Face masks inhibit breathing a bit but no oxygen

I find myself constricted sometimes wearing a face mask. It seems that I am not getting all the oxygen I need. The moment I cross the doorway leading out of a store requiring masks, I remove it and take in a couple or more nice clean fresh breaths of air. That oxygen rush makes me feel much better.

Face Mask Oxygen Study

The Annals of the American Thoracic Society did a recent study to determine quantitatively the effect of oxygen demand on those people with breathing difficulties. https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/ats-fmu093020.php

The Miami VA Medical Center working with the University of Miami Hospital and Clinics performed the study. They tested 15 healthy people and 15 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) – each under 50% lung function.

Each person wore a face mask for 30 minutes and then did a six-minute walk. Blood tests revealed that there was no change in oxygen levels in either group. They concluded that face masks do not impair the quantity of oxygen getting into the lungs of healthy and people with COPD.

Conclusion

The study did not compare the oxygen levels of those with masks and those not wearing masks. I think that would be of interest. I was at my doctor’s office recently getting an annual physical. I had one of those pulse oximeters on my finger to measure oxygen saturation in my peripheral capillaries.

I pay attention to everything that is happening whenever a nurse or doctor is present. I ask a lot of questions. I had an oximeter reading of 96, which is fine – it is a good reading. However, I usually run at 98 or above. Was that slight drop due to the face mask? I may never know. Is it a big deal? Probably not.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life! – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com

 

4 Responses

  1. Let’s see. Hm. Risk of 2% O2 level or high risk of cstching Coronavirus? Hm. I think I can do without the 2%. It won’t kill me. But publicly writing about any slight negative inconvenience or non fatal, non-harm causing minor discomfort can get people killed because it simply gives them yet another excuse to potentially infect snd kill others by not wearing a mask.

    When Profs at Baylor College of Medicine personally tell me masks are miracles and proven lifesavers, that’s good enough for me.

    Who refuses to wear masks and belittles others for doing so? Donald J Trump. And who is hospitalized with COVID? Donald J Trump. And who is now positive? Political associates of Donald J Trump who have been working maskless with him over the past 10 days. Plus Father John Jenkins, Notre Dame University President snd maskless who maskless Trump greeted in the Rose Garden. Former NJ Gov Chris Christy has even been hospitalized. He coached Trump during debate prep. Without a mask. He’s morbidly obese and an asthmatic.
    Plus a number of very pissed off spouses and Secret Service Agents not allowed to wear masks while onmprotective detail duty.

    1. Thanks again Roy for your thoughts. I believe in personal responsibility. I am responsible for my health, not my doctor. I use my doctor as a consultant, not as the absolute authority. The virus is what it is. We learn more every day. What worked six months ago may have been good advice. Was it the best advice? I don’t know. Is it good advice to wear face masks? Yes, in certain places. If public officials, celebrities, professional players of any sport, and more become infected, they will probably not have any problems. Over 95% of the people with COVID-19 are sent home for quarantine. The remaining 5% enter a hospital for a brief one-week or so stay and then sent home. There is a very small percentage who will not survive this virus. I expect with the doors of restriction are released in those states that have been shut down for months, that the new cases of COVID-19 will shoot up exponentially, as we have seen in other states. The home quarantine is not a cure, not a slowing mechanism. Vaccines may help a bit, but they are not the panacea. What is the solution? I don’t think we have found it yet, but I believe we will.

  2. As a healthy septegenarian without “extenuating circumstances” I am comfortable continuing my life as before masks and social distancing, and avoid both when “allowed to do so.” We are being robbed of two critical characteristics of the human species – the ability to SEE each other’s faces and experience each other socially. The sooner these shackes are removed the faster we are going to return to where we should be vis-a-vis how we are made.

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