Before COVID-19, people in Japan already had a habit of wearing masks in crowded and closed environments. The Japanese used to apply masks widely, especially in autumn-winter, when cold-flu epidemics were common, and in spring when allergic complaints increased.
These people wear the mask for four reasons;
- Out of respect for each other, so as not to spread the disease to others when they are sick,
- To protect themselves from the spread of germs by sick people,
- In order to avoid allergic complaints in the spring periods when pollen releases are widespread,
- To warm the inhaled air on cold and windy winter days.
For these reasons, the Japanese, who accepted wearing masks as usual, easily adapted to it during the COVID-19 epidemic and were more successful in eradicating the infection than other countries.
