An Observational Study of the Respiratory Effects of the N95 Mask During the Covid-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

Aim: An Observational Study of the Respiratory Effects of the N95 Mask During the Covid-19 Pandemic. Method and material: Pulse oximetry was used on 50 students from both sexes who were 21-26 years old, non-smokers, and did not have any chronic lung illness and were studying at Dental College and Hospital. During the research, the blood oxygen saturation was measured using the same pulse oximeter. The pupils were then advised to don a mask and not remove it until the completion of an assessment. After 5 hours, each student's blood oxygen saturation was tested again using the same pulse oximeter. Results: Total 50 students with mean age of 22.59±3.69 years were recruited in this study, among which 36 were females and 14 were males. It was discovered that before wearing the N95 mask at 8.30 am, the mean of SpO2 values was 97.02±0.21, however after removing the N95 mask at 1.30 pm, the mean of SpO2 values was 96.14±0.33 (p=0.000). When SpO2 values of males and females were compared, it was observed that males have 0.41 and females have 0.34 of standard error of mean (p=0.52). A statistically non significant difference was seen for the values between the groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Blood oxygen saturation levels have dropped due to prolonged usage of a N95 mask by COVID-19 patients. Finding ways to mitigate these consequences is crucial for future pandemic preparedness.