Prolonged use of face masks reduces the circulation of oxygen in the blood and can lead to death.
The post lists the dangers of prolonged use of face masks claiming, among other dangers, that it may lead to death. The post shared on May 11 advises that masks should be removed when a person is alone or at home and only worn when in crowded places., The American Journal of Blood Research published a study on the body’s need for a continuous supply of oxygen, stating that vital organs such as the brain, muscles and liver need to be adequately supplied in order to ensure that they function normally. A low level of oxygen in the blood is known as hypoxemia and causes a condition called hypoxia, which could lead to potentially fatal complications., The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing face coverings in public settings, especially in situations where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain., These coverings range from homemade cloth and sponge masks to surgical masks with built-in respirators that protect the wearer from airborne particles and liquids., PesaCheck has previously explained the importance of mask use to prevent the spread of COVID-19, noting that N-95 respirators and surgical masks should only be used by frontline health workers who face a greater risk of exposure to the coronavirus disease in their work environment. The rest of the population is advised to wear modified cloth masks that, while less effective in filtering air, still provide protection., Surgical masks and respirators, which are more effective filters, do not cause low blood oxygen levels, according to studies., A 2014 study published in the Journal of Lung, Pulmonary, and Respiratory Research on the effect of wearing surgical masks and respirators for a long duration reported increased levels of discomfort after wearing the masks for three hours. However, the study does not cite blood oxygen levels as a concern., The study found that the N-95 masks could cause breathing problems especially to people with underlying respiratory illnesses, but this was due to factors such as different temperatures and humidification of outer and inner mask surfaces, issues that were limited to surgical masks., However, surgical masks and respirators should be worn for limited periods as they can pick up germs and end up being contaminated., According to the CDC, the most significant risk from wearing masks is that of contact transmission from touching the contaminated mask surface., Healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients are advised to wear disposable masks and are required to get rid of them each time they attend to a different patient or whenever they feel that the mask may have been contaminated., Dr. Emanuel Okunga, an epidemiologist at the Ministry of Health, told PesaCheck that breathing in excessive carbon dioxide is dangerous to the body. He added that people with pre-existing respiratory diseases might face challenges breathing through tight-fitting masks, such as the N-95 respirators, for prolonged periods., Dr. Okunga said that prolonged breathing in masks leads to rebreathing of exhaled carbon dioxide. “This is because while wearing a mask we breathe in the air we exhale and if this happens over long durations, this air contains carbon dioxide and can make someone feel fatigued.” He, however, clarified that the levels of carbon dioxide likely to build up in masks is tolerable to people exposed to it., “People wearing surgical or modified cloth masks — even those with underlying health issues are in little to no danger of breathing in unhealthy amounts of carbon dioxide,” added Dr. Okunga., Dr. Okunga added that it is safe to wear masks for prolonged periods. Adding that masks are professionally designed and if they are worn properly and are of appropriate size and shape, they cannot lead to suffocation and death., PesaCheck has looked into the claim that prolonged wearing of facemasks is associated with a decrease of oxygen circulation in the blood and finds it to be FALSE., This post is part of an ongoing series of PesaCheck fact-checks examining content marked as potential misinformation on Facebook and other social media platforms., By partnering with Facebook and similar social media platforms, third-party fact-checking organisations like PesaCheck are helping to sort fact from fiction. We do this by giving the public deeper insight and context to posts they see in their social media feeds., Have you spotted what you think is fake news or false information on Facebook? Here’s how you can report. And, here’s more information on PesaCheck’s methodology for fact-checking questionable content., This fact-check was written by PesaCheck Fact-Checker James Okong’o and edited by PesaCheck Deputy Editor Enock Nyariki., The article was approved for publication by PesaCheck Managing Editor Eric Mugendi., PesaCheck is East Africa’s first public finance fact-checking initiative. It was co-founded by Catherine Gicheru and Justin Arenstein, and is being incubated by the continent’s largest civic technology and data journalism accelerator: Code for Africa. It seeks to help the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements about the numbers that shape our world, with a special emphasis on pronouncements about public finances that shape government’s delivery of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) public services, such as healthcare, rural development and access to water/sanitation. PesaCheck also tests the accuracy of media reportage. To find out more about the project, visit pesacheck.org., PesaCheck is an initiative of Code for Africa, through its innovateAFRICA fund, with support from Deutsche Welle Akademie, in partnership with a coalition of local African media and other civic watchdog organisations., Written by, Written by
FALSE: Prolonged face mask use does not lower oxygen circulation in the blood