Did you guys catch that mini-study about n95 masks?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10257095/
Thirty randomized participants (mean [SD] age, 26.1 [2.9] years; 15 women [50%]) completed the study. Wearing the N95 mask resulted in reduced respiration rate and oxygen saturation by pulse oximetry (Spo2) within 1 hour, with elevated heart rate (mean change, 3.8 beats/min [95% CI, 2.6-5.1 beats/min]) 2 hours later until mask off at 22:00. During the light-intensity exercise at 11:00, mask-induced cardiopulmonary stress was further increased, as heart rate (mean change, 7.8 beats/min [95% CI, 5.3-10.2 beats/min]) and blood pressure (systolic: mean change, 6.1 mm Hg [95% CI, 0.6-11.5 mm Hg]; diastolic: mean change, 5.0 mm Hg [95% CI, 0.3-9.6 mm Hg]) increased, while respiration rate (mean change, −4.3 breaths/min [95% CI, −6.4 to 2.3 breaths/min]) and Spo2 (mean change, −0.66% [95% CI, −1.0% to 0.3%]) decreased. Energy expenditure (mean change, 0.5 kJ [95% CI, 0.2-0.8] kJ) and fat oxidation (mean change, 0.01 g/min [95% CI, −0.01 to 0.03 g/min]) were elevated at 11:00. After the 14-hour masked intervention, venous blood pH decreased, and calculated arterial pH showed a decreasing trend. Metanephrine and normetanephrine levels were increased. Participants also reported increased overall discomfort with the N95 mask (Figure 2).
The findings contribute to existing literature by demonstrating that wearing the N95 mask for 14 hours significantly affected the physiological, biochemical, and perception parameters.4,5 The effect was primarily initiated by increased respiratory resistance and subsequent decreased blood oxygen and pH, which contributed to sympathoadrenal system activation and epinephrine as well as norepinephrine secretion elevation. The extra hormones elicited a compensatory increase in heart rate and blood pressure. Although healthy individuals can compensate for this cardiopulmonary overload, other populations, such as elderly individuals, children, and those with cardiopulmonary diseases, may experience compromised compensation. Chronic cardiopulmonary stress may also increase cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality.6 However, the study was limited to only 30 young healthy participants in a laboratory setting; further investigation is needed to explore the effects of different masks on various populations in clinical settings.
New onset or relapsing neuromyelitis optica temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination: a systematic review
Background: Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a rare chronic neuroinflammatory autoimmune condition. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been reports of NMOSD clinical manifestations following both SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Objective: This study aims to systematically review the published literature of NMOSD clinical manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Methods: A Boolean search of the medical literature was conducted between December 1, 2019 to September 1, 2022, utilizing Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Trip Database, Clinicaltrials.gov, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Articles were collated and managed on Covidence® software. The authors independently appraised the articles for meeting study criteria and followed PRISMA guidelines. The literature search included all case reports and case series that met study criteria and involved NMOSD following either the SARS-CoV-2 infection or the COVID-19 vaccination.
Results: A total of 702 articles were imported for screening. After removing 352 duplicates and 313 articles based on exclusion criteria, 34 articles were analyzed. A total of 41 cases were selected, including 15 patients that developed new onset NMOSD following a SARS-CoV-2 infection, 21 patients that developed de novo NMOSD following COVID-19 vaccination, 3 patients with known NMOSD that experienced a relapse following vaccination, and 2 patients with presumed Multiple Sclerosis (MS) that was unmasked as NMOSD post-vaccination. There was a female preponderance of 76% among all NMOSD cases. The median time interval between the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection symptoms and NMOSD symptom onset was 14 days (range 3–120 days) and the median interval between COVID-19 vaccination and onset of NMO symptoms was 10 days (range 1 to 97 days). Transverse myelitis was the most common neurological manifestation in all patient groups (27/41). Management encompassed acute treatments such as high dose intravenous methylprednisolone, plasmapheresis, and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and maintenance immunotherapies. The majority of patients experienced a favorable outcome with complete or partial recovery, but 3 patients died.
Conclusion: This systematic review suggests that there is an association between NMOSD and SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 vaccinations. This association requires further study using quantitative epidemiological assessments in a large population to better quantify the risk.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1099758/full
Now think about all those demanding changes from the mask.
Jump onto a plane with it on!