When COVID arrived in early 2020, there was an immediate fight about whether masks were useful. One side said only N95 masks work. The other said any mask hurts you. Using Polis, we found consensus within 24 hours and rolled out a message both sides could endorse — a Shiba Inu meme, a very cute dog putting her paw to her mouth: wear a mask to remind each other to wash your hands and keep your dirty hands from your own face. It was personal protection from yourself. People laughed. Humour over rumour. We depolarised the conversation about masks, and later about vaccination and contact tracing.