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the_archivist 3 points ago +4 / -1

Masks don't cause CO2 poisoning. They do decrease the partial pressure of O2 during inhalation, and the partial pressure of CO2 during exhalation, but sitting in a room with the window closed would have a bigger influence on your CO2 levels.

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BrokenMatrix 1 point ago +1 / -0

As far as I know, cloth masks don't affect oxygen intake or re-circulation much, but the N95 can definitely have an impact (20% less oxygen, if I remember correctly, not sure about CO2).

There was a single instance where I was with someone who insisted that I wear an 95 AND a cloth mask on top of that. It was only for a few hours, but when I got back, I was pretty lightheaded and I had definitely been breathing a decent amount of recirculated air. When taking just the second layer off, I could feel the outtake through the filter, but when I put the second layer on, everything had to come out the sides (there are normally no gaps, but I guess the extra obstruction made it easier to push the mask outwards rather than just go out the filter), so I suspect that not a lot was getting in either. Their idea was definitely stupid, and I am definitely never doing that again (I don't have much experience wearing a single N95 so I can't comment on how much worse the combination made it).

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the_archivist 1 point ago +1 / -0

It's like living at higher altitude. Your body adapts to the lower partial pressure of O2.