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Business trends

New China virus spurs 24-hour output of surgical masks in Japan

Unicharm boosts production ahead of Lunar New Year travel

Wearing surgical masks as protection against disease and the environment is common throughout East Asia.   © Reuters

TOKYO -- Orders for surgical masks have surged in Japan after the discovery of the first domestic case of infection by a previously unknown virus that originated in China.   

The Health Ministry confirmed Thursday a case of pneumonia caused by the new type of coronavirus, which has been traced to the Chinese city of Wuhan.

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