Fearing swine flu, Japanese tourists rush to buy masks

As Japanese head out of the country for the Golden Week holiday, many are purchasing masks to protect themselves from swine flu:

A drugstore manager said sales of the masks are about 30 percent higher than usual and that stocks are running out for a particular type of mask which is believed not to allow the virus to pass through it.

“Since around yesterday, the number of those who are buying masks due to concerns over swine flu has increased,” the manager said.

A 50-year-old woman from the city of Saitama heading to Switzerland bought six masks and said, “I rushed to purchase these masks just before departure as the infection seems to be spreading worldwide.”

In other swine flu news: Trading companies are sending their employees masks and Tamiflu & the Japanese government thinks it can have a vaccine ready by autumn.

Are you worried about the spread of swine flu?

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http://www.geocities.com/epyon_z02/home.htm Ido

Now how can I head outside without the fear of dieing o_O awwww this is so frustrating >＿<#
Bran

from the Center for Disease Control website:

“Each flu season is unique, but it is estimated that, on average, approximately 5% to 20% of U.S. residents get the flu, and more than 200,000 persons are hospitalized for flu-related complications each year. About 36,000 Americans die on average per year from the complications of flu.”

That’S regular flu, its kills more than a few without comment every year.

Swine flu is the latest SARs, a disease hyped beyond all proportion to promote political agenda. Recently the UK, Australia dn several other countries released national security statements pushing terrorism away from center stage. All part of the new post-Bush, Obama era. The threats slated to receive greater attention as manipulators of public sentiment were stated to be climate change and pandemics.

Whatever actual danger this bug represents will be totally eclipsed by the various government agencies rushing to justify budget increases by hyping it out of all proportion and that hype will lead to a complete compromise of efforts to accurately track, test and treat the actual virus.

leitmotiv

Oh boy…..

Whatever actual danger this bug represents will be totally eclipsed by the various government agencies rushing to justify budget increases by hyping it out of all proportion and that hype will lead to a complete compromise of efforts to accurately track, test and treat the actual virus.

Any evidence for saying this? Perhaps try again with tin foil hat on, so the Obama-controlled NSA doesnt mess up your concentration with that mind ray.

http://www.chirimotsumoreba.net Jordan

WE’RE ALL DEAD. EVERYONE PANIC!

weirdo

お前はもう死んでいる

http://www.zdwonline.de Haf

そうだね。

Ryry

This is just like the avian flu scare, apart from: the virus apparently doesn’t kill people outside of Mexico; pigs can’t fly to spread the disease easily.

I wonder what the next thing that will doom us all will be…
Level3

Yes it’s overblown alarmism, but unlike most mass hysteria, it does have a good effect. People avoiding crowded places and huge public events in Mexico DOES help slow the spread of the flu.

People buying masks IN JAPAN? Well, I guess it helps the economy, or at least the mask-making companies.

Sadly, the over-strict medicine laws in Japan mean that more people go to hospitals for little things like the common cold just to overpay for 5 types of medicine that only releive symptoms (and could be had in an all-in-one dose for 1/10 the price in the USA over the counter) plus the doctor’s fee, but in the process excahnge germs with all theother sick people, so flu hysteria probably makes that avenue of contagion (hospitals) far worse.
TofuUnion

Probably the Flu-type is H1N1 and not that harmful because it’s basically the same as Hong Kong A or Russian A flu. But if the type were H5N1 then it could lead to the Pandemic.
hl

Even the Detroit Free Press had an article yesterday about masks flying off the shelves in the Detroit area.

But they closed the article by saying “Masks may be recommended for health care workers, family members and others who come in close contact with swine flu patients, but there is no need for the general public to wear masks.”
J Strunk

I bought masks anyways. I got them from a company in Minnesota who still had them in stock. I would rather have them if I need them than risk that the suppliers are going to run out. Here is the link if anybody needs it: http://www.airwareamerica.com/
http://www.stylemask.com Steve

In the long run we are all dead,

weird, but if you don’t want to look nerdy while wearing your disposable face mask, maybe this is a nice gimmick for you: fabric made face mask covers to make your mask fit your attire -> stylemask.com

Fearing swine flu, Japanese tourists rush to buy masks

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