Reports about the health risk of masks for children cause uncertainty in social networks.
Experts clarify and have a clear assessment.
In social networks the news is circulating that everyday masks are dangerous for children.
The assessment of experts is clear.
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Munich -
masks
are considered one of the central measures in the fight against the coronavirus * pandemic worldwide.
In Germany too, people have had to
wear
mouth and nose protection
on public transport, when shopping or in restaurants since the end of April in
order to avoid the transmission of Sars-Cov-2 *.
In the meantime, the mask
has become a loyal companion
for many
school children
.
But the
mask requirement
or recommendation for children
in several federal states is
causing
discussion.
Coronavirus: Horror reports about the danger of masks on the Internet
Again and again in social networks the claim emerges that wearing an everyday mask poses a
danger to the well-being of the child
. Facebook recently even reported that a child had died as a result of
wearing a face mask
.
The article claims that a six-year-old girl near Schweinfurt first passed out after wearing a mask and then died.
Death caused by face mask turns out to be fake news: Police speak of "Internet fairy tales"
The police in Lower Franconia have already commented on this: "These are
Internet fairy tales
that have been spread across the region on various social media channels since Tuesday," explained a spokeswoman.
There is also
talk in social networks
of the alleged
death of
two children in East Frisia and Wiesbaden due to a mask.
The responsible public prosecutor's offices in Wiesbaden and Aurich (East Frisia), however, informed the dpa that they were not aware of any such cases.
Masks dangerous for children?
Answer from experts is clear
Still, some parents wonder if masks could be dangerous for children.
The assessment of experts is clear: the claim that masks could pose a danger to children is wrong.
If it is a breathable
community mask
, there is
no danger
to the child
.
The Berlin physician and spokesman for the professional association of paediatricians, Jakob Maske, even described it as "impossible" for a child to be killed by wearing an everyday mask.
Small children could also wear a face mask.
“That's not a problem at all,” explains the expert.
Coronavirus and mask requirement: chief physician rules out fatal consequences for healthy children
Assuming a child actually
did not
breathe
enough oxygen
or too much CO2, they would get tired and feel exhausted, the doctor said.
In this case, the child would take off the mask on its own.
“But you definitely don't die from that,”
explains the expert, because: “The CO2 is a gas and doesn't get stuck in the fabric.” Dominic Dellweg, chief physician for pulmonology at the Grafschaft monastery hospital, illustrates this: “When air flows through the Mask works, oxygen and CO2 also pass through. ”He also rules out the possibility that a healthy child will die through the use of an everyday mask.
Mask requirement in the corona pandemic: why is it difficult to breathe?
But why do you breathe worse with a mask?
A mask generally represents a
resistance for breathing
,
regardless of oxygen and CO2
. This increases the effort required
for breathing
and the brain can
report
a
shortage of
breath
, explains Dellweg.
That is why he advises
children
to use a
"very easy to breathe" mask
.
In contrast to medical masks, there is no standard for so-called community masks.
Mouthguards for small children only "can be recommended" - this applies to babies
In general, there is a
“can-
do
” recommendation for masks
for children who have not yet reached primary school age
, explains the German Society for Child and Adolescent Medicine.
According to the recommendation,
infants
should
not
wear
a mask
.
In Bavaria and many other federal states, pupils of secondary schools can
usually take off
their mask at the
seat
, provided the infection allows it.
In many places, a Corona traffic light * is supposed to decide on this. However, due to the increasing numbers, a mask requirement is also being discussed in class *.
Coronavirus: clarify mask for children with previous illnesses with a doctor - example Astma
In children who
are impaired
in their
heart or lung function
due to an illness
, the risk of the mask
should be
clarified
individually with the
doctor
.
An example:
children
with
asthma
can get breathless during an attack.
In such a case, the mask worsens the situation, according to Dominic Dellweg.
(va) Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
.
