Trust Index: Can masks increase CO2 levels?
Some stories even describe how people have fainted wearing masks or worse. Healthcare workers shifts are an average of 12 hours and they wear masks all day long. Wearing a regular cloth or surgical mask will not increase CO2 levels. Theres no real evidence that it can increase CO2 levels in healthy subjects. Psychologist William Orme from Houston Methodist said feelings of restriction or panic while wearing masks is possibly more because of anxiety and not due to different oxygen levels.