A doctor who is based in Dublin, Ireland, has sought to show that wearing a face mask doesn't lower one's oxygen levels in a now-viral video that was posted to Twitter yesterday.
As the coronavirus pandemic has unfolded, the debate surrounding face masks and their efficacy in limiting the spread of the virus has become more and more polarized.
In America, while many follow public health recommendations over the wearing of face masks, others have argued that they impair their individual freedom.
Bill Nye, best known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, even took to social media video sharing app TikTok recently to demonstrate to people why face masks are important, in what the Independent described as a "coronavirus PSA."
"Why do people in the scientific community want you to wear a face mask when you are out in public?" Nye asks in the video.
"Masks prevent particles from my respiratory system from getting into your respiratory system... Blocking the movement of air is an old trick."
And now, Dr Maitiu O Tuathail, who is based in Dublin, Ireland, has released a video of his own, in an attempt to show that face coverings/masks do not reduce your oxygen levels.
He wrote on Twitter;
"Getting asked “Does wearing a face mask lower your oxygen levels” repeatedly by patients today! Based on what they are reading on social media *Face coverings / masks don’t reduce your oxygen levels!* I managed to get six face masks on + it had no effect on my oxygen levels!"
You can see the post in full here:
One Twitter user replied to the post, saying "Fair play to you Dr.O’Tuathail. Wearing any face covering it’s not the most comfortable thing to do, but it will protect us and other people around us especially for those who aren’t wearing anything-medical cause or those without any manners when they caugh! [sic]"
Another added, "Can't speak for others, but I've found that the more accustomed I've become to wearing a mask the less it bothers me. Still don't like it (who does?) but, while I first felt I couldn't breathe & got stressed by it, I've learned to control my breathing automatically and am now ok."