Experimental Assessment of Carbon Dioxide Content in Inhaled Air With or Without Face Masks in Healthy Children

Flacco

et al. 2022

Preprint

None of the available evaluations of the inhaled air carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, while wearing face masks, used professional, real-time capnography with water-removal tubing. We measured the end-tidal CO2 using professional side-stream capnography, with water-removing tubing (Rad-97™ capnograph), at rest, (1) without masks, (2) wearing a surgical mask, and (3) wearing a FFP2 respirator, in 102 healthy volunteers aged 10-90 years, from the general population of Ferrara province, Italy. The inhaled air CO2 concentration was then computed as: ((mask volume × end-tidal CO2) + ((tidal volume - mask volume) × ambient air CO2)) / tidal volume).The mean CO2 concentration was 4965±1047 ppm with surgical masks, and 9396±2254 ppm with FFP2 respirators. The proportion of the sample showing a CO2 concentration higher than the 5000 ppm acceptable exposure threshold recommended for workers was 40.2% while wearing surgical masks, 99.0% while wearing FFP2 respirators. The mean blood oxygen saturation remained >96%, and the mean end-tidal CO2 <33 mmHg. Adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and smoking, the inhaled air CO2 concentration significantly increased with increasing respiratory rate (with a mean of 10,143±2782 ppm among the participants taking 18 or more breaths per minute, while wearing FFP2 respirators), and was higher among the minors, who showed a mean CO2 concentration of 12,847±2898 ppm, while wearing FFP2 respirators. If these results will be confirmed, the current guidelines on mask-wearing could be updated to integrate recommendations for slow breathing and a more targeted use when contagion risk is low.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhaled CO₂ concentration while wearing face masks: a pilot study using capnography

Flacco

et al. 2022

Preprint

“…But these data were obtained by interviewing parents and doctors alone, without a control group. There is no indication that wearing a face mask impairs any physiological variables such as oxygen saturation or end-tidal CO 2 in children and adolescents, even during physical activity [ 2 , 3 ], although this was initially stated by a now retracted paper by Walach et al [ 18 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

To Mask or Not to Mask—Evaluation of Cognitive Performance in Children Wearing Face Masks during School Lessons (MasKids)

Schlegtendal

Eitner

Falkenstein³

et al. 2022

Children

In the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, wearing a face mask is mandatory again during school lessons. There are no controlled studies in children to date indicating an effect on cognitive performance from wearing face masks. In a randomized controlled trial, we analysed the influence of face masks on cognitive performance of pupils during regular school lessons. Pupils (n = 133, fifth to seventh grade) were randomized by alternating allocation into control (with masks, n = 65) and intervention groups (without mask, n = 68). After two school lessons with (control) and without (intervention) face masks in class, all pupils performed digital tests for cognitive performance regarding attention and executive functions (switch, Corsi block-tapping, 2-back and flanker task). Overall, there were no significant differences in cognitive performance between both groups, masks vs. no masks. Wearing face masks has no significant influence on attention and executive functions of pupils and can still be recommended during school lessons.

“…More questions? Another study, which was admittedly controversial and provocative in its wording, was also illicitly retracted, and then republished after a renewed and complex review process (Walach et al, , 2021d. We are in the process of publishing a letter pointing out that our analysis still stands (Walach et al, 2022 in press).…”

Section: Book Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

JSE 36:1 Spring 2022 Whole Issue PDF

Erickson

2022

JSE

Aims and Scope: The Journal of Scientific Exploration is an Open Access journal, which publishes material consistent with the Society's mission: to provide a professional forum for critical discussion of topics that are for various reasons ignored or studied inadequately within mainstream science, and to promote improved understanding of social and intellectual factors that limit the scope of scientific inquiry. Topics of interest cover a wide spectrum, ranging from apparent anomalies in well-established disciplines to rogue phenomena that seem to belong to no established discipline, as well as philosophical issues about the connections among disciplines.