Health Risks of Wearing face Masks and Face Coverings

"Wear a mask! Protect Others!" screams the media at you every night on CNN! But does that advice always make sense? And is it possible there are times when wearing a face mask, face covering or respirator could actually be bad for your health? Absolutely!

Any type of covering over the mouth and nose restricts free air flow. Worse still, they also restrict dissipation of CO2 from the body.

Key Points

Restricted air flow: Respirator masks protect health but impact performance in exercise - Respirators have been found to interfere with many physiological and psychological aspects of task performance at levels from resting to maximum exertion. The effects or trapping CO2 and restricting fresh air can have adverse effects on heart rate, thermal stress and subjective sensations.
Some are worse than others: The more effective the respirator at stopping viruses, generally, it is also worse at air flow: N95 respirator caused higher post-wearing nasal resistance than surgical facemask with different
recovering routines.
The misuse of respirators can be hazardous to the wearer's safety and health. Selection of the wrong equipment, one of the most frequent errors made in respiratory protection, can result in the wearer's being exposed to increased concentrations of the harmful contaminant. This error may result in a broad range of health effects caused by the harmful contaminants, including silicosis, asbestosis, permanent lung damage, and cancer. Respirators that are not maintained and inspected can be less effective at reducing exposure to the harmful contaminants, and can place a greater burden on the respiratory system. Respirators that are not clean can cause dermatitis or skin irritation. Because respirator use may give the wearer's a false sense of security and presumed protection, an improper respirator program can actually present a high degree of hazard for the wearer's.
Some people are at greater risk than others: People with pre-exisiting respiratory illnesses (like asthma, COPD), may face breathing difficulty, which can lead to hypoxia, when wearing tight fitted masks, like N95 respirators. The CDC specifically recommends that cloth face coverings should not be used on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance. People with lung diseases such as asthma or emphysema, elderly people, and others may have trouble breathing with N95 and restrictive respirators.

Hypercapnia

Hypercapnia occurs when blood Carbon Dioxide levels become elevated. Symptoms of hypercapnia include dizziness, drowsiness, fatigue, headaches, feeling disoriented, flushing of the skin, and shortness of breath. Severe symptoms include a loss of consciousness, coma, hyperventilation, twitching muscles, and seizures, among others. Preexisting respiratory illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can cause both hypercapnia and hypoxia.

Recent studies (Summer 2021) provide evidence of this:

Daily Mail UK July 5, 2021
Wearing a mask can expose children to dangerous levels of carbon dioxide in just THREE MINUTES, study finds
European study found that children wearing masks for only minutes could be exposed to dangerous carbon dioxide levels
Forty-five children were exposed to carbon dioxide levels between three to twelve times healthy levels
Younger children were exposed to more dangerous levels of carbon dioxide than older ones
The study was funded by a German public charity and led by Harald Walach, PhD, from the Poznan University of the Medical Sciences, Pediatric Clinic
The Journal of the American Medical Association published a research paper finding high levels of carbon dioxide was detected in children who wore masks.

The Bottom Line

Loose cloth face coverings do not restrict air flow significantly in ordinary situations.
Wearing any face covering during vigorous exercise is not a good idea.
The elderly and people with respiratory conditions need additional evaluation to ensure they get a covering that does not restrict air flow. .