CP and SLR debate about how Masks affect Humans...
The maxim of reason is never passive for it implies; one thinks and reasons for oneself. Immanuel Kant said, “if reason will not subject itself to the laws it gives itself, it has to bow under the yoke of laws given by another; for without any law, nothing—not even nonsense—can play its game for long.” Indeed, that is true for all time and for all places. This brings me to the central tenet of this discussion, about masks.
Then in an amazing feat, as if by a flip of a switch, the entire machinery of the government in the United States turned on to produce masks to protect and defend the 340-million populace from this horrid of all diseases that usurp life by infiltrating through tiny pores in the endothelial layers of the mucous membrane. “That should stop the progress of the disease!” claimed the mighty machine behind the megaphone. As if by clockwork, the daily dose of harm, against the encircled wagons filled with skeptics, caused by ridicule-and-venom-tainted arrows, fired with flames lit, at will at anyone brave enough to ask, “Can I please have some more…information?” Needless to say, the masks were to become the totality of thought in this current breed of civilization, worn at all times under all circumstances in any condition. “For the sake of everyone’s life and yours. You idiot!” They chanted. Of course, there was a preeminent ethicist with many capital letters after his name, who propounded that if you do not socially distance and do what you are told, you should forgo any potential future medical help if you contract the infection.” As if that wasn't enough, the newspaper and the television meanwhile, the source of constant verbal badgering, lionized every COVID death and broadcast the daily numbers of infected cases in banner headlines for all to see and shrivel in fear. “Wear the mask or hope to die,” is what they seem to imply.
SLR and CP
The feral nature of that alarm triggered the bells. “Indeed, perhaps one should look at it.” The Cautionary Principle worried about minutia, the Scientific Lab Rat dug deeper into scientific facts.
Scientific Lab Rat replied in his fake Yoda-ish speak: Interesting question, you ask CP?
CP: Well, what is it?
SLR: The atmospheric oxygen partial pressure at sea level is 20.94% of the composition of air. In those lung sacs, after you take a breath, the exerted oxygen partial-pressure is greater than that present in the tiny capillaries (blood vessels). The oxygen being at a higher pressure in the sacs and lower in the capillaries creates an oxygen exchange between high pressure and low pressure or from the sacs and into the tiny blood vessels, while the carbon dioxide as a byproduct of work from the rest of the body, has more pressure in the capillaries (for delivery to the lungs) compared to the sacs, hence, carbon dioxide flows from the capillaries and into the sacs to be breathed out.
CP: Nifty principle of nature. Mother Nature has her act together. I always knew it.
SLR: Yes! But since you bring this mask business into the equation, we have to change some of those parameters, don’t we?
CP: Do we? I don’t know but go ahead with your sermon, Mr. Rat.
SLR: I prefer my full name if you would please.
CP: Ok, Mr. Scientific Lab Rat, go on…
SLR: The breathed-out air or exhaled air as it is called has some different characteristics. It has only 16% pressure and additionally there is 4% of Carbon Dioxide mixed in it.
CP: So, how much was the Carbon Dioxide partial pressure in the fresh air, you say?
SLR: I didn’t, but the answer is 0.04% See this chart:
CP: Well, what is it?
SLR: The atmospheric oxygen partial pressure at sea level is 20.94% of the composition of air. In those lung sacs, after you take a breath, the exerted oxygen partial-pressure is greater than that present in the tiny capillaries (blood vessels). The oxygen being at a higher pressure in the sacs and lower in the capillaries creates an oxygen exchange between high pressure and low pressure or from the sacs and into the tiny blood vessels, while the carbon dioxide as a byproduct of work from the rest of the body, has more pressure in the capillaries (for delivery to the lungs) compared to the sacs, hence, carbon dioxide flows from the capillaries and into the sacs to be breathed out.
CP: Nifty principle of nature. Mother Nature has her act together. I always knew it.
SLR: Yes! But since you bring this mask business into the equation, we have to change some of those parameters, don’t we?
CP: Do we? I don’t know but go ahead with your sermon, Mr. Rat.
SLR: I prefer my full name if you would please.
CP: Ok, Mr. Scientific Lab Rat, go on…
SLR: The breathed-out air or exhaled air as it is called has some different characteristics. It has only 16% pressure and additionally there is 4% of Carbon Dioxide mixed in it.
