Fauci Shows How He Uses A Mask During His Daily 4-Mile Pandemic Runs

Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, demonstrated how he wears a mask while taking his daily jogs in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Fauci, 79, told Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo (D) that he jogs or power-walks 4 miles with his wife every evening, but doesn’t wear a mask across his face the entire time. Instead, he keeps it in chinstrap mode, flipping it up to cover his nose and mouth when someone comes within about 50 yards, and keeping it in place until they safely pass.

In June, Fauci said he tries to wear a mask when running, but it’s not always easy. 

“When you breathe in, it feels like you’re waterboarding yourself,” he said, then again explained how he flips it up and down for more comfort.

“I think that’s reasonable,” he said. “You don’t have to have it on if there’s nobody around.”

Fauci is a longtime athlete known for his running habit. He ran 7 miles a day in the middle of a punishing daily schedule during the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and ’90s, and has participated in marathons. When the coronavirus pandemic began, Fauci said he was working 19 hours a day, but still managed to find time to squeeze in a 3.5-mile jog. 

In the video above, he also revealed how to get outside, see friends and keep active safely during the pandemic. In the clip below, he shared how he takes masks on and off and what he does with used masks.