claims are not just questionably wrong, but can also give a false sense of security. "Anti-bacterial soap" does not kill or prevent a virus. Period. Furthermore, these soaps are believed to actually have a negative affect on your immune system.

This is not my "claim". It has been well known throughout the realm immunology for well over a decade. (the same goes for squirting your hands with that anti-bacteria jstuff often found in shop doorways). The concerns are so well accepted that the US FDA actually banned these soaps back in 2016 for being no more effective than just plain soap and for being potentialy harmful.

https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/antibacterial-soap-you-can-skip-it-use-plain-soap-and-water

Can wearing a medical face mask protect you against the new coronavirus?

If it's a regular surgical face mask, the answer is "no," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt said.

The problem is that he contradicts himself in the same article and provides a reference where normal 3ply masks do have an effect. Probably he meant they cannot protect completely but that is also the case with the normal washing of hands, I find it surprising that the mask actually manage to have a modest effect por people using them without any real training. That is like seeing people being somewhat protected by washing their hands without using any kind of soap.

Masks are useless, besides which the virus will get into you via your eyes and ears. People don't cover them do they?

By that logic washing your hands is it also useless, it does nothing against secretions that fly to your face, do it?

This "doctor's" claims are not just questionably wrong, but can also give a false sense of security. "Anti-bacterial soap" does not kill or prevent a virus. Period. Furthermore, these soaps are believed to actually have a negative affect on your immune system.

Anti-bacterial soaps do kill viruses as well as the normal soap do, at least those that are enveloped like the coronavirus. Their effect is not exclusively antibacterial, its is just the one that is easier to promote. Yes, they are much less effective against non-enveloped viruses but fortunately this is not the case with this outbreak.

Also, there nothing to indicate antibacterial soaps do anything negative to the immune system (except of course if you count making more difficult to become infected, thus negating the response to that infection, but that is desirable) if you have data that proves the contrary it would be very interesting to see it. Are you confused about antibiotic resistance and effect in the immune system? because those are two extremely different things.

Unless you provide a source to prove what you are saying (and the one you did does the opposite) it is still your claim that goes against professionals dedicated to prevent infections.

Yes, that is correct. However, these people are not scrambling to buy 12x surgical masks. They are scrambling to buy dust masks, which have virtually zero effect on preventing the spread of a virus.

As told before, anything that can stop water droplets has been shown to have an effect in preventing infections to healthy people, the mask are not intended to stop particles of viral size but droplets of secretions where they are contained. A normal 3ply mask used correctly can help preventing contagions same as washing your hands properly.

Wash you hands before you touch your face or eat. The masks are basically useless.

That is basically impossible for people on a normal day, spend some time looking at people if you ride the train, most will touch their faces every couple of minutes without noticing, specially nose and mouth.

Paraphrasing you, wear a mask to make that contact much more difficult, waiting to wash your hands until you go out of a public space is basically useless.

Imagine if wholesalers restricted sales to retailers...

This is price gouging, which I believe is illegal.

Face masks are useless to protect oneself.

Ridiculous Hysteria.

When will people learn and understand science..... ?

Belief killing rationality.

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3049275/want-avoid-coronavirus-forget-face-masks-top-airline-doctor

In the above post, I was meaning a one week period.

They are selling these things all over the place if you know where to look.

They are what they are, and if used correctly can be better than nothing as a semi barrier between people where aerosol droplets with cold, flu or coronavirus might otherwise fly free.

Watching TV last night I found that a mask will fog up my glasses, but worn over just the nose it won't, in fact, as a serious bonus they actually stop my nose from freezing solid!!!

;)

You can make your own mask using Kitchen paper and two elastic bands... hey even, if you're not embarrassed to do so, a Menstrual pad would probably even provide more protection than many masks on the market, at least you could soak it first with a pleasing odor first before wearing it.

Japan is going to pollen season. People who have bad pollen allergy need to wear masks. 80% masks are from China. Japan produces 20%. It seems to me that many people would be suffering from pollen without masks.

Right this moment, on the train, there is a guy sniffling away on my left-I’m psychologically confident that my mask will protect me....

A pharmacy near JR Shimbashi Station in central Tokyo posted a warning that it would sell each customer or group no more than two bags of surgical masks

Already too many, one pack would be sufficient. People can just go to the next store if needed more. But it would prevent becoming sold out by few.

THERE AEE SOOO MANY UNEDUCATED PEOPLE IN ASIA.

Can wearing a medical face mask protect you against the new coronavirus?

If it's a regular surgical face mask, the answer is "no," Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious-disease specialist at Vanderbilt said.

I'd put those uneducated people more in the west. Especially there they belive it would protect them. No, the main part is to avoid infecting other people of one's own cold, and many people are aware of this! If you happen to carry (the) a (Corona) virus and you wear a mask - even just out of precaution, you helped other people most likely not to get infected.

Masks are useless, besides which the virus will get into you via your eyes and ears. People don't cover them do they?

No, but people who are infected spread the virus by caughing and sneezing. There the mask helps preventing others to get infected and usually people are aware of this. It's a courtesy to others. If everybody wore a mask, the spreading of the virus or a cold would be much less just because of helping others not to get infected.

In the west it's rather common to let everybody participate in your cold by caughing and sneezing around in the supermarket and on the trains, only sometimes using hands to cover the mouth and nose when caughing or sneezing, just to hand other people this hand afterwards... I prefer the masks!

Patricia Yarrow:

Wear a muffler

The noise, vibration, heat, and exhaust would do terrible things to a face. Mufflers belong on cars

People cling, literally, to these silly masks, so don't bother with the essentials of avoiding cross infection - proper, thorough handwashing.

I have masks for only a one period and keep them. Just in case the virus really spreads and it becomes a necessity.

It it really spreads, it will even be more difficult to find. I guess a lot of persons made stocks.

we are all gonna die .. panic panic

dust mask with n95 filter is most definitely protecting .. regardless of what some "experts" here say.

its pretty easy to get n95 and even n99 filters online .. just buy of amazon.com.. it only takes 3-4 days longer to arrive and actually not more expensive.

that said its kinda hassle to wear it for long cause it does get pretty humid... even with filtrators.

the white paper type kafun masks , that are totally gone in conveni here are absolutely pointless... i never understand the point of those anyways.

Stop the illegal trafficking of Masks to China. Buying it in Japan and selling to Chinese is a big business now. It worth like Gold in China. If Japan does not stop it then It will be disaster for Japan.

It's pretty easy to make your own masks.