Gentlemen, rediscover your baby face—it's time to shave. Renowned emergency physician Dr. Patrick Pelloux shared this advice on BFM TV after a viewer asked: "Can the virus cling to a beard or mustache when coughing or sneezing?" "Yes, absolutely," he replied, emphasizing, "You must shave." While not waging war on facial hair, Dr. Pelloux noted beards and mustaches are "very dirty" and the virus can survive "several hours" on them.
For those reluctant to part with facial hair, a 2019 Swiss study found men's beards contain more bacteria than dogs' fur.
Researchers analyzed human beard and dog hair samples, discovering high microbe counts in all bearded men—versus just 23 of 30 dogs. Seven men carried potentially harmful microbes, compared to four dogs. "On this basis, dogs can be considered cleaner than men with beards," said study director Andreas Gutzeit.
