Do face masks make you retain carbon dioxide?

Do face masks impede your breathing or make you retain carbon dioxide (CO₂)? Intensive Care Unit physician Greg Schmidt, MD, settles the argument for us in this Epi Explains video.

Takeaways:

1. Face masks do not decrease your oxygen intake
2. They also do not make you retain more carbon dioxide than usual
3. Oxygen and CO₂ are very small, so they can easily pass through a face mask
4. Droplets are much larger in comparison, and they cannot pass easily through a face mask
5. Wearing face masks now helps us get back to normal sooner