A recent internal message from the president of the German Bundestag may reinforce the feeling that most ordinary people have of being stifled or suffocated by the loathsome Corona muzzle.

Hellequin GB has translated two articles about the news from the Bundestag. The first piece is from FOCUS Online:

Bundestag explains its irritating mask recommendation — and rows back

With the end of the parliamentary summer recess, the Bundestag will be full again. As everywhere, the Corona risk increases here, too. Bundestag President Schäuble reacts — with a message that raises questions in places.

In view of the increasing number of Corona infections, the Bundestag is increasing its security measures after the summer break. In a house message, Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) urgently recommends wearing a mask in all buildings of the Bundestag from September 1st.

“This urgent recommendation applies to all people and all traffic areas such as the corridors and stairwells, lounge areas, sanitary rooms, catering areas (with the exception of the table) and the library, but also to boardrooms and meeting rooms,” the house message says.

Mask to take a deep breath “rather push it under your chin”

The in-house notification is supplemented by some information on handling, wearing time, disposal and the cleaning of mouth and nose covers. It recommends washing reusable masks at 60°C (140°F).

However, some sentences in the recommendation raise questions.

It says:

“After just 30 minutes of wearing, depending on the type of mouth and nose covering, there can be a significant increase in the CO2 level ​​in the blood, as the exhaled air may not be able to escape as easily. Constant loosening and tightening the mouth-nose covering does not make sense, however, as this increases the risk of contamination. In between, you should push it under your chin to take a deep breath, but keep it on.”

An increase in CO2 levels in the blood? The mask should be pushed under the chin?

Bundestag administration explains communication — and rows back

A spokesman for the Bundestag administration told FOCUS Online that the recommendations came from the relevant authorities such as the Robert Koch Institute. This includes that the mouth and nose cover should not be put on and taken off all the time.

“With a realistic approach, however, there is occasionally the need to ‘breathe deeply’ for a brief moment in suitable situations,” the spokesman explained the formulation in the internal communication. “On the other hand, pushing under the chin appears to be a ‘lesser evil’, even if it should be avoided as much as possible.”

The reference to the rising CO2 values ​​in the blood, however, is not based on scientific knowledge, but is intended to explain the “pushing under the chin”:

“The reference to the CO2 value serves only as a possible explanation for this need, but includes no scientific statement and in particular no claim of a health hazard.”

The Bundestag administration now wants to adjust the recommendations retrospectively.

“In order to avoid any misunderstandings, it is intended to revise the information in the annex to the internal communication,” said the spokesman.

FDP politician Theurer: “It is not without a certain bizarreness”

The recommendations met with mixed reactions from members of the Bundestag. The Deputy FDP parliamentary group leader Michael Theurer is surprised by the content of the in-house announcement.

“The question arises as to how Mr. Schäuble comes across this information. It is not without a certain bizarreness that neither the RKI nor the Federal Center for Health Education give such information, but the President of the Bundestag does,” Theurer said when asked by FOCUS Online. “If Mr. Schäuble has more and better information than the competent authorities, he must not only inform the Bundestag about it, but must also allow the entire population to participate.”

Lars Castelluci (SPD), on the other hand, sees no problem: “Now everyone should keep their distance and wear a mask, as the Bundestag President recommends,” Castelluci told FOCUS Online. In his opinion, increasing Co2 values ​​due to wearing a mask can be counteracted in a simple way: “In between, going out into fresh air makes sense even without Corona.”

Questionable statements about the CO2 content in blood are circulating on social networks

Time and again, pictures were circulating in social networks showing that wearing a mask over time causes too much CO2 to be inhaled because too much moisture collects in the mask and lungs. According to research by the “Correctiv” portal, this claim is based on a 15-year-old study by the Technical University of Munich — long before the Corona pandemic. The study concluded that CO2 can only partially escape when exhaling through a surgical mask. The statement could be referring to this, but the study is now considered obsolete. Even back then, the study came to the conclusion that “a drop in oxygen saturation” could not be detected. The study organizers also came to the conclusion that wearing a surgical mask had no health effects.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) points out to Correctiv that masks impede breathing, but also says: “It is not true that you inhale more CO2.” One can also assume that certified masks do not pose a health risk to healthy users.

House notification is aimed at the employees of the Bundestag administration

The in-house message sent out is primarily aimed at the approximately 3,100 employees of the Bundestag administration and the nearly 2,800 employees of the MPs in Berlin. Schäuble made the urgent recommendation to wear a mask because of the role model function of the Bundestag, it says.

“All known facts indicate that you are protecting yourself and others from infection. It is important to protect the health of everyone and to maintain the functionality of the constitutional organ of the German Bundestag.”

The second article is from the Swiss website Corona Transition:

The German Bundestag warns its employees of high CO2 levels in the blood from wearing masks

September 7, 2020

The in-house announcement from Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble (CDU) is bitterly serious — and a wonderful piece of real satire.

Members of the Bundestag and employees of the Bundestag in Berlin have to wear masks after the summer break — but should shift the mouth and nose protection under their chin every 30 minutes to breathe deeply because of the resulting increase in carbon dioxide concentration in the blood.

This is reported by Focus with reference to an internal document of the German Bundestag.

“This urgent recommendation applies to all people and all traffic areas such as the corridors and stairwells, lounge areas, sanitary rooms, catering areas (with the exception of the table) and the library, but also to boardrooms and meeting rooms,” it says, according to Focus, in the in-house announcement.

The explosive part can be found elsewhere in the in-house message:

“After just 30 minutes of wearing, depending on the type of mouth and nose covering, there can be a significant increase in the CO2 level ​​in the blood, as the exhaled air may not be able to escape as easily. Constant loosening and tightening the mouth-nose covering does not make sense, however, as this increases the risk of contamination. In between, you should push it under your chin to take a deep breath, but keep it on.”

PDF of the internal message from the Bundestag