Anti-maskers are the new anti-vaxxers fueled by anti-science rhetoric, politics, and the uniquely American attitude of "don't tell me what to do."
Either group does not see vaccines and masks as something that protects the people and their communities from catching and spreading the virus. Ironically, these anti-maskers are suspending the true freedom from the pandemic.
A Youtuber named Allen Pan created a mask gun intended for firing masks to those who refuse to wear them. In his video, he explained that it seems no scientific explanation of how efficient masks can be will change the minds of these anti-maskers, so he thinks that firing a mask gun would make them wear one, whether they like it or not.
His invention is far from perfect, but it looks promising and exciting as beachgoers in the conservative California town Huntington Beach tried it.
Shooting Masks Onto People's Faces
Even though the numbers of COVID-19 cases are rising in the United States, there are still plenty of Americans who refuse to wear masks to protect themselves and others from the deadly disease. But will shooting face masks directly at their faces change their mind?
That is the idea of Allen Pan, a Youtuber with more than one million followers when he invented the face mask gun. But he prefers to think that it is a "mask launcher" that is still a work-in-progress.
He used a carbon dioxide cartridge and weights attached to each end of the four strings in the mask to get it secured once launched. He also attached a laser to measure his aim.
In the video, he successfully fired a mask to a head bust as the strings wrapped around the neck, and the face mask was securely placed on the face. He tried doing it several times, although admittedly, he failed. Then he tried it himself using the help of his friend, and it worked.
He and his friend decided to go to the conservative California town Huntington Beach and see what the people's reactions will be. Interestingly, Pan observed that many people were already wearing face masks compared to a few months ago when they were protesting.
Since one of the weights in the masks was taken off, he had to improvise instead of wrapping it with duct tape. He did the same to the three other weights to balance them. Some people were interested and tried his invention by firing it to a head bust.
Admittedly, this new invention is not yet perfect, but it shows promise, and maybe someday it could be used to force people to wear masks not only for themselves but also for their communities.
READ NEXT: Which Offers the Best Protection? 8 Face Masks Ranked Based On Effectiveness
Myths and Facts About Wearing Masks
Although wearing a face mask is practical these days, there are still some misconceptions about them.
For instance, some people believe that cloth face masks are not effective. But there have been studies saying that it effectively prevents droplets from spreading the disease, and it also serves as an indirect reminder for people to avoid touching their faces.
Health authorities like the CDC and WHO have recommended cloth face masks as an alternative instead of the medical-grade ones because medical health workers directly work with people infected from the virus compared to the general public.
Lastly, several people think that wearing masks can cause carbon dioxide build-up, which makes people sick. But this too is not true. Doctors have shown that even with face masks on, their oxygen level is still at a normal level and that there is an adequate airflow, making the accumulation of carbon dioxide impossible.
Check out more news and information on COVID-19 on Science Times.
