An NHS doctor has demonstrated how masks do not affect breathing – before urging everyone to ‘stop being selfish’ and help protect the country.
In the video shared to Twitter, Dr Joshua Wolrich, 30, from London, can be seen sitting alongside a piece of medical machinery which monitors his oxygen saturation levels before and after wearing a mask – and the numbers don’t change,
Alongside the video, which has garnered over 18, 000 likes, the caption reads: ‘Masks categorically do not reduce oxygen saturation. This is a lie made up as an excuse by those who believe the pandemic is a hoax and that wearing a mask somehow encroaches on their rights. This is not an issue of freedom.’
Speaking exclusively to FEMAIL, Joshua, who wears a mask during his 12 hour shifts, explained: ‘When I see people making excuses online and pretending things aren’t real then of course, it is incredibly infuriating.
‘It’s been difficult enough to have the number of conversations with bereaved families over the last few months because of what’s been going on. I don’t want to be doing that any more.’
Dr Joshua Wolrich (pictured), from Surbiton, south-west London, has shared a video to Twitter to demonstrate how masks do not affect breathing
After showing that his oxygen saturation levels didn’t change after wearing a mask, the surgeon (pictured) clarified: ‘Masks do not have the ability to reduce your oxygen – that is medically false’
Dr Joshua penned: ‘This is a lie made up as an excuse by those who believe the pandemic is a hoax and that wearing a mask somehow encroaches on their rights. This is not an issue of freedom’ (pictured)
In the clip, which has since gone viral, the surgeon begins by saying: ‘A public service announcement, if I can, about mask-wearing and oxygen saturation.
This, on my finger, records the oxygen saturation of my blood and my heart rate. This top number is the oxygen saturation. Anything between 94 and 100 is completely normal.
‘I have no respiratory condition, so for me, it sits around 99. The bottom number is my heart rate. Anything above 100 is too fast, and mine is fast because I’m p*****d off that I’m having to make this video.
‘Now, I’m going to put my mask on, something that I do routinely seeing as I work as a surgeon and I’m going to show you that this oxygen saturation number doesn’t change.
Masks do not have the ability to reduce your oxygen – that is medically false.’
He continues: ‘Stop making stuff up, stop listening to people who are making stuff up and stop turning this into a political issue. Masks help protect you and protect others. If you’re told to wear them, do so. Stop being selfish.’
Joshua (pictured) said that he spends much of his time researching medical and nutritional myths online
Dr Joshua went on to say how ‘caring about the safety and wellbeing of others means that you put your discomfort aside’ (pictured)
In a further post underneath the video, the surgeon penned: ‘If you wear a scarf around your face when it’s cold you can wear a mask over your face during a pandemic. Caring about the safety and wellbeing of others means that you put your discomfort aside and choose to follow the best advice we have at the moment.’
I fully understand the impact that mental health and anxiety may have on mask-wearing; these tweets are not directed towards you.
‘The masks like the one in my video are used to reduce DROPLET not AIRBORNE transmission. N95s do the latter, but they have to be rigorously fit tested to work and we cannot do that (nor have supply) for everyone.
‘We know full well that they won’t entirely prevent COVID-19 transmission, but they will reduce it. We have good evidence for that. Something doesn’t have to be foolproof for it to be useful.’
Speaking to FEMAIL about why he decided to make the video, Joshua explained: ‘I spend a lot of my time busting health and nutrition myths.
One of the main arguments people are trying to use in regards to why they shouldn’t have to wear a mask if because it’s dangerous and is affecting their oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. I wanted to make a simple video to show oxygen saturation levels don’t change when you’re wearing a mask.’
Dr Joshua posted a second video after several people told him the test was too short (pictured)
The NHS doctor (pictured) said that if he can wear the mask while clerking patients and going up and down stairs, others can wear one for 30 minutes in a shop
The surgeon shared his O2 sats after wearing this particular mask at work today for 2 hoursm ore since his last break (pictured)
He added: ‘It’s important to stress this isn’t a political issue, this is a health issue. It’s not a conspiracy. We’re not making this stuff up because we want to. I haven’t been asked to make nay of this, this is me making these videos because as a doctor, I want to make sure we’re looking after the health of the country,’
However, not everyone was convinced by Dr Joshua’s first demonstration and said that the test was too short – so to prove his point, he went and recorded a longer version.
In a second Tweet, he penned: ‘For those that said the test was too short, here are my O2 sats after wearing this particular mask at work today for >2hrs since my last break.
‘Clerking patients and going up and down stairs. Still no hypoxia. The vast majority of you can wear one for 30mins in a shop.’
Speaking of the response the video has had, Joshua told FEMAIL: ‘Some of it is not surprising. Some of it is disheartening. Overwhelmingly the response has been quite positive but with everything you tend to focus on the negative.
‘It has been interesting to see just the impact this has and will continue to have on people who have valid concerns about how they’re going to feel wearing masks for example, people with severe anxiety or claustrophobia who may struggle.
‘I think it’s going to be difficult to make sure even though we’re policing each other in a way, we’re not using it o harass each other out and about.’
Otherwise it’s just the same old people who believe this is a conspiracy to make us vaccinate and that there is no virus and that it’s all a lie.’