While compliance with the wearing of face masks in other areas has been generally high, some myths regarding face coverings have continued to circulate.
An Irish doctor has gained international media attention after posting a video on social media to debunk the myth that face masks lower blood oxygen levels.
Dr Maitiú Ó Tuathail, a general practitioner based in Dublin, posted a video of himself to Twitter wearing six face masks while connected to a monitor displaying no change in his oxygen levels.
The video footage has now been viewed over 20 million times around the world, with the original video uploaded to Dr Ó Tuathail’s Twitter page viewed close to 650,000 times.
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
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Dr Ó Tuathail said he made the video to debunk widespread myths about face coverings:
“I made the video to debunk a dangerous myth regarding face masks, and I’m both surprised and delighted that it has been seen by so many people.
Face coverings are an essential weapon in the fight against Covid-19 and now more than ever, we need to embrace and accept face coverings.
It is vital that people know the facts around face coverings and their importance in stopping the spread of Covid-19.
At Heroes-Aid, we are striving to provide supports to frontline workers, including supplying them with PPE, as it remains the most important factor in ensuring the safety of frontline healthcare staff during the pandemic.”
Dr Ó Tuathail is the Medical Director of Heroes-Aid, a voluntary non-profit organisation established during the early stage of the pandemic in March to protect and support frontline health care workers.
Since it was founded, Heroes-Aid has used over €260,000 in donations from the public to supply Ireland’s frontline workers with over 500,000 pieces of PPE.
The footage of Dr Ó Tuathail has been carried by news outlets worldwide from the United States to Australia, including The New York Post, Euro news, Ladbible and NowThis Politics.
