Bill Nye \u00ab\u00a0The Science Guy\u201d shared a public service announcement about face masks and how effective the materials used to make them are in a \u2026<\/b>
\nBill Nye \u00ab\u00a0The Science Guy\u201d shared a public service announcement about face masks and how effective the materials used to make them are in a pair of TikTok videos Wednesday amid a surge in coronavirus cases.
\u201cWhy do people in the scientific community want you to wear a face mask when you\u2019re out in public?\u201d Nye asks at the beginning of the video. \u201cFace masks like this one prevent particles from my respiratory system from getting into the air and then into your respiratory system.\u00a0\u00bb
In the videos, while urging viewers to wear face coverings amid the coronavirus pandemic, he tries to blow out a candle with his mouth covered by a few different materials.
First, he wears a scarf that he said \u201cwon awards in the Washington State Fair for both design and workmanship.\u201d Of course, it was designed to keep its wearer warm.
\u201cIt can block the movement of air, but only to a certain extent,\u201d he says, holding it over his mouth.
Then he easily blows out the candle.
Next, he tries on a homemade, double-layered cloth mask. In several attempts, the candle\u2019s flame flickers but does not blow out. A surgical mask has a similar effect in a later video.
\u201cIf you\u2019re wearing one of these, you\u2019re protecting yourself and those around you,\u201d Nye says.
In a second video, he wears an N95 respirator, which he explains can block particles in both medical and outdoor work settings.
He puts it on, blows at the candle, and the flame doesn\u2019t budge — not even a flicker.
\u201cThe reason we want you to wear a mask is to protect you, sure,\u201d he says. \u201cBut the main reason we want you to wear a mask is to protect me from you and the particles in your respiratory system from getting into my respiratory system.\u201d
Coronavirus prevention guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urge Americans to maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet from others, frequently wash their hands and wear face coverings in public.<\/p>\n