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Why is Oxygen in Short Supply?
Life-and-death decisions being made for lack of the precious commodity
You might not think of oxygen as a rare or expendable commodity, but for use in hospitals and ambulances, and by some 1.5 million Americans who rely on life-saving portable devices at home, the precious gas can be in precariously short supply when demand is high. Now, thanks to Covid-19, increased oxygen demand in some parts of the country and around the world is forcing rationing, governmental price caps, and life-or-death decisions by doctors and first responders.
“[…] Under normal conditions, under ideal conditions, everyone who needs oxygen would be admitted to the hospital”, says Dr. Rais Vohra, interim health officer in Fresno County, in California’s Central Valley. “Unfortunately, we’re operating in a disaster and so we don’t have that luxury, and we have to make really hard choices and do the best that we can.”
Oxygen shortages currently do not appear to be widespread in the United States. But with Covid-19 hospitalizations already at a record high across the nation, experts now fear a burgeoning caseload as the recently discovered and more contagious mutant coronavirus strain spreads throughout the country.
Yes, it’s in the air, but …
Earth’s atmosphere is made up of nitrogen (79.09%), oxygen ( 20.95%), argon (0.93%) and carbon dioxide (0.039%), along with traces of other gases and water vapor.
Like any gas used for industrial, commercial or health care purposes, oxygen must be extracted and separated into its pure form. That’s done either by on-site machines at hospitals or by outside companies that package and ship the oxygen in canisters or pump it into large on-site storage containers.
Oxygen is traded like other commodities — its price fluctuates based on supply and demand.
The price of oxygen has been rising gradually since about 2004, roughly doubling. The global demand is expected to skyrocket in coming years, for health care and industrial uses, with healthcare demand reaching $2.3 billion by 2027, owing to the “huge number of patients dependent on oxygen,” a new report predicts.
