Featured

flu

COVID-19 appears to be suppressing the flu in Japan, number of cases down and decreasing

COVID-19 might have even canceled flu season.

Read More

Could Coronavirus be helping prevent the spread of influenza? Japanese Twitter speculates

Maybe the measures people are taking to prevent the spread of Coronavirus are helping protect against the flu, too!

Read More

Japan’s Secret Weapon Against the Flu Deemed Ineffective by Ministry of Health

According to Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) during the period of 14-20 January, the number of influenza cases in the country has exceeded 110,000.

Schools and facilities for the elderly across Japan have been pushing a traditional three pronged attack against the flu virus. First, hand washing is a no-brainer (or at least it out to be). Also, anyone who has been to Japan has probably experienced the country’s love of surgical masks.

The third line of defense, however, is rather unique to Japan: gargling.  Although gargling is embraced worldwide as a soothing massage for throats sore from overuse or illness, in Japan it has been widely regarded for generations as a preventative measure against cold or flu viruses.

Read More