Called for wearing a mask during the "Spanish flu" 100 years ago too

Recently NHK News On-line reported the following:

100年前の「スペインかぜ」でもマスク着用など呼びかけ

2020年6月15日 6時04分

新型コロナウイルスの感染が続くなか、防衛研究所がおよそ100年前に流行したスペインかぜについての旧日本軍が保存していた資料を調べたところ、いまと同様にマスクの着用を呼びかける文書などが見つかり、公開されることになりました。

今から100年余り前、世界的に流行した「スペインかぜ」は、日本国内でも1918年の秋から1921年の春までに流行が3回あり、およそ39万人が死亡したと当時の内務省が記録しています。

新型コロナウイルス対策に役立てられないか、防衛研究所が旧日本軍が保存していた資料を調べたところ、初代の軽巡洋艦「矢矧（やはぎ）」の日誌で記録が見つかりました。矢矧が、シンガポールを出港した直後に艦内でまん延し、乗員の1割以上にあたる48人が死亡したことや、次の寄港地で艦内の消毒を徹底したことなどが記されています。

また、内務省衛生局が国民に感染予防を呼びかけた別の資料では、映画館など人が集まるところに立ち入らないことや、電車ではマスクを着用すること、それに人前でせきをする際は、ハンカチで口を覆うことなど、いまと同様の対応を求めていました。

資料を調べた防衛研究所の菅野直樹史料室長は「病気を広めないという意味で、100年前の常識と今の常識がそんなに変わっていないと感じた」と話しています。

こうした資料は、16日から東京・市ヶ谷にある防衛研究所で閲覧を予約した人を対象に公開されます。

Translation

While the new coronavirus infection continued, the Institute of Defense examined the data kept by the former Japanese army about the Spanish flu that was epidemic about 100 years ago, and documents such as calling for the wearing of masks similar to the current situation were found, and the doucment be made available to the public.

About 100 years ago, the world-famous "Spanish flu" had three outbreaks in Japan from the fall of 1918 to the spring of 1921, killing about 390,000 people, the Ministry of Home Affairs at that time had made a record on that.

In order to see if masks could be used as a countermeasure against the new coronavirus, the Defense Research Institute examined the materials stored by the former Japanese Army, a record was found in the diary of the first-generation light cruiser "Yahagi". Immediately after leaving the port of Singapore, in Yahagi the new coronavirus spread throughout the ship, killing 48 people, more than 10% of the crew, and a thorough disinfection of the ship was done at the next port of call.

Also, according to another document of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Japan which called on the public to prevent infections, it asked for staying out of areas with people gathering such as movie theaters etc.,  to wear masks on trains, and to use a handkerchief to cover the mouth when coughing in front of people, all were the same response as those now being asked for.

Naoki Sugano, director of the Defense Research Institute who investigated the materials said, “I felt that the common sense of 100 years ago and the common sense of today are not that different in the sense that not to spread the disease”.

These materials would be open to the public from the 16th for those who had booked for viewing at the Defense Research Institute in Ichigaya of Tokyo.

              So, Japan was using common sense to deal with the “Spanish flu” one hundred years ago.