The mask design addresses a problem that has been highlighted since the Covid-19 pandemic began: that of the CO2 that we rebreathe inside our face masks. Wearing FFP2-type face masks for any length of time produces a concentration of CO2 between the face and the mask that is higher than the normal atmospheric concentration (~0.04 per cent), due to the gas we exhale when breathing. CO2 rebreathing can cause adverse health effects, even in healthy people, such as general malaise, headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, increased heart rate, muscle weakness, and drowsiness.
These negative effects are known to be linked to both the duration of exposure and the concentration of the gas itself. For example, some health regulations recommend a maximum value of 0.5 per cent CO2 in the working environment (averaged over an eight-hour day), or that a 30-minute exposure to 4 per cent CO2 be considered very harmful to health.
The new FFP2 face...