August 9, 2020. This article preserves a contemporary account based on the THEMIS feature “Seven Essential Rules for Everyday Life to Defeat COVID-19,” focusing on handwashing and mask use. It records the arguments presented at the time about everyday infection prevention and the importance of not being overwhelmed by anxiety-driven television coverage.

2020-08-09
Whenever I saw an advertisement for the monthly magazine THEMIS at the bottom of a newspaper page, I thought that I would like to subscribe.
However, because it was available only by regular subscription, I had regarded the procedure as troublesome and had never done so.
But when I saw the lineup for this month’s issue, I decided that I should subscribe, and I initially chose a six-month subscription and completed the procedure online.
The current issue arrived immediately.
This magazine, too, is essential reading for Japanese citizens who genuinely wish to know the truth behind events.
The moment one begins reading it, one should realize something.
It is no exaggeration to say that most of Japan’s mass media—and perhaps the same is true throughout the world—do not report the real substance of events.
Yet what is written here is nothing extraordinary.
It is simply what should be obvious.
Doing what should obviously be done is the mark of the first-rate.
Being unable to do what should obviously be done is the mark of the second- or third-rate.
Because the first-rate always seek perfection, the failure of much of the media to report the truth demonstrates that much of the media consists of second- and third-rate people.
THEMIS perfectly substantiates the correctness of my argument in which I was the first in Japan to state specifically that the Asahi Shimbun is by no means Japan’s finest player.
The following are excerpts from an article entitled, in substance, “These Must Absolutely Be Observed! Seven Essential Rules for Everyday Life to Defeat COVID-19.”
The preceding section is omitted.
“The essential point is not to be misled by anxiety-provoking information of the kind broadcast by television wide shows.”
【1. Fifteen Seconds of Handwashing Is Enough】
“Many viruses enter the body from the hands through the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, and eyes.”
“Handwashing is therefore fundamental to preventing infection, but many people misunderstand how it should be done.”
“One study reportedly found that while one million virus particles remained without handwashing, merely rinsing the hands with water for 15 seconds reduced that number to 10,000.”
“Washing thoroughly with soap or alcohol can reduce it still further, but whether it is necessary to go that far is open to question.”
“An expert in animal virology also states that the amount of virus and the probability of infection are correlated, but that reducing the amount to one-hundredth makes the risk of infection almost disappear.”
“Rather than seeking perfection by spending a long time on each individual washing, it is important to wash frequently and always to wash before meals, after using the toilet, and before cooking.”
【2. Pay Attention to How You Wear a Mask】
“There is no scientific evidence that a healthy person can prevent infection simply by wearing a mask.”
“The openings in a mask are 0.3 to 5.0 micrometers, while the virus itself is about 0.1 micrometers in size.”
“It can therefore pass through easily.”
“The reason healthy people wear masks is to avoid scattering droplets that may contain the virus into their surroundings.”
“With COVID-19, the absence of symptoms does not necessarily mean the absence of infection, and a person who appears perfectly healthy may become a source of infection.”
“In fact, it has been found that a person can be infectious from two days before symptoms appear.”
“Even so, this does not mean that everyone must wear a mask at all times.”
To be continued.
【Note on Republication】
The above is the text I published on August 9, 2020, preserving the arguments presented in the THEMIS article at that time.
Scientific knowledge and public-health guidance concerning infectious diseases have subsequently been updated.
This article is republished as a historical record of the information and arguments that were circulating in 2020.