Re:Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?
by SpicyLemonZest on Saturday March 21, 2020 @07:17PM
(#22651099)
Many countries did think of that. In most of East Asia, including Japan, many factories have been diverted to mask production and delivering masks to the general public has been a key government priority.
Re:Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?
by catlifeonmars on Saturday March 21, 2020 @08:49PM
(#22651640)
The masks is more for the coughing/infected person to wear, although they help reduce transmission on either side.
Re:Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?
by Reason077 on Sunday March 22, 2020 @01:26AM
(#22652951)
> “Those masks are almost entirely designed to keep stuff in”
“Keeping stuff in” is exactly the point. Covid-19 causes mild symptoms for most, so many people walk around infecting others without even realising it. Where there is widespread use of masks, transmission is greatly slowed/reduced.
The point of wearing the mask is not only to protect yourself, but even more so to protect others in case you are infected.
Re:Why is Japan still a coronavirus outlier?
by lovemenot on Saturday March 21, 2020 @09:30PM
(#22651868)
Think of widespread use of masks as a kind of surrogate herd immunity. Not as a surrogate vaccine. It's only
effective in a statistical sense. But it is effective.
I feel the crux of Japanese resilience (vis a vis Western) has been their tendency to consider and act in the group's interest, rather than in own interest.
However, it's far from over and time will tell. Yesterday I saw many people doing hanami, cautiously.
Masks may be able to help a little, but odds are good that if you're in a bus with an infected person coughing or sneezing, you'll be infected with or without a (regular surgical-style) mask. Those masks are almost entirely designed to keep stuff in, not to keep them out of your nose/mouth/eyes.
The slightly reduced incidence of infection from direct contact would not at all affect the greatly increased incidence from much more frequent direct contact. Which is why no country is relying on it.