TOKYO -- Despite the continued spread of the coronavirus in Japan, run-of-the-mill colds appear to be on the decline as people stay home, wear masks and wash their hands in an attempt to avoid the pandemic.
Japanese sales of over-the-counter cold medicine dropped 22% to 78.7 billion yen ($711 million) in 2020, researcher Intage Healthcare said, the lowest figure since the company began tracking the market in 1996.