Masking does not affect oxygen saturation in patients with asthma
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Wearing a mask does not affect oxygen saturation in patients with or without asthma, according to research presented at this year’s virtual American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Annual Meeting.
“This data reinforces that wearing a mask, whether it is a surgical mask, cloth mask, or N95, is completely safe,” Alan P. Baptist, MD, MPH, FAAAAI, assistant professor in the department of internal medicine and health behavior and health education at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, said in a press release. “This is true for all individuals, whether they have a diagnosis of asthma or not.”
Baptist and colleagues asked both adult and pediatric patients who received care at the Michigan Medicine Allergy clinic from Sept. 10, 2020, through Oct. 23, 2020, to complete a survey, which included information on demographics, asthma diagnosis, perceived asthma control and the type of masks they wore.
The researchers performed pulse oximetry in patients while they wore masks, and patients reported how long they used the masks before the measurement was taken.
A total of 223 patients who completed the survey and oxygen saturation were included in analyses. Among these patients, 46% had asthma and 27% were aged 19 years or younger.
Baptist and colleagues determined that oxygen saturation ranged from 93% to 100% — with a mean of 98% — in those both with and without asthma.
The researchers did not identify a significant difference in oxygen saturation after adjusting for gender, race, type of mask and duration of mask use.
They also found that among patients who reported their level of asthma control, the mean oxygen saturation scores were similar in those with well-controlled asthma (mean = 98%), those with somewhat-controlled asthma (mean = 98%) and those with uncontrolled asthma (mean = 96.5%).
“Wearing a mask is an essential step we can all take to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Baptist said. “I hope this latest data will deliver peace of mind to individuals who are worried that wearing a mask may be dangerous, especially for those individuals who have asthma.”
References:
AAAAI. Wearing a mask does not affect oxygen saturation in patients with or without asthma. https://www.aaaai.org/about-aaaai/newsroom/news-releases/mask. Accessed February 23, 2021.