COVID-19: Face masks don't cause overexposure to CO2; study shows effect on gas exchange

A new study published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society has found that face masks do not cause over exposure  to carbon dioxide. The coronavirus pandemic has triggered the wearing of face masks all over the world to curb the spread of disease but now it has been politicized with few individuals falsely claiming that wearing face masks may be putting people’s health at risk. 

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The new study is titled as "Effect of Face Masks on Gas Exchange in Healthy Persons and Patients with COPD” with researchers assessing problems with gas exchange. As per the study, they noted the changes in oxygen level or carbon dioxide levels in healthy individuals as well as veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD before and while using surgical masks. 

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Importance of wearing masks

According to the scientists, people with COPD, "must work harder to breathe, which can lead to shortness of breath and/or feeling tired." "We show that the effects are minimal at most even in people with very severe lung impairment," said study co-author Michael Campos from the University of Miami.

Dr. Campos explained: "Dyspnea, the feeling of shortness of breath, felt with masks by some is not synonymous of alterations in gas exchange. It likely occurs from restriction of air flow with the mask in particular when higher ventilation is needed (on exertion)."

The findings in the study stressed the importance of wearing a face mask to prevent COVID-19 infection. If a surgical mask is not available, a cloth mask with at least two layers is recommended by the CDC. Patients with lung disease, in particular, should avoid getting infected and should wear a face mask, which, along with handwashing and social distancing, is proven to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.

The study added Dr Campos saying, "We acknowledge that our observations may be limited by sample size, however, our population offers a clear signal on the nil effect of surgical masks on relevant physiological changes in gas exchange under routine circumstances (prolonged rest, brief walking)". "It is important to inform the public that the discomfort associated with mask use should not lead to unsubstantiated safety concerns as this may attenuate the application of a practice proven to improve public health." "The public should not believe that masks kill," added Dr. Campos.

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