Still wearing your mask? There is a good reason to STOP!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

As with many aspects of the pandemic, mask use has become politicized, which is unfortunate because what it has done is unnecessarily divide our society over something that can be considered a personal choice. All science, including public health science, is messy. Throughout this pandemic recommendations have changed as more evidence became available. We were dealing with a new virus strain, with limited data; this added to the uncertainty as to how to proceed correctly.

In April 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of masks only for symptomatic, ill individuals and health care workers, and did not recommend its widespread use. That soon changed.

In June 2020, WHO endorsed the general use of masks in, e.g., crowded places. In a meta-analysis study commissioned by the WHO, no clear, scientifically graspable benefit – of moderate or strong evidence – proved that wearing a mask would help stop the spread of the virus, but many of us kept wearing it anyways, and our governments continued to mandate them as a necessary part of public health and safety.

Under pressure from increasing absolute numbers of positive SARS-CoV-2 tests, many health officials further extended mask-wearing according to certain times and situations, always justified by the desire to limit the spread of the virus. The media, numerous institutions, and most of the population supported this approach.

Some studies have maintained that while keeping a distance of at least one meter showed moderate evidence with regard to the spreading of SARS-CoV-2, the evidence was weak at best could be found for masks alone in everyday use (non-medical setting). This has led to on-going discussions about possible adverse effects of mask wearing (e.g., dizziness, headaches, fainting), especially within the elderly, during long-term continuous mask usage and during physical activity. The bulk of these concerns arise due to potential hypercapnic effects (when you have too much carbon dioxide in your bloodstream) of carbon dioxide rebreathing, which unfortunately has not yet been evaluated in a thorough manner.

As we move through and past this pandemic, studies are coming out that indicate that there are reasons we should be weary about wearing masks all the time. I share this because it saddens me to see people who are still walking around with masks on their faces, especially when wearing them could cause potential harm. There have been new studies that shed some light on the potential risks.

In a research study titled, “Effects of wearing masks on human health and comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic, it explained that in a warm environment, wearing masks for a long time significantly affected the subjective feelings and physiological reactions of people. During their experiment, the mean skin temperature increased, the heart rate increased, and the blood oxygen saturation level decreased, which ultimately led to a decline in health and comfort levels.

A more telling research study, “Titanium dioxide particles frequently present in face masks intended for general use require regulatory control, they tested several batches of face masks intended to be put on sale as personal protective equipment. It showed that 70% of the examined facemasks contained TiO₂ in quantities ranging from 100 to 2000 mg kg

In the same study, they warn of the possible future consequences caused by poorly regulated use of nanotechnology in textiles applied to improve the performance of facemasks. In animal experiments, toxic effects were reported when titanium dioxide particles were inhaled as well as when they were ingested orally^.

To evaluate whether the titanium dioxide particles in facemasks possibly presented a health risk, their amounts, their physicochemical properties and their localization were analysed in a selection of facemasks. The hazard of inhaled titanium particles is well documented, yet not spoken of in mainstream media where they constantly tell you to “Trust the science.”

The last study that I would like to share with you is titled, “Cerebral and systemic physiological effects of wearing face masks in young adults. The findings show that wearing a face mask leads to statistically significant changes in the cerebral hemodynamics (how blood flows through your blood vessels) and oxygenation in healthy young subjects at rest, even for this first relatively short period of mask usage. However, the changes observed were minimal and are comparable to those typically observed during daily life.

What I would suggest to those who opt to wear a mask, do so safely. If you are wearing a mast that has been in the car for weeks, stop. When you wear a dirty mask over and over again, you end up breathing in bacteria or viruses that might be trapped in the mask. This is one of the reasons why they strongly suggest that you toss cloth masks in the wash after every use. Also, try to limit the number of times that you touch or remove your mask; make sure your hands are clean when you take it on or off.