We are excited to announce our newest publication “Impact of Mask-Wearing-Related CO2 Exposure on Performance – A Global Survey.” The primary objective of this work is to determine whether self-reported performance is significantly associated with elevated CO₂ due to mask-wearing while controlling for other potential factors such as demographics, culture, and country. Using a survey of 15,017 participants across 21 countries, we examined factors such as daily mask-wearing duration, voluntary mask-wearing, occupation, and cultural context.
We found that mask-wearing duration, and the related increase in CO₂ exposure, was not significantly linked to reduced self-reported performance. Instead, perceptions were shaped more by whether masks were worn voluntarily and by occupation. These results suggest that psychological and contextual factors play a greater role in shaping performance perceptions than mask-induced CO₂ exposure.