CP: So, how much was the Carbon Dioxide partial pressure in the fresh air, you say?
SLR: I didn’t, but the answer is 0.04% See this chart:
CP: You mean that the exhaled air has 400 times more carbon dioxide in it then inhaled air?
SLR: You catch on quickly CP!
CP: But that is preposterous!
SLR: It is if you don’t believe in science. Here see the chart:
CP: Skinny little whiskered rodent, that you are, I’ll let that go. Ok, so how does that matter in the scheme of things?
SLR: Well, let me put it simply; if you inhale 4% carbon dioxide (CO2) and only 16% oxygen you are causing combinatorial damage on your respiratory system and downstream into the rest of your body, your brain, your heart, your kidneys, etc.
CP: How so?
SLR: You would over time develop hypoxic hypoxia, I know that sounds like a typical duplicative use of the word, but technically that means that you are depriving your body of oxygen.
CP: So all those organs develop some bad consequences from low oxygen?
SLR: Yes Sherlock and, adding insult to injury, that CO2 causes something called hypercarbia, which can cause mild to moderate respiratory distress. It causes capillary leaking inside the lungs and leads to fluid stagnation inside the lung in the form of "wet lung" or pneumonia. The heart has to pump faster to get the same amount of oxygen and the added CO2 causes acidity in the blood and increases blood pressure, while the kidneys have to work harder to get rid of the excess acidity. All that acidity is bad for the body to fight off infections. See the irony there? or is that a whoosh off the top of your head?
images from Respiratory Care journal
CP: That’s bad, isn't it?
SLR: No kidding, genius. You know CP there is something eerily familiar about you and your policymakers. You are all the same, gifted with the principles of vacuum.
CP: Are you insulting me? I am more intelligent than any average human out there. You see, all activity flows after I have assessed the risk of that activity. Too little import of my ideas and businesses run awry. Too much and they become rudderless. I am Hamlet’s ship of state; too little regard or too much and both end in disaster.
SLR: Hamlet? Who is he?
CP: Move along, little fellow, that is beyond your comprehension.
SLR: Anyway, there is a Shakespearean tragedy in the making if you do not pay attention.
CP: My principles are up and taking notes. Go ahead, spill em out.
SLR: Hypoxia combined with hypercarbia (or increased CO2) leads to dysfunction of the brain. Hey, CP...Somewhere, at the beginning of this treatise, this author who writes about our dialog, has also written about a car accident. I believe, that definitely sounds like brain impairment from too little oxygenation of the brain cells. Perhaps you should read a little about this…(Read) and this (Read)
CP: Hmm…I will, in my spare time. Right now, give me the skinny on this. I have mounds of paper-work on my desk to read. Now give me an example of any other way such hypoxia can occur.
SLR: Climb up a mountain to about 7000 feet from your current level and do some exercise. You will be huffing and puffing with headaches, nausea, and a decline in your physical prowess in no time (2). Here is a snapshot of varying altitudes and oxygen partial pressures:
CP: Umm…you might be correct there. I do get short of breath when I go skiing in the Colorado mountains every year for the first few days. So how would that affect a person traveling in the airline wearing a mask?
SLR: You go skiing, especially with all the cautionary stuff you blab about all day?
CP: A Principle has to do what the Principle has to do.
SLR: As far as the airline travel, obviously it is easy to extrapolate; you are further reducing the oxygen since the cabin pressure altitude in most commercial airlines is at 7000-8000 feet and hence at 16% and wearing a mask is further increasing the relative hypercarbia (4% CO2) and hypoxia (around 13-14% oxygen partial pressure) with potentially deleterious effects (3). See the chart above:
CP: So why are they mandating masks in the airlines during travel?
SLR: Ask them. Oh and by the way, here is some interesting news for what it’s worth, “hypercarbic obese patients required longer to perform the executive and attention tasks.” I hope the pilots up in the cockpit are not wearing masks.
CP: Are you calling me fat?
SLR: No, never, just mentioning factual data to correlate with readily visible information. Although you do seem a bit rotund from my perspective. But hypercarbia in people with sleep apnea can be very harmful as well.
CP: I will ignore that for now. So, you say, that effect is similar to what would happen if you put a mask on?
