Do Face Masks Work? You Be The Judge

It may not be scientific, but it sure is fun to watch.

This is one debate that will probably never be settled, but a YouTuber named Uncle Rob took it upon himself to test the effectiveness of face masks against spreading virus laden moisture droplets.

The tools he used to prove his point are two styrofoam mannequin heads, some face masks, a propane torch, and some wooden stands to hold them. He also used a can of ether starter fluid spray to dramatic effect.

He begins by finding a spray can of something that will carry as far as he can spit a mouthful of cold beer. That turns out to be right around eight feet. Then he places the lit propane torch in front of the mannequin's face to see if the starter fluid reaches it.

He begins at his maximum spitting / sneezing / coughing distance of eight feet and works his way closer. Without the mask he's able to ignite the starter fluid from about six feet. Surprisingly, he had to get all the way down to less than six inches before he was able to ignite the starter fluid when the sprayer was masked.

Is it scientific? Nope. Would a different type of mask make a difference? Absolutely. Will someone else come along and poke holes (pardon the pun) in his demonstratin? Probably. Did the presence of a mask inhibit the flow of lighter fluid masquerading as COVID-19? I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say it dang sure did.

No mask is going to give 100% protection from something as small as a virus, but wearing a mask of almost any sort will reduce the spread. Or, as we were all asked to do back in March, flatten the curve.

And his demonstration was a lot of fun to watch.