[LINK] Japanese face masks (was Re: Radiation)

[Michael Skeggs mike@bystander.net]

Visit Din Tai Fung dumpling house in Sydney. All the staff wear them. I
didn't find it very reassuring, but the food was good.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/restaurant-reviews/din-tai-fung-sydney/2008/06/27/1214472754072.html

I work next to China town and see people wearing face masks reasonably often
on the street.

Regards,
Michael Skeggs

On 23 March 2011 09:31, Pilcher, Fred <Fred.Pilcher at act.gov.au> wrote:

> Kim wrote:
>
> > On 2011/Mar/16, at 9:04 AM, Jan Whitaker wrote:
> > > And why are so many people wearing facemasks in Japan? Is that
> > > because of normal pollution levels or something to do with dust or
> > > molds dislodged by the quake?
> >
> > This is quite normal in Japan and has been for a number of years.  It's
> > to stop giving (and possibly getting) rhinoviruses.  They live in a
> > very human dense environment.  It's nothing to do with the disaster.
> >
> > Here's a news article about it from 1999:
> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/354321
> > .stm
>
> Bizarre. From a public health POV surely that's creating an
> immunocompromised population.
>
> Fred
>
>
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