SLR: I am saying, if you vary the oxygen and carbon dioxide ratios in your breathed in the air you will suffer the same fate. Here is some compelling information to digest; “hypercarbia may slow brain neural activity and cause neurobehavioral impairment. In a brain imaging study, breathing 5% CO2 significantly reduced all functional connectivity MRI indices in 14 healthy volunteers and resulted in a suppression of cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2), which was proportional to the end-tidal CO2 change. Another study found that 5% CO2 attenuated evoked and spontaneous magnetoencephalogram (MEG) spectral activity and decreased early sensory components in both auditory and visual modalities as well as cognitive components related to memory and language in 7 healthy volunteers. Hypoxia has been considered as a key determinant of neurocognitive dysfunction. impairment may well be due to a mixed effect of hypercapnia and hypoxia, and hypercapnia may play an even more important role.”
CP: Hmm…what Caution can I give on this principle? After all, the science bosses and the other high ly trained experts seem diligent and quite forceful in their mandates to have the masks on all the time in public and any place where there is another human being present.
SLR: That’s your problem. I’m here to give you relevant facts. Here is one more; “A majority of studies have reported impairments in the short-term verbal, and visual memory, as well as the long-term semantic memory, and procedural memory. Hypercapnia is a non-permissive environment.”
You, my dear expert CP, are now aware of the facts, now, you can decide what principles you want to adopt and the appropriate cautions you want to express.
CP: Yes, but these humans are weird. They do weird things.
SLR: Indeed, they do! For instance, the news-media was gushing at all the protestors and looters in the streets across the nation these past few days, while the protestors were protesting without masks and not social distancing and you guessed it, wearing masks! Clearly, your caution was not adhered to, that is if you did mention it to that crowd?
CP: Of course, I did! Caution, my dear little fella, is my advice about a hazard that could be a potential risk. So, don’t try your cheeky little probes with me.
SLR: So, the humans decided to throw your caution to the wind?
CP: They appeared to have?
SLR: (Silent).
CP: Darn these humans. They just keep upping the ante by doing something without clearly checking my cautionary principled mandates in-toto.
SLR: Yes, I have got to go. Toto and Dorothy are waiting, for Dorothy to click her heels as we speak.
CP: Smartass! Hey, don’t forget to wear your mask.
SLR: I will be by her red slippers and much nearer to Toto, so quite a distance from Dorothy’s mouth and hands. Don't think Toto is infected.
Liberation from prejudices and superstitions is enlightenment. Understanding is the key to making rational decisions. So, where does this mask story take us? That question can be answered with a fair degree of certainty if one spends an evening with reason itself, instead of following the dictates of popular pundits of the hour. In the end, wearing a mask may have little to do with protection and more to do with changing how society moves forward into the future. For prevention, the cautionary principles are quite certain and exact: Good hygiene (wash hands with soap and water, don't touch the eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and keep at least 6 feet of distance from those that are ill, have a cough or sneeze or talk loudly. The people most at risk should abide by these cautionary principles, stay home, away from social gatherings if possible or socially distance if not able, and keep good hygiene until the virus dies its natural death thru contact with humans immunized via past infections, or via immunization (if a valid 100% effective vaccine is available). The risk of total disregard of these simple basic principles and throwing caution to the wind. far outweighs that being rash or ignorant.
SLR: You go skiing, especially with all the cautionary stuff you blab about all day?
CP: A Principle has to do what the Principle has to do.
SLR: As far as the airline travel, obviously it is easy to extrapolate; you are further reducing the oxygen since the cabin pressure altitude in most commercial airlines is at 7000-8000 feet and hence at 16% and wearing a mask is further increasing the relative hypercarbia (4% CO2) and hypoxia (around 13-14% oxygen partial pressure) with potentially deleterious effects (3). See the chart above:
CP: So why are they mandating masks in the airlines during travel?
SLR: Ask them. Oh and by the way, here is some interesting news for what it’s worth, “hypercarbic obese patients required longer to perform the executive and attention tasks.” I hope the pilots up in the cockpit are not wearing masks.
CP: Are you calling me fat?
SLR: No, never, just mentioning factual data to correlate with readily visible information. Although you do seem a bit rotund from my perspective. But hypercarbia in people with sleep apnea can be very harmful as well.
