So one of the things that I have come to loathe about Japan, is the fact that nobody here seems to care about anyone else when they get sick. The flu and colds are running rampant here, and it seems like nobody really cares. They just stick a mask on their face and continue on like normal.
Let me tell you something, masks help, but they really aren’t that effective (unless you have one of those really expensive masks that generate ozone constantly). People buy these really cheap 30 yen masks and they think that the cough they have isn’t going anywhere. That it’s somehow localized to just within their mask. I have a question for you, where do you think that air that your breathing is coming from? I can guarantee that not all of it is going through the mask. There’s a lot of space around the sides.
Secondly, cover your mouth! For those who aren’t wearing masks, they believe that a cough or sneeze is completely harmless. Sitting on a train is one of the most dangerous places in my opinion, because you have all these people who don’t care about anyone but themselves, coughing and spewing their virus and bacteria infested air all over the place. I learned at a young age to cover my mouth. Later on, I learned not to use my hand but perhaps a rag or if nothing else is available, the sleeve of my jacket. Hey, it works. I haven’t been sick in years!
But this week, one of my coworkers came to work sick, hacking and coughing like crazy. And he had to talk to people. That’s his job. Talking. How can you do that if your sick? What must the students think? I know I wouldn’t be coming back to a class where the teacher has that little respect of my health that he’ll come to my class when he’s that sick.
Now, I’m not definitely saying that he’s the one who made me sick. I could have gotten sick from touching the elevator button on the way to eating lunch and forgetting to wash my hands before touching around my face (I highly doubt it). But I’m sure the extra barrage of germs didn’t help.
Anyway, if you’re sick, be considerate of your coworkers, and call in for the day. It’s the best thing for everyone!
Thanks
/rant
Sounds like you’re screwed is case of a zombie virus outbreak.
Yeah, at least it’s not Tokyo though. Within one day of an outbreak of anything, half of Tokyo has it. Koriyama is a little more sparse, which slows the spread a little.