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Mask misconceptions lead Kansas City man to do his own scientific studies

pulse oximeter
Posted at 4:12 PM, Jul 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-07-07 19:33:09-04

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City, Missouri, man is doing his own research after coming across false information on social media.

Steve Siegel told 41 Action News that “false information drives me nuts.”

Siegel is not a medical expert, but a researcher and engineer for the University of Missouri—Kansas City. He said a number of posts were made about the effectiveness of wearing a mask. Other posts, according to Siegel, explained how harmful wearing a mask can be to your health.

“I am just so tired of all the false information and arguments and everything else online,” Siegel said.

In his free time, Siegel conducted a number of studies to show that wearing a mask does not impact breathing.

Without a mask, Siegel’s blood oxygen level was a 95. After working out in the heat with his mask on, Siegel tested his blood oxygen level again with a pulse oximeter, and his levels only dropped to a 94.

“Below 90 is when they start questioning the efficiency of your lungs and that maybe there’s an issue,” Siegel said.

Siegel told 41 Action News he posted videos of his studies, along with the results, to his “Crazy Cool Science” social media pages.

Siegel said his main concern is people sharing misinformation. He said he’s hopeful people will take the time to do their own research before posting misinformation.