CP: I will ignore that for now. So, you say, that effect is similar to what would happen if you put a mask on?
SLR: I am saying, if you vary the oxygen and carbon dioxide ratios in your breathed in the air you will suffer the same fate. Here is some compelling information to digest; “hypercarbia may slow brain neural activity and cause neurobehavioral impairment. In a brain imaging study, breathing 5% CO2 significantly reduced all functional connectivity MRI indices in 14 healthy volunteers and resulted in a suppression of cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2), which was proportional to the end-tidal CO2 change. Another study found that 5% CO2 attenuated evoked and spontaneous magnetoencephalogram (MEG) spectral activity and decreased early sensory components in both auditory and visual modalities as well as cognitive components related to memory and language in 7 healthy volunteers. Hypoxia has been considered as a key determinant of neurocognitive dysfunction. impairment may well be due to a mixed effect of hypercapnia and hypoxia, and hypercapnia may play an even more important role.”
CP: Hmm…what Caution can I give on this principle? After all, the science bosses and the other high ly trained experts seem diligent and quite forceful in their mandates to have the masks on all the time in public and any place where there is another human being present.
SLR: That’s your problem. I’m here to give you relevant facts. Here is one more; “A majority of studies have reported impairments in the short-term verbal, and visual memory, as well as the long-term semantic memory, and procedural memory. Hypercapnia is a non-permissive environment.”
You, my dear expert CP, are now aware of the facts, now, you can decide what principles you want to adopt and the appropriate cautions you want to express.
CP: Yes, but these humans are weird. They do weird things.
SLR: Indeed, they do! For instance, the news-media was gushing at all the protestors and looters in the streets across the nation these past few days, while the protestors were protesting without masks and not social distancing and you guessed it, wearing masks! Clearly, your caution was not adhered to, that is if you did mention it to that crowd?
CP: Of course, I did! Caution, my dear little fella, is my advice about a hazard that could be a potential risk. So, don’t try your cheeky little probes with me.
SLR: So, the humans decided to throw your caution to the wind?
CP: They appeared to have?
SLR: (Silent).
CP: Darn these humans. They just keep upping the ante by doing something without clearly checking my cautionary principled mandates in-toto.
SLR: Yes, I have got to go. Toto and Dorothy are waiting, for Dorothy to click her heels as we speak.
CP: Smartass! Hey, don’t forget to wear your mask.
SLR: I will be by her red slippers and much nearer to Toto, so quite a distance from Dorothy’s mouth and hands. Don't think Toto is infected.
Liberation from prejudices and superstitions is enlightenment. Understanding is the key to making rational decisions. So, where does this mask story take us? That question can be answered with a fair degree of certainty if one spends an evening with reason itself, instead of following the dictates of popular pundits of the hour. In the end, wearing a mask may have little to do with protection and more to do with changing how society moves forward into the future. For prevention, the cautionary principles are quite certain and exact: Good hygiene (wash hands with soap and water, don't touch the eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands and keep at least 6 feet of distance from those that are ill, have a cough or sneeze or talk loudly. The people most at risk should abide by these cautionary principles, stay home, away from social gatherings if possible or socially distance if not able, and keep good hygiene until the virus dies its natural death thru contact with humans immunized via past infections, or via immunization (if a valid 100% effective vaccine is available). The risk of total disregard of these simple basic principles and throwing caution to the wind. far outweighs that being rash or ignorant.
1. Wang, D., Thomas, R. J., Tee, B. J. & Grunstein, R. R. Hypercapnia is more important than hypoxia in the neuro-outcomes of sleep-disordered breathing. J. Appl. Physiol. 120, 1484–6 (2016)
2.
BMJ. 1998 Oct 17; 317(7165): 1063–1066. Oxygen and Altitude
BMJ. 1998 Oct 17; 317(7165): 1063–1066. Oxygen and Altitude
3.
Xu F, Uh J, Brier MR, Hart J Jr, Yezhuvath US, Gu H, Yang Y, Lu H. The influence of carbon dioxide on brain activity and metabolism in conscious humans. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 31: 58–67, 2011.
Xu F, Uh J, Brier MR, Hart J Jr, Yezhuvath US, Gu H, Yang Y, Lu H. The influence of carbon dioxide on brain activity and metabolism in conscious humans. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 31: 58–67, 2011.
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