A Doctor Ran 35 Km With A Face Mask On To Prove It Doesn't Reduce Oxygen Levels In The Body

People come up with all sorts of excuses to not wear a mask properly: it makes them sweat a lot, it's uncomfortable, it is tight, leaves marks on the face, and the most common one, it causes difficulty in breathing.

Some people even believe that masks deplete oxygen levels if you wear them while working out. An ICU doctor from the United Kingdom, Tom Lawton took it upon himself to prove these people wrong by testing the theory out himself. How did he do it? By nearly completing a marathon while wearing a mask.

Twitter/CTV News

¡°I work in intensive care, I know physiology so I knew that this wasn¡¯t true,¡± he told CTV News.

His goal was to run 35 km around his hometown of Bradford, U.K., while wearing a face mask all the time and tracking his oxygen levels. ¡°I thought: How can I demonstrate it? How can I reassure people who would like to do their bit and wear a mask but are scared?¡± Lawton said.

Lawton used a pulse oximeter to track his oxygen levels during his entire run and to see actual data of how the mask impacted his breathing. He reportedly checked his oxygen levels every half hour during his run, and noted that reading above a reading 95 per cent was considered 'normal'.

Also Read: Why The Government Wants You To Stop Wearing N95 Face Masks Amid COVID-19 Spread

Representational Image/WSFURLAN

¡°The [reading was] 98 to 99 all the time, completely normal oxygen levels all the way,¡± he said. In other words, he had no breathing problems during his 35-km run.

¡°It¡¯s certainly unpleasant and I feel for the people who don¡¯t like wearing them, but this is one of the things that¡¯s going to help us,¡± he said.

The belief that there can be difficulty in breathing has stopped a lot of people going on runs or for workouts from wearing masks.

Also Read: Man Demonstrates How To Avoid Getting Foggy Glasses When Wearing A Face Mask

Representational Image/Instagram/Niharika Kulkarni

Well, if you are not suffering from any pre-existing conditions, this doctor just proved that the difficulty in breathing might be myth.

Paramedical staff working in hospitals have to put on a mask for hours to ensure safety. Face masks are supposed to be one of the ways to stop the control of coronavirus transmission. The least we can do while going out is put one on to protect ourselves and others.

Also Read: Woman Refuses To Wear Face Mask, Co¨CPassengers Make Sure She Gets Off Flight