Influenza & The Face Mask in Japan

Do you remember the SARS and the Bird Flu outbreaks? What images do you remember from the media?  For me, as with many of the images from Asia that you see in international news, I remember the "mask." However, use of the white face mask is a part of everyday life in Japan.  

Imagine a class of 30 students staring up at you, each wearing a white surgical mask. This is the norm for classrooms in Japan, especially from January to March when students are struck with the influenza bug. Entire classrooms or schools close for days to weeks at a time. The mask is used both to protect ones' self from the environment and also to protect others from any illness an individual might be carrying, especially the common cold. They are also a barrier to prevent people from touching their mouth and nose, through which bacteria and viruses can be transmitted.

The mask is not weird. It's not always worn because people are still afraid of SARS, radiation, or air pollution. The mask is a preventative measure; a responsible barrier to protect yourself and others. Perhaps because of the density of the population, there are many measures taken in Japan to prevent the spread of illness including disinfectant solutions sprayed on cash in ATMs and everyday items like writing utensils or musical instruments made of antibacterial plastic. 

And in Japanese junior high schools, where body odor reigns and deodorant is much less powerful than in America, I really can't balk at the practice of mask-wearing.