'Deadliest Catch' Captains Urge Americans to 'Mask Up' in New COVID PSA from the CDC

"We have one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet — but right now, it's dangerous everywhere," says Captain Sig Hansen

The stars of Deadliest Catch are relating the dangers of the sea to the dangers of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As the threat of the variants gets more serious in the U.S., Discovery Channel has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to encourage the importance of mitigation measures to slow the spread of the virus, including wearing face masks.

Captains Sig Hansen and Josh Harris from Deadliest Catch star in the new PSA from the nation's health protection agency, one of many efforts to continue encouraging key constituencies to wear a mask and practice social distancing.

"Being a ship captain means being prepared for anything," begins Hansen.

"We're the ones responsible for making sure the crew makes it to port safe and sound," Harris adds.

"We have one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet — but right now, it's dangerous everywhere," Hansen continues, holding up his own mask. "So when medical experts say to wear your mask to fight the pandemic, wear your mask."

Discovery Channel

Dr. Jay C. Butler, the CDC's Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases, appears in the clip to endorse the message.

"Sig and Josh are right," he says. "Safety comes first, and the best way to prevent the spread of COVID is to wear your mask. Mask up, America."

Mask wearing has been a key way to slow the spread of COVID-19 since the onset of the health crisis last year, and it remains an important tool. Earlier this month, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser and the country's leading physician on infectious diseases, said during an appearance on Today that doubling up on masks or making sure that they have a "tighter fit" can reduce transmission by 96.5%, according to a CDC study.

The CDC also recommended other ways to improve how masks protect you and others, including choosing a mask with multiple layers, choosing one with a nose wire, using a mask fitter or brace and always checking that it fits snugly over the nose, mouth and chin.

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