Hurricane-prone states The day in pictures Get the USA TODAY app Start the day smarter ☀️ U.S. Elections Sports Entertainment Life Money Tech Travel Opinion ONLY AT USA TODAY: Newsletters For Subscribers From the Archives Crossword eNewspaper Magazines Investigations Podcasts Video Humankind Just Curious Best-selling Booklist 24/7 Live Stream Legals OUR PORTFOLIO: 10Best USAT Wine Club Online Sports Betting Online Casino Reviewed Homefront Blueprint Southern Kitchen Best Auto Insurance Best Pet Insurance Best Travel Insurance Best Credit Cards Best CD Rates Best Personal Loans Home Internet FACT CHECK Coronavirus COVID-19 Add Topic # Fact check: No, masks do not make people more obedient and \'slave like\' ![\\"Portrait](\\"/gcdn/presto/2022/08/01/PLOU/a5065278-43ed-484a-bd97-e3b5ff70a885-IMG_1224_insta.JPEG?crop=3318,3318,x1290,y0&width=48&height=48&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\") Eleanor McCrary USA TODAY ![\\"\\"](\\"/gcdn/presto/2022/08/19/USAT/f9a30a72-3107-4e75-850f-c57ac21d88ee- GettyImages-1221364691_1.jpg?crop=2118,1192,x0,y0&width=660&height=371&format=pjpg&auto=webp\\"/) PlayPause Sound OnSound Off 0:00 1:33 AD SKIP ClosedCaptionOpen ShareEnter Full ScreenExit Full Screen ## The claim: Masks make people more obedient and \"slave like\' Health officials have touted the benefits of mask-wearing since COVID-19 swept across the country. But more than two years after the virus was declared a pandemic, misinformation about masks continues to circulate on social media. A Sept. 5 Facebook post by Jason Christoff, a Canadian health coach, added to that swirl of misinformation, contending that masks make people more \"slave like\" and obedient. The post garnered over 250 shares. In the post, Christoff said masks trigger the nervous system to make wearers subservient. \"Blocking your own airway is an internal trigger for the body to increase obedience and compliance to the highest levels,\" he wrote. \"You would never block your own airways unless you were in clear and present danger.\" The claim is baseless, though. Medical experts said there is no physiological mechanism for face masks to cause people to become more \"slave like\" or obedient. In addition, masks do not cause oxygen deprivation or neurological damage. They are safe to wear for the majority of people, experts said. USA TODAY reached out to Christoff for comment. Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks ## Evidence does not support a connection between wearing masks and obedience Medical experts dispute the claim that masks cause a nervous system reaction and make people more compliant. \"Wearing a mask does not cause people to become \'slave like\' and obedient,\" Andrew Luks, a professor of medicine at the University of Washington, told USA TODAY in an email. \"It\'s nonsense.\" Masks also do not lower blood oxygen levels or increase carbon dioxide in the blood, Luks said. Daniel DeCaro, an associate psychology professor at the University of Louisville who studies autonomy and conformity, agreed. \"The idea that simply wearing a mask would trigger the nervous system to become \'slave like\' and \'obedient\' is clearly not based on reputable science and is false,\" he said. Fact check:Experts say face masks don\'t cause oxygen deprivation, neurological damage As USA TODAY and other news outlets have previously reported, face masks are generally safe to wear and effective at mitigating the spread of COVID-19, although specific guidance on usage varies depending on community risk levels and a person\'s health condition. Both the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control say mask-wearing can reduce COVID-19 spread when used properly. “The bottom line is masks work for preventing the spread for many respiratory illnesses and have played a vital role in protecting people during the pandemic,\" Luks said. ## Our rating: False Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that masks make people more obedient and \"slave like.\" There is no physiological mechanism that would cause someone wearing a mask to become more obedient or \"slave like,\" medical experts said. Masks do not cause oxygen deprivation or neurological damage and are safe for the majority of people to wear. ## Our fact-check sources: * Andrew Luks, Sept. 8. Phone interview with USA TODAY. * Daniel DeCaro, Sept. 9. Email interview with USA TODAY. * USA TODAY, Oct. 17, 2021. Fact check: Experts say face masks don\'t cause oxygen deprivation, neurological damage * Cleveland Clinic, Sept. 7. Hypoxemia * Loyola Medicine, Sept. 7. Do facemasks restrict airflow? * Food and Drug Administration, accessed Sept. 16. Face Masks, Barrier Face Coverings, Surgical Masks, and Respirators for COVID-19 * Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed Sept. 16. Use and Care of Masks Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. 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Masks make people more obedient and slave like