A doctor who hails from Yorkshire, England, ran 22 miles to work and back while wearing a face mask to prove a point about masks, and raise money for charity to boot.
Tom Lawton, a doctor who has worked at the Bradford Royal Infirmary throughout the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, has seen the worst of what the virus can do to people, and is now seeking to stop the spread of misinformation circulating about face masks, especially the belief that they can limit oxygen levels.
In order to prove this, Tom decided to document running the 22 miles from his home to his work and back, all while wearing a face mask. The doctor not only proved that masks don't impact your oxygen levels, but at the time of writing, has raised over £1,600 for the Trussell Trust, a food bank charity working to stop UK hunger and poverty.
Tom kept the mask on for the entire duration of his run, which was almost the distance of a marathon. As he wrote on Twitter, using a SATS meter, "levels were stubbornly 98%" every time he checked them, and in total, he breathed enough oxygen for "about 10 calm people".
"Learning points: trying to do 10 people's-worth of breathing through a soaking wet mask is unpleasant, but doesn't cause hypoxia," he added in another tweet. "Cloth masks are *very* good at catching respiratory droplets!"
Not only did Tom run to work and back, but in between, he worked his full shift at the hospital, and wore a mask as he treated patients.
Taking to Twitter after his efforts, Tom wrote: ‘Please feel free to cite this when anyone suggests they’re bad for you, and stay safe – and COVID-free. If I can run 16-21 miles masked, you can probably make it round the shops."
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You can donate to Tom’s fundraiser here.