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FACT BRIEF

Does a video demonstration of an air quality monitor prove wearing a mask is unhealthy?

By Dean Miller
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NO

In an online video, a man uses a hand-held air quality monitor and, wearing a mask, inserts the monitor's tube between his mask and his mouth. He breathes, the monitor's alarm sounds.

The manufacturer of the device, Honeywell, said it is not properly used in the video and the result cannot be interpreted as it is in the video, which aims to prove masks are unhealthy.

The screen on the gadget in the video indicates either a fault with the device or that the man in the video was breathing directly into the air monitor intake tube when the alarm sounded.

The CDC has published multiple scientific studies indicating surgical masks are safe. The consensus of public health research is that mask-wearing protects the mask-wearer and reduces the spread of disease by curtailing droplets breathed out.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
PK Safety Honeywell GasAlert Confined Space Multi-Gas Monitor
Centers for Disease Control Your Guide to Masks
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.