Jun 03, 2020 (NHK) - Experts in Japan are calling on people to use face masks cautiously in the summer when the risk of heatstroke increases.
Wearing masks is part of the government's recommendations for a "new lifestyle" designed to prevent coronavirus infection.
On Monday the Japan Association for Acute Medicine and three other doctors' groups made proposals on how to prevent heatstroke while people use face coverings.
The experts say people wearing masks will see their breathing and heart rates increase.
They advise people to take off their masks and rest occasionally while maintaining distance from other people. They also recommend staying hydrated by drinking water.
The experts suggest the use of curtains to prevent a spike in room temperature when the rooms are ventilated to lower the risk of infection.
They called on people to start exercising lightly at home or to go out for a walk in order to acclimate their bodies to the heat before the summer.
They stressed the need to keep an eye out for the elderly who live alone, as the risk of heatstroke is high for them when they stay indoors.
A senior official at the association asked people to take steps to avoid getting heatstroke.
He said it could be difficult to distinguish between heatstroke patients developing a fever and coronavirus patients. It may take emergency responders time to find hospitals that can accept the latter.
