Quote:
Originally Posted by dogsbody70
is it normal or common for the japanese to wear face masks. are more of them now wearing them as an extra precaution. do face masks really prevent passing on infections and now prevent radiation. i cannot imagine the masks are totally effective.
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It is 100% normal. Particularly this time of year (hay fever season), and in the beginning of winter (flu season).
The masks do indeed block a lot of the pollen, so they sell like crazy once the weather starts to get a bit warmer. During flu season they may not be 100% effective (nothing is), but they cut down on the germs you breathe in, the germs you breathe out, and they reduce the chance that you`ll touch your mouth (and bring germs from something you touched into it).
They also help save people from embarrassment of having a dripping nose in public. Blowing your nose in public is a bit of a taboo here, so it`s a lifesaver to have a mask to hide any sniffles.
99.999% of the people wearing masks in Japan now would be wearing them regardless of whether there had been any problems at the Fukushima reactor.