If you're gonna make excuses, at least be sure that it's a legitimate concern and not something you saw on Facebook.

Sooooo...let's talk about masks.

Yes, we know. For some reason, masks have become as controversial as politics and, in some cases, wearing a mask has become a political statement.

Let it be known that I think this is stupid. It's a public health issue, period.

Now, let's move on.

Some of the viral videos of Karens and their male counterparts freaking out in public places because they're being asked to wear a mask have included the "but I'll get CO2 poisoning" excuse.

We're going to do the most unpopular thing known to man and fact check this.

Are you at risk of getting CO2 poisoning from wearing a mask to protect yourself from COVID-19? The answer is NO.

Hypercapnia, or carbon dioxide toxicity, is what happens to your body when you are exposed to too much CO2. It can be fatal. The question here is whether or not wearing a filtered mask to protect yourself from coronavirus can cause it.

CO2 molecules are so small that they can pass right through our masks. And the novel coronavirus molecule is too big to pass through. That's why masks work to prevent the virus from spreading.

Think about it - doctors, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals wear them for hours upon hours at a time, sometimes all day long. If they were in danger of getting CO2 poisoning, would they be wearing them for that long? Of course not.

Yes, CO2 poisoning can be dangerous, but this isn't Apollo 13.

In short, if you're going to throw a tantrum over wearing a mask, make sure that your reasons are backed by science. And this excuse is NOT.

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