Used to wearing masks, children going to school risk heatstroke | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

19 comments

1. I am not anti mask but we have to be honest that high mask countries like nz, Japan and SK have high rates and they’re clearly not working as well as they used to. Subjecting kids to this is asinine

2. Meanwhile, the Japan Association for Acute Medicine reports [there is no evidence that wearing masks contributes to heat stroke](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20220716/p2a/00m/0na/004000c). Which makes sense. A thin bit of paper or cloth that covers a few square cm of a body’s surface area probably shouldn’t be expected to contribute meaningfully to the body’s core temperature.

   Now of course, Japanese medical bodies haven’t yet conducted the research to determine if this can be said for elderly people and small children, and small children are very relevant to this story. There might be some way that masks are a factor for very small children. However, it isn’t known that masks are a factor, and it would be nice if Japanese news would stop writing about masks and heatstroke as if it were known that the former causes the latter. It’s not known at all.

3. [deleted]

4. When I first got to Japan, I was working in a JHS and they showed the kids a video. It was about an Olympic athlete who competed in one of the long distance walk events – don’t remember which one specifically.

   Anyway. This athlete was clearly showing major signs of dehydration / heatstroke as she entered the stadium for the end of the race. She literally staggered around the course, pretty much only able to control her limbs enough to stay upright, crossed the line, and immediately collapsed.

   The teachers told the students that this was an example of “never giving up” and “following your dreams”.

   It wasn’t my place to interject, but I was closer to the point of view that it was an example of stupidly risking your life to come in near to last place in an Olympic event that basically nobody cares about.

   So yeah. Masks, etc, sure. But you have to look at the background attitudes.

5. Meanwhile, schools are actually telling children who have parasols or umbrellas to lower there masks on the way to school. (Because these would create space around them).

6. Ah yes, surely it is the masks causing all this heat stroke. Not the record high temperatures and refusal to change rules and practices to deal with the heat. XD

7. Why have Japan’s left wing news outlets been repeatedly sharing anti-mask propaganda lately? There is absolutely no evidence to support the claim that masks contribute to the risk of heat stroke. In fact, [it has already been proven that masks do not increase body temperature during exercise in the heat.](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19417381211028212) What a garbage newspaper.

8. I have a feeling it’s more to do with lack of knowledge of how hydration works, particularly in extreme weather, and stupid “no drinking here!” rules that prevent people from hydrating in the first place.

9. I have worn masks outside of my home, regularly, with only a few exceptions (it is basically impossible while swimming) since the pandemic started. I regularly run between 20 and 70 kilometers a week while wearing masks. It isn’t a problem and prevents accidentally inhaling clusters of gnats.

   There are far more important factors in mitigating the possibility of heat stroke than dumping the masks. Schools should provide free access to clean filtered water, and ice (most kids fill their thermoses at home, and some won’t refill), encourage proper body covering (they should switch to bucket hats with wider brims instead of ball caps), enforce mandatory minimum breaks at specific timed intervals when playing outside (especially after school) with a set shaded air conditioned area to relax.

   Masks are going to be a scapegoat for inaction on other factor that will lead children to faint and get sick.

10. In the major US city I’m in and the mid-sized city I travel for work, nobody wears masks (maybe… 2%, some elderly). Japan is the most over-protected society in the world (basically shut off the world for 2 or 3 years) and everybody wears masks yet right now Japan’s infection rate is about 4X that of the US where nobody even talks about it anymore (https://ourworldindata.org/covid-cases – make sure to add Japan).

    Here is the chances a child has of dying from covid in the US, in Japan probably much less:
    https://twitter.com/peterattiamd/status/1486024120743743489?lang=en

    Here is a study from Brown University that shows “Children Born During Pandemic Show Lower Cognitive Scores” (https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/08/19/children-born-during-pandemic-show-lower-cognitive-scores/?sh=59dc4f634af4) because of masks. In a nutshell IQ dropped from 100 to 78 or a 22% drop in intelligence.

    3 facts (with links) now an opinion,

    Masks are beneficial when specific types are used (N-95), used the right way under certain conditions for the right people. I’ve been to japan a few times through the pandemic and people wear cloth masks (zero effect) and mostly surgical masks (small benefit) but they mess with them, take them off during lunch blah blah… it’s just so… PC and having a negative effect.

    Edit: Link fixed for Brown University Study

11. Cases at an all time high even with high vaccination and high mask compliance. It’s going to happen regardless, folks. You’re going to get it. You’re going to spread it. Sorry. The vaccine reduces severity – which is great! But unless you’re N95ing 24/7, as easy as BA.5 spreads? Surgical masks are useless at this point.

12. But like, why you gotta wear a mask outside in open air spaces anyways when it’s okay to take them off in tiny restaurants where everyone’s drinking and laughing and eating?
    Please do not scorn me I just don’t understand the point much.

13. Because the poor things have been brainwashed by their brainwashed parents and teachers.

14. It has a lot to do with bullying. my little nephew who’s 6 said there’s a rumor that if you don’t wear a mask it means you’re not wearing underwear and then you get made fun of. Some thing weird like that is going around.

15. From a health perspective. Drinking water should not be restricted. There are many health benefits to drinking water. The premise is not to drink too much water. But a person in a state of nature. Don’t drink too much water on purpose. Because there is no desire.

16. The schools first need get over their nonsense bullshit about not letting children DRINK something during classes. The boys’ junior high school I teach only lets kids get drinks during the five minutes they have to run between their classes.

    With hundreds of boys racing for the ONE water fountain on each floor, and only five minutes each time (plus changing classrooms and getting books, etc.) many simply didn’t drink anything all day. But I allow them to get water bottles out in my class, breaking the general rule. I’ll risk getting the managers angry at me, to not have a boy get sick in my class.

17. Japan needs to be liberated from masks and all covid restrictions that are taking away people’s freedom.

18. I see a lot of people in here defending the students, citing their personal experiences with masks as to why they aren’t the cause of overheating. Unfortunately, children don’t have the same tolerances as fully grown adults do.

19. The only place I have ever been in the world where strangers will tell you off, or call you manager for drinking inappropriately. You might ask what does that mean, were you walking and drinking at the same time, forbidden, were you drinking in an area not designed for eating or drinking, forbidden, were you drinking while walking to and from school, forbidden and strangers will report you to the school who will then call your parents. I still can’t believe someone called the school about my daughter drinking water while walking too and from school. Not sure if it was racism or stupidity, but if any country is going to have a dehydration problem, it’s Japan.