With all the hysteria over face-masks; those who say masks are starving people of oxygen and those claiming masks can't impede oxygen flow-- and the anger boiling up from both sides-- I decided to do my own experiments.
The argument from the pro-mask cultists is that there is no way the fabric weave of a mask can block the exchange of oxygen or carbon dioxide molecules. They are much too small compared to the weave to be hindered. Which may be true... but I don't believe the flow in and out is instantaneous. This delay does have an effect, which I can feel. The hot, exhaled air lingers long enough to be re-inhaled. Is this a problem?
I bought an oximeter (an over-the-counter unit) right after I was exposed to The Corona. I know wearing a mask causes me to do the face-mask gasp every so often, but is it just due to the heat or due to a lack of oxygen.
I thought I should test this for myself (and for you). So, I did.
Without a face mask, my %SpO2-- oxygen saturation percentage-- runs between 95 and 96 rather regularly. After a few minutes of wearing a mask (an actual face mask and a silk bandana were used separately with the same result), that drops to 93-94. Not a huge difference, but a difference. After a couple of minutes of this I do the face-mask gasp and bring my oxygen back up to maskless levels, but it won't stay there.
Is this really due to the mask? I don't know. Here are some alternative hypotheses...
Maybe I breathe differently while wearing a mask; shallower or less frequent breaths.
Maybe I am too self-conscious of my breathing while wearing a mask.
Maybe the effect is due to the heat build-up.
Maybe this was a fluke and a coincidence that my %SpO2 fell a little just at the time I was wearing the masks.
Maybe my bias skewed the results.
Maybe it was magic, elves, or faeries.
Maybe there's more than one cause.
It seems to me, the claim that masks can't reduce your oxygen levels has been falsified. It's not a big difference, and maybe not enough of a difference to even notice or cause harm. But there was a difference. I now believe all of those saying it can't happen are either lying or are mistaken.
Don't trust me; do your own tests. Listen to your own body.
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Writing to promote liberty is my job.
YOU get to decide if I get paid.
I hope I add something you find valuable enough to support.
Fascinating!! I am impressed. You just don't take anyone's word for it. You test it yourself. Pretty daggone credible to me. Thanks Kent!! I too am opposed to all government mandates in malem prohibitum situations. <:} bob minarik, rochester Indiana
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bob!
DeleteHa! I thought about doing the same. The main reason I didn't? I figured nobody I knew would especially care about the results. Well, outside my wife & kids, and they're already unworried but semi-opposed to wearing masks, so I don't have any goal to modify that. Regardless of the results, really. Mostly because I'm very proud of the "unworried" part and strongly desire that it remain present.
ReplyDeleteSo IOW it'd just be one more thing I'd have to frustrate myself with by not mentioning it in public. I have too many of those already.
Thanks for posting this.
Mostly, I did it for myself. I like to know the reality, regardless of anything else.
DeleteI completely understand the frustration of not mentioning something you know in public. I experience that a lot-- and sometimes mention those things anyway. That never turns out well, but I'm a slow learner.
Kent,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate someone who does their own testing.
The change in oxygen is a bit larger than the change in %SpO2 readings. The curve is quite non-linear. See
https://breathe.ersjournals.com/content/breathe/11/3/194/F4.large.jpg?width=800&height=600&carousel=1
That curve shows that if %SpO2 goes from 96 to 93, the partial pressure of oxygen available drops from 16 kPa to 9 or so. A bit less than 50% drop.
When I did my little experiment it was in a jet at cruise altitude, equivalent to 8500 feet (I measured) so I was already a bit hypoxic, and further down that curve. Putting on a mask dropped my reading from 95% (already down from 98% at sea level) to 88%. The corresponding partial pressure of oxygen was less than 7 kPa, a level I consider dangerous.
Both your test and mine falsify the claim that masks can't reduce your oxygen levels. Falsification of testable claims is the essence of science.
As for the possible other causes:
Maybe I breathe differently while wearing a mask; shallower or less frequent breaths. - Most people do, but that's a result of wearing a mask, and if it causes hypoxia, it is still being caused by wearing a mask.
Maybe I am too self-conscious of my breathing while wearing a mask. - Maybe, but I find I'm not thinking about the mask after 10-15 minutes.
Maybe the effect is due to the heat build-up. - Quite possibly - another direct effect of being masked.
Maybe this was a fluke and a coincidence that my %SpO2 fell a little just at the time I was wearing the masks. - I've done my tests 3 times now, with nearly identical results. It's good practice to look for errors though.
Maybe my bias skewed the results. - Certainly possible, it would take a more carefully designed study and more test subjects to check that.
Maybe it was magic, elves, or faeries. - Mask wearing is a compelling example of magical thinking, so this is as good a reason as any.
Maybe there's more than one cause. - I don't think there is much "maybe" about this. Breathing is natural but that doesn't mean it is simple. There are many possible effects from putting up a barrier to respiration.
Putting on a mask is messing with several hundred million years of evolutionary selection. It's really quite a display of hubris to think that we can improve on mother nature by blocking airways that have served our species for millions of years.
I know that I feel "I can't breathe" when wearing a mask. For me, that's the bottom line.
DeleteMy sister-- an anti-Trump Democrat-- says masks can't be a real problem because look at all the professions who wear masks all the time and have done so for years, without "major problems". I wonder if those professions select for people who aren't bothered as much my wearing masks. Also, if I were being paid to wear a mask I might put up with more discomfort, too. I can think of several variables.
Anyway, I appreciate your input.