Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20080923p2a00m0na009000c.html
Health panel urges Japanese to prepare masks as anti-flu measure
A government health panel is recommending the use of masks in the event a new type of influenza breaks out in Japan, suggesting that households should store 20 to 25 masks per person.
The recommendations from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry special conference, compiled in a report Monday, are due to be carried on the ministry's Web site in the near future, as the ministry calls for caution among residents.
The panel recommended pleated masks and those designed to fit closely to people's faces. Both kinds are made of unwoven fabric whose fibers are chemically joined. The masks are generally disposable and the panel recommends having seven to 10 in stock so they can be changed daily during the 7-10 day influenza period, and another 16 on hand, on the presumption that people would have to go out in public twice a week over an eight-week period when they could be exposed to the virus.
Masks are sold in packs at pharmacies and convenience stores. However, they are not able to completely stop people from breathing in viruses, and the ministry says it is important for people not to come within two meters of patients and to take preventive measures such as avoiding crowded places.
Gauze masks can also be purchased, but they are reportedly not considered sufficient to block out new types of influenza. The ministry does not recommend industrial N95 masks which fit the face closely, as it becomes difficult to breathe when wearing them for a long time, and they are not considered to be suited to daily lifestyle.
On Monday the ministry panel also decided to classify stages of influenza outbreaks into four categories corresponding to the number of patients to make it easier to take countermeasures. Currently, plans of action are based on phases defined by the World Health Organization that indicate virus conditions and the international spread of the virus.
(Mainichi Japan) September 23, 2008
Health panel urges Japanese to prepare masks as anti-flu measure
A government health panel is recommending the use of masks in the event a new type of influenza breaks out in Japan, suggesting that households should store 20 to 25 masks per person.
The recommendations from the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry special conference, compiled in a report Monday, are due to be carried on the ministry's Web site in the near future, as the ministry calls for caution among residents.
The panel recommended pleated masks and those designed to fit closely to people's faces. Both kinds are made of unwoven fabric whose fibers are chemically joined. The masks are generally disposable and the panel recommends having seven to 10 in stock so they can be changed daily during the 7-10 day influenza period, and another 16 on hand, on the presumption that people would have to go out in public twice a week over an eight-week period when they could be exposed to the virus.
Masks are sold in packs at pharmacies and convenience stores. However, they are not able to completely stop people from breathing in viruses, and the ministry says it is important for people not to come within two meters of patients and to take preventive measures such as avoiding crowded places.
Gauze masks can also be purchased, but they are reportedly not considered sufficient to block out new types of influenza. The ministry does not recommend industrial N95 masks which fit the face closely, as it becomes difficult to breathe when wearing them for a long time, and they are not considered to be suited to daily lifestyle.
On Monday the ministry panel also decided to classify stages of influenza outbreaks into four categories corresponding to the number of patients to make it easier to take countermeasures. Currently, plans of action are based on phases defined by the World Health Organization that indicate virus conditions and the international spread of the virus.
(Mainichi Japan) September 23, 2008