New Delhi: As the second Covid wave rages across the country, there is a tremendous amount of misinformation and fake news circulating on the internet, further adding to the woes of the common man. One such message is going viral on social media claiming that the long-term or prolonged use of face masks can cause intoxication of CO2 & oxygen deficiency in the body. According to the viral claim, this can happen due to breathing exhaled air over and over again, which turns into carbon dioxide and makes us feel dizzy. Needless to say, the viral post has led to a lot of confusion and panic among people.

However, it turns out that the viral post circulating on the internet is fake and has no merit. Using face masks even for a longer period of time, does not lead to deficiency of oxygen in the body. There is no evidence that a mask reduces oxygen levels in a person’s blood.

Debunking the misleading information, PIB in a tweet wrote, ”It is being claimed in a message that prolonged usage of masks leads to intoxication of CO2 & oxygen deficiency in the body. #PIBFactCheck: This claim is #FAKE. Stop the spread of Coronavirus by wearing mask properly, maintaining social distance and washing hands regularly.”

Wearing a face mask is one way to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, according to health care officials.

The Press Information Bureau launched this fact-checking arm in December 2019, to curb misinformation and fake news prevalent on the internet. It claimed that its objective was “to identify misinformation related to government’s policies and schemes that are circulating on various social media platforms”. The government has time and again warned people about such misinformation and asked them to only believe trusted sources.