Due to the spread of COVID-19, we’ve recently been inundated with inventive ways to wash our hands. Authorities have told us to self-quarantine as much as humanly possible. But understanding how germs spread isn’t as popular of a topic. Neither is why it’s important for us to stay quarantined and not touch our faces. Which is why it’s great to see that former NASA engineer and YouTuber Mark Rober has put out a video covering how germs, like the virus that causes COVID-19, manage to make their way from person to person.

Rober made the video over the course of the last couple of weeks in response to the pandemic that currently has much of the world on lockdown. He said he usually takes 6-12 months. He wanted to get the video out ASAP not only to help educate people about how germs spread, but also to help combat misinformation in the media regarding the dangers of COVID-19.

In the video, Rober goes to an elementary school, and uses a classroom full of kids, their teacher, a blacklight, and Glo Germ to help educate people on how germs spread. Like real germs, you can’t see Glo Germ under normal light. Unlike real germs though, you can see the substance under blacklight. Glo Germ also spreads similarly to real germs, in that it transfers from one’s hands to the things they’ve touched.

This is anti-science and damaging. Because of this I’ve had to spend so much time over the past week trying to convince my Dad + others who watch FOX this is real. I saw the writing on the wall so I made a new vid about Covid19 dropping in about 10 hours.https://t.co/FWeeKvt7ai — Mark Rober (@MarkRober) March 18, 2020

After applying the Glo Germ to a single teacher’s hands, as well as one student’s, it only takes a couple of hours before it’s spread across tons of objects and surfaces inside of the classroom. In composite photos Rober made, like the one below, you can see the Glo Germ on a wall, faucet, lid, and table (among other surfaces). And after having the kids shake hands with each other, it basically ends up on every one of them.

Mark Rober

Rober also highlights the importance of not touching one’s face when it comes to preventing the spread of germs. He also demonstrates just how difficult that ask is. It’s unfortunate, because, according to Rober, our face holes are like Death Star thermal exhaust ports. They are the major weaknesses in our body’s design; when it comes to germs, at least.

Featured Image: Mark Rober