FactCheck.org

Video Presents Flawed Test on Masks, Oxygen Levels

Quick Take

A viral video questions the safety of face masks by using a gas detector to purportedly show that masks result in dangerous oxygen levels for the wearer. But experts — and the company that makes the gas detector — say the video’s test is scientifically flawed.


Full Story 

In a popular video swirling on Facebook, a local official in Pennsylvania casts doubt on the safety of face masks by arguing that a test he performs on camera shows that masks prevent people from breathing “the required oxygen level.”

But the viral video’s test is scientifically flawed and its conclusions wrong, according to multiple experts.

The by Jeff Neff — a and in Sewickley, Pennsylvania — was uploaded June 27 and has racked up more than 11,000 shares and more than 260,000 views. It’s one of many about face masks, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention be used to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from FactCheck.org

FactCheck.org6 min readAmerican Government
Biden’s Dubious Civil Rights Arrest Anecdote
In his interview with SiriusXM radio's Howard Stern, President Joe Biden revived a dubious anecdote about having been arrested as a teenager while standing in solidarity on the porch of a Black family amid a desegregation protest. The post Biden’s Du
FactCheck.org6 min readChemistry
Q&A on Reducing COVID-19 Risk for Elderly, Immunocompromised
While the risks associated with COVID-19 generally have decreased over time due to prior exposure to the vaccines and the virus, some people remain at elevated risk, such as the elderly and immunocompromised. The updated COVID-19 vaccines and, in som
FactCheck.org5 min readCrime & Violence
Trump’s False Claim About Roe
In a video statement outlining his position on abortion, former President Donald Trump falsely claimed that "all legal scholars, both sides, wanted and in fact demanded" that Roe v. Wade "be ended." Legal scholars told us that was "utter nonsense" an

Related Books & Audiobooks