Masks and oxygen levels

[sillysmiles]

For all those who think that wearing a mask lowers your oxygen level, check out this video

Video

tl/dr
wearing a mask doesn't lower your oxygen levels

Just giving this a gentle bump to get it back on active!
I've seen a simliar video elsewhere too.
Let's hope masks widespread mask usage will keep covid levels at or below their current levels.

I've seen lots of videos like this and all say the same - no reduction to oxygen levels, even for people with lung difficulties and lung-related illnesses.

Many of the people who struggle with breathing initially - it's generally linked to panic, and by getting used to them gradually, in safety at home, wearing the mask little and often throughout the day they can work through this.

In reality there should be very few people who genuinely can't ever wear a mask. By the rest of us wearing them we can help protect those who really can't.

The first couple of times I wore mine I felt like I couldn't breathe. Now I wear them several times a week when I go into shops etc and almost forget I'm wearing it. It's much easier now I'm used to it.

I have asthma, I wear a face fitted fp3 mask at work for a morning or afternoon. I have checked my oxygen levels before and after, it doesn't budge.

Yes, air molecules are nanometres in size... 10-100,000 times small than water droplets containing the virus. Thinking that masks affect air misunderstands just how tiny oxygen molecules are... It would be like thinking that an open door will stop a mosquito from flying in, only 100-1,000 times more so!

Oddly, i read recently if one anti-mask site simultaneously peddling the oxygen reduction line with a video showing how masks were useless as you could blow a candle out through them.. apparently unaware of the irony!

If they did affect your levels there would be a lot of dead surgeons.

I don't know why people could think for one second that this were true.

I don't know why people could think for one second that this were true.

I honestly don't think people genuinely in there heart of hearts believe it. But it "sounds" more rational and a better reason to not wear a mask that simply stamping your feet and saying " I don't want to".

I don't think anyone disagrees it can be a bit uncomfortable at the start until you get used to it, but I've had more uncomfortable shoes!

Must admit, put a facemask on for first time this morning whilst shopping. It felt a bit weird at first, then got used to it.

Many of the people who struggle with breathing initially - it's generally linked to panic, and by getting used to them gradually, in safety at home, wearing the mask little and often throughout the day they can work through this

This is what I've been saying. Nobody likes wearing a mask and they're not generally something the average person can put on and fly. It has to be built up and I think of people look at it that way, that it's doable in bite sized chunks then it might not be as overwhelming.

As I said on another thread, my kid with ASD has had to work up to his 45 minutes length. He's quite proud of himself.

Well done to your son gamerchick. He should be proud of himself for persevering and achieving that.

Thankyou.

He really wants to go to to a theme park, it had to be a rather large carrot.

Plus it's worth experimenting with different types of reusable. The latest place for us is mypicture.co.uk they don't have a seam down the front but feel light on the face. And you can upload your own picture. I didn't get the initial I'm suffocating feeling you tend to get from reusables.

Not cheap though and I can't see them lasting a long time but better than most I've tried.

*as in the postage bumps the price up, so only worth it when buying a few at once.

I would love to know how the fuckwits that believe masks affect oxygen saturation think surgeons, amongst others, manage to stay alive.

Genuine question. If the air molecules are mega tiny as pp said above so they can still get through, surely the airborne Covid particles which are also mega tiny can get through? Not a goady mask avoider, can anyone with the science explain?

@dementedma

The size of a oxygen molecule is 0.3 nanometres (nm) (0.0000000003m). A Covid virus is about 125 nm. Very roughly, scaled up, if Covid were a car, an air molecule would be a pea.

What’s more the virus doesn’t tend to “go solo” but be present within minuscule water droplets, with the type you typically breathe out being around 50-100 times larger than a Covid virus.

Although minuscule to us, the droplets are massive compared to an air molecule... Scaled up, if an air molecule was a pea, the water droplet would be football stadium sized. The mask needs to stop the “football stadium”, not the “pea”.

That's a clear explanation, Derby 👏🏼

Ah, thank you!

My friend has lung disease (severe scarring and poor lung function) and she does deplete in oxygen levels but hers are a bit low to begin with. She can wear a mask for short periods and does.
I think some of the blanket statements are very dangerous as people with more severe lung diseases need specialist advice. This is aimed at healthy people, of course, but don’t forget those who could put themselves in harms way if it isn’t made clear to them.

I think it's more about the anxiety and panic that some people experience from having a physical piece of cloth over their mouth and nose. Panic can induce a very real sense of not being able to breathe. Having an understanding of the science and the facts behind it doesn't necessarily make someone less anxious.

@LouJ85

I think it's more about the anxiety and panic that some people experience from having a physical piece of cloth over their mouth and nose. Panic can induce a very real sense of not being able to breathe. Having an understanding of the science and the facts behind it doesn't necessarily make someone less anxious.

Absolutely. There needs to be a proper public information campaign about face coverings to dispel the nonsense, but also to explain that some people cannot wear face coverings. If those of us who can (even if we don’t like them) wear face coverings, we are protecting everyone. A bit like vaccination really...

Derbygerbil That was a brilliantly clear explanation. It needs to be made into an animation for the public health campaign (that we need, but probably won’t get).

If some people struggle to breathe as they walk, then surely a face mask would have the same effect as a mask on a jogger? Joggers have collapsed wearing them, one man, who was, very physically fit had a heart attack and died because of the mask.

People with some conditions need specific advice, assaid. But everyone can wear visors.

Joggers have collapsed wearing them, one man, who was, very physically fit had a heart attack and died because of the mask.

How would anyone know the mask was the proximate cause of death? Unfortunately very fit people do very, very occasionally die during exercise.