Microfibers are released from the corona masks and are deposited in the lungs, microplastics get into the digestive tract. These risks are gradually being researched, but officially ignored, says Gunnar Schupelius.
by Gunnar Schupelius
Anyone who comes to Germany from outside is surprised that we still wear masks here. In most other countries, corona protection is no longer visible or has even been forgotten.
However, we still have a legal obligation to wear masks in local public transport. The face mask is also required in most public buildings, in the district office, in the theater and in the university, but also in the offices of the private sector and even in schools, although they no longer have to be worn there.
Everyone believes that this form of protection against a Covid-19 infection cannot be dispensed with. It is not asked whether the mouthguard could have a harmful effect on health. There are serious indications for this.
Masks filter aerosols, they can curb the spread of viruses and thus be an asset. But they can also be harmful, especially if they are worn for too long without a break or changed too infrequently.
Fibers then detach from the material and enter the lungs with the breathing air. A study by the Hamburg Environmental Institute showed in February 2021 that up to 2000 particles per day migrate from a mask into the lungs and settle there.
Fiber fragments are also swallowed. This is how microplastics get into the digestive tract and from there possibly into the internal organs.
These risks are gradually being researched, but officially ignored. Health ministers are not addressing this issue. They would have to point out if they recommend or order the mask.
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Because now it’s about the famous proportionality of the means again: Is the Covid risk still so great that we wear the mask and therefore have to accept the fibers that penetrate our lungs? Or should it be viewed the other way round, i.e. that the disadvantages of the mask outweigh its advantages?
Microplastics are actually a big topic. It is astonishing that in the case of the obligation to wear a mask, there is no public talk about it.
And it’s not just about the fibers. The oxygen supply is also a problem under the mask. There, the carbon dioxide concentration rises far above the limit set by the Federal Environment Agency after a short time.
According to occupational health and safety regulations, an FFP2 mask may therefore only be worn for a maximum of 75 minutes and must then be removed for at least 30 minutes. This regulation has simply been suspended for school children for almost two years.
The Bavarian state government confirmed this on June 24, 2021 in response to a query in the state parliament: “Even these minimum requirements are not met in the schools because the lessons and breaks do not provide for such long breaks.”
It’s more than crazy: We stick to the mask to protect our health and don’t ask whether and how much it harms our health, even when it comes to the well-being of our children.
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