Fauci Praises Slow-Mo Video That Shows Exactly How Masks Work

Dr. Anthony Fauci dubbed called slow-mo video demonstration of the importance of masks, ‘beautiful’

In addition to social distancing and practicing diligent hand hygiene, wearing a mask is one of the most important tools we have in preventing the spread of COVID-19, the virus responsible for the deaths of over 220 million Americans. But despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and pretty much every health expert on the planet supporting the use of protective facial coverings, for whatever reason there are still people (morons) out there convinced that masks don’t work. While doctors and scientists might not be able to convince them, luckily we also have YouTube stars supporting the cause as well. This week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, teamed up with YouTube creators, The Slow Mo Guys, to demonstrate how wearing a mask actually works.

In case you aren’t one of the nearly 14 million people who follow The Slow Mo Guys on YouTube, the British duo consists of Gavin Free and Daniel Gruchy, two guys who basically do everything imaginable in slow motion.

In the video, Free filmed himself counting to four two ways: with a mask and without. Then, he shows Dr. Fauci the recorded slow-mo footage, which is pretty insane. When not wearing a mask, tiny particles can be clearly seen spewing out of his mouth, especially as he mouths the word “four.”

“Gav coughs, sneezes, and talks in ultra backlit slow motion to illustrate the importance of wearing masks to prevent aerosolized particles from blasting out of your face holes,” the Slow Mo Guys state in the video.

Fauci dubbed the short clip a “graphically beautiful demonstration of the importance of wearing masks and face coverings,” adding that when Free wore a mask, he was “saying the same thing and very little is coming out from the mask. Graphic demonstrations like you’ve just shown now really solidify” the need for face coverings, Fauci continued.

The whole video is worth a watch but if you’re short on time, skip to minute 4:49 to see what it looks like when someone talks without a mask and with a mask on. The difference is astonishing.

This is what it looks like when Free counts to four without a mask…

..and this is what it looks like when Free counts to four with a mask on.

Fauci also pointed out that most COVID-19 spread is asymptomatic. “One of the reasons it is so important to wear a face-covering is that about 40% to 45% of people infected don’t have any symptoms,” Fauci said, adding that there is an “understandable but incorrect” concept that COVID-19 only spreads “when you are just coughing and sneezing all over someone.”

“What people don’t appreciate is that if you are speaking, even if not loudly, or if you are singing, which is even worse than just speaking, you have these particles that come out that can stay in the air for a period of time, some of them drop to the ground, which is the reason why we say keep six feet in distance, but some of them are aerosolised and can hang around in the air for some time,” Fauci explained. “For that reason it is so important to wear face coverings. You proved it beautifully.”

The Slow Mo Guys also shared their experiment on Instagram, echoing Dr. Fauci’s warning that the virus can be easily spread just by talking. “Sneezing isn’t actually a symptom of COVID. The dangers come from the lax attitude one gets when people AREN’T coughing and sneezing,” Free wrote. “TALKING aerosolizes particles in an equally dangerous way. The sneeze is in this video because of the gross/interesting visual, but what we should take away from this is what the footage of talking shows.”

So don’t be stupid, ya’ll. Wear a mask and save lives.