Even in normal times, medical oxygen plays a critical role for many applications. But, right now, we are not living in anything like normal times.
Medical oxygen plays a critical role in treating numerous patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19. Many patients who are hospitalized with COVID-19 develop pneumonia and end up in respiratory distress, unable to intake as much oxygen as they need.
The air we typically breathe is about 21% oxygen. By delivering pure, 100% oxygen to COVID-19 patients while they are experiencing respiratory distress, doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists can help the body retain appropriate levels of oxygen saturation while it’s fighting the disease.
The use of oxygen therapy for COVID-19 patients has even been documented in some high-profile cases, like that of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. During his hospital stay, the New York Times and others reported that the prime minister was “receiving standard oxygen treatment and breathing without any assistance.”
Thankfully, Johnson made a full recovery and was discharged from the hospital a few days later.
Some reports have even alluded to shortages of medical oxygen. An emergency room doctor from New York was quoted saying “The hospital was close to running out of oxygen.”
Another New York doctor explained the shortage. “We’re consuming oxygen faster than we’ve ever consumed oxygen in hospitals before.”
The good news is that so far, the medical oxygen supply chain has been up to the challenge. Neither CalOx or our suppliers have experienced a shortage of medical oxygen, nor do we expect one in the coming days and weeks.
This is good news for both our medical system, as it fights COVID-19, and for the many other critical users of medical oxygen across our country every day.