Throwback Video of Toddler Repeatedly Removing Face Mask During COVID Sparks Debate — ‘Never Forget What They Did’

There is tons of speculation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, including where it stemmed from, how deadly it really was, and what precautions were actually necessary to help prevent the spread of it.

With the varying opinions surrounding the pandemic have also come varying speculation, like from X user @libsoftiktok, who shared what appears to be a throwback clip of a toddler trying to be convinced to keep his face mask on while at school or daycare.

The X user captioned the post, “Never forget what they did in the name of Covid. Fauci did this then lied through his teeth under oath. Fauci belongs in prison for a very long time.”

Given the context of the video and the caption, it appears the X user believes masks should not have been mandatory, despite Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, strongly suggesting they be worn to help prevent the spread of the disease during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The clip also shows how difficult it was for caregivers and parents to keep younger children masked during a time when they really had no idea what was going on.

Video Reignites Debate Over Mask Requirements for Young Children

The clip of the young child shows the struggles that came with trying to mask young children because, given their age, they don't fully understand what's happening or why they need to wear something covering their mouth and nose.

And while under federal public health guidance wearing a mask was necessary in some places and recommended in others, many commenters shared a similar view as the X user, suggesting it wasn't right to make small children wear coverings over their mouths and noses.

"You're not supposed to lay babies on their tummies to sleep but you'll mask them nose and mouth while they're playin? Sick people," one person wrote. They also criticized the person in the video for touching the child's mask, writing, "Also her hands all over that mask onto another person makes it null and void."

Another person recalled a time when they said "Families [were] kicked off planes because a 2-year-old refused to be muzzled," adding, "What kind of sick society did we descend into? And you know what's TERRIFYING? The amount of petty totalitarians amongst our fellow citizens who had a chance to come out."

A third commenter took a more sympathetic tone toward the child, writing, "Poor baby! That idiot, forcing that mask on!"

Meanwhile, another suggested wearing a mask was not a major issue, writing, "It's just a mask. It doesn't hurt to wear a mask." Opinions over masks varied greatly, and still do, but in the case of this post, commenters on the post largely opposed mask mandates for children.

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the circumstances surrounding the video. Even years after the pandemic, discussions about masking policies—particularly for young children—continue to generate strong opinions online.