Originally Posted by
KQ
False Claim : Wearing a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is unnecessary because the disease can also be spread via farts.
Debunk Date : 07/29/2020 Debunked By : snopes Sources : Social Media, The Daily Star
The false claim is: "Wearing a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is unnecessary because the disease can also be spread via farts." This is false. Despite overwhelming evidence that mask use slows the spread of COVID-19, there has been continuous pushback on social media from those who oppose wearing these potentially life-saving face coverings. In July 2020, we came across a strange, new argument in this ongoing debate, as seen in the meme above: There’s no point in wearing a mask because the fumes of a fart can penetrate through underwear and pants, including denim jeans. The meme is ambiguous but appears to be arguing at a minimum that 1.) since the odor of a fart can pass through denim, a deadly virus can penetrate through a cloth mask and/or 2.) that COVID-19 may be transmissible via a fart.
Sources : Social Media, The Daily Star