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14 Comments

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  sensei258 at 07:29 AM JST - 24th December

  As a veteran commuter in Japan, I'd say this has about a...ZERO percent chance of working since, on my trains at least, we are exactly 0 cm apart. And the required distance to prevent the spread of infection by aerosol means (sneezing and coughing) is a minimum of 2 meters, not to mention the spread of infection caused by touching the same handles as everyone else. Don't forget to wash your hands after riding the train, and don't touch your face until you do.

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  some14some at 07:36 AM JST - 24th December

  Hope they conducted tests after sanitizing train/compartments.

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  bcbrownboy at 08:13 AM JST - 24th December

  What kind of idiot would conceive of such a inane study?

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  wanderlust at 09:23 AM JST - 24th December

  Another piece of worthless Japan research...

  A single sneeze produces more than 40,000 droplets of moisture and millions of germs, propelled over a distance of 32ft. The fastest recorded sneeze was 103.6mph. The average speed is between 80mph and 100mph.

  The large droplets may not travel far, but the smaller ones can.

  They should get some of the old doctors and researchers from the Germ Warfare Unit 731 to help with this - aerosol dispersion of germs was one of their specialities...

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  johnshiomi at 10:26 AM JST - 24th December

  Get plenty of rest, don't overeat, don't smoke or drink too much, and manage the stress and you won't get sick. Have you ever noticed that some people seem to get sick every year around the same time and often while others never seem (rarely) seem to get sick. It's no coincidence.

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  itcher74 at 10:30 AM JST - 24th December

  Bio weapons. Population control. This is not worthless research. Various governments, religious sects, organizations have long used virus to spread disease. Japan used bio engineered weapons in China during WW2. In times if a war breakes out or riots for instance due to recession, over population etc. they can spread the flu onto people as they have studied details. Or say to prevent the flu going around you need a vaccine which is bad for you but you think you need it. Many of vaccines which have been used in Japan on children for decades do not work. They are useless.

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  Ranger_Miffy at 12:25 PM JST - 24th December

  USELESS conclusion. How about testing a mask I can buy at any conbini that will protect me from the commute onslaught...all open mouthed coughing launched at exactly 0cm-point blank range morning noon and night.

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  Naruki_Oni at 01:03 PM JST - 24th December

  No, itcher74, it is definitely useless research. It's not even as useful as researching how much water you can drink without drinking water.

  The only thing this "research" could hope to contribute to scientific knowledge (i.e., the specs and usage of bioweapons of this sort) is something we already know in much better detail from real science. This is not even a pretense of advancing knowledge.

  And the result of this research says (to any sensible or nearly sensible person) it was a complete waste of time and money because the recommendation is utterly impossible to implement.

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  Naruki_Oni at 01:06 PM JST - 24th December

  Ranger_Miffy: agreed.

  I'd even like to go a step further for some new information: is there some way to block other people's mouths, because they are too freaking inconsiderate to cover when coughing?

  It's not a lot of people, but there are definitely some barn-raised animals on those trains. Even one coughing on me directly (not even turning his/her head) is more than enough.

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  Ari94 at 02:31 PM JST - 24th December

  Coughing directly on my face, now where are their manners, Sumimasen, gomen nasai, moshiwake gozaimasen, from dawn to dust they chant these phrases but what happened inside train do they forget that it is impolite to cough on some one's face? You people might have seen new trains with big window but no proper ventilation. Is Transport Ministry is sleeping? what in case of accident what in case of emergency what passenger will do? This is what ministry is saying "Transport and Tourism Ministry, passengers would be required to keep a distance of 1 to 2 meters to prevent the infection spreading by coughs or sneezes". Should I laugh, in these crowded train is 1 to 2 meters distance possible? I guess these ministry people are joking. I do not get cold usually but because of these crowded train I got very bad cold since November 20th and my doctor is checking different medicines on me. At the end I think what ever Policy Research Institute for the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry say, they must also announce the messages on train and stations. Educate people more about such problems.

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  Ari94 at 03:37 PM JST - 24th December

  Further to my reply please read from dawn to dusk.

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  Rickyrab at 04:52 PM JST - 24th December

  Let's face it: if you drive, you get sick from people at work or in the store. If you take the train, you catch the bug on the train or at the station. not much difference, is there?

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  mael at 07:43 PM JST - 24th December

  The media are really trying to conjure up a frenzy with the flu-shots, aren't they.

  I won't touch them and neither will any of my family. (Except over my dead body).

  The best way to remain viable is to do your best to keep your immune system robust by eating sensibly and not over-doing things.

  Don't fall for the spindoctors. The flu-shots (as with the rest) are poison and I sincerely hope you are researching this matter yourself and not falling for the lies.

  That's really funny reading what the transport-ministry is doing with this test. I used to use trains when I lived in the city and there's just no way to stop the railway cars becoming filled with people like sardines in a tin.

  Imagining 'workers' with magaphones herding the cattle on and off and inside the trains is absolutely barmy in my opinion. Anyway I hate public transport and would rather use a mini-bike even if I had to go 20 kms in the rain. (I don't suffer from colds).

  There isn't a lot of it in the cold months, but sunlight is about the best medicine for a cold. (That's why the cold-seasons are the cold seasons).

  Maybe the best advice for people requiring a comfortable distance between them and the rest of the passengers would be to use make-up and darken around the eyes and dribble.

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  kokuryu at 12:05 AM JST - 25th December

  Man, I have not had a good laugh in quite a long time... Keep a distance of 1 to 2 METERS.... oh yeah, this will work - NOT AT ALL! How are they going to enforce this? 4 people per car? Queues outside the train stations with armed guards to keep the peace? 50 hours for everyone to go to work ONCE - and then 50 hours back home ONCE? It may be much better to set up a national telecommuting infrastructure and make it mandatory that if you get the new flu, you telecommute for work... But wait, all those OL's out there that work with files, copying and dispense drinks - what then? Maybe they need some of those new robots from Sony to help out - they can operate them via the internet to do their jobs too...

  Quite frankly, part of the problem with the spread of the new flu is that people are being TOO cautious about diseases, thus making their immune systems unable to handle new diseases properly. The over-use of antiseptics and face masks in society may lead to fewer instances of the regular cold, but in the end, it will mean many many more infections and deaths from new diseases, because the body does not understand what it is supposed to do anymore.

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