AN IRISH doctor has gone some way to dispelling one of the biggest myths surrounding the use of face masks in public.
Under new rules passed into law by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, people in Ireland are prohibited from boarding a bus or train without a mask.
However, many remain sceptical about the benefits of wearing face coverings.
In a bid to combat the misinformation being spread on social media, Maitiu O Tuathail, an Irish general practitioner based in County Dublin, created a video to dispel one major myth.
It came after he found himself inundated with patients who mistakenly believed wearing a mask would negatively affect the amount of oxygen they were able to breathe in.
In a bid to squash such claims once and for all, the GP filmed himself putting on six masks alongside a monitor reading and displaying the oxygen levels in his blood.
Getting asked
“Does wearing a face mask lower your oxygen levels” repeatedly by patients today!
Based on what they are reading on social media
*Face coverings / masks don’t reduce your oxygen levels!*
I managed to get six face masks on + it had no effect on my oxygen levels! pic.twitter.com/qNKYa8pejx— Maitiu O Tuathail (@DrZeroCraic) July 14, 2020
Donning each new mask one at a time, the video clearly shows his oxygen levels remaining at 99% throughout the process.
"Getting asked ‘Does wearing a face mask lower your oxygen levels’ repeatedly by patients today! Based on what they are reading on social media," he wrote alongside the video.
"I managed to get six face masks on + it had no effect on my oxygen levels!"
Anyone failing to wear a mask on public transport in Ireland could face a fine of €2,500 or up to six months in prison.
Similar rules on the mandatory wearing of face masks in retail outlets are expected to be passed into law in the coming weeks.
