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(Disclaimer: This should not be considered medical advice. Please check with medical practitioners on exact procedures.) <ul><li>Oxygen concentrators are the best alternative solution when there is an acute shortage of oxygen cylinders.</li><li>The role of oxygen cylinders or oxygen concentrators is to fulfill the oxygen needs of patients who aren’t able to get the desired amount on their own.</li><li>Here is a step-by-step guide on how to setup an <keyword id="6325969" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="oxygen-concentrator" source="Orion">oxygen concentrator</keyword> at home.</li></ul>As the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc in the country, one of the most pressing concerns has been the shortage of oxygen supply to treat COVID positive patients. There is a high demand for oxygen cylinders and concentrators to critically save lives of people. Oxygen concentrators are the best alternative solution when there is an acute shortage of oxygen cylinders. People who are in dire need of oxygen can set up an oxygen concentrator at home without any hassle. It doesn’t need to be refilled or replaced. However, one should use it only if a doctor prescribes it to you. How does an Oxygen concentrator work? The role of oxygen cylinders or oxygen concentrators is to fulfill the oxygen needs of patients who aren’t able to get the desired amount on their own. Oxygen concentrators work the same way as oxygen cylinders. It is also a medical device to pump up the oxygen from ambient air. Oxygen concentrators suck air from the environment and remove the unwanted gases like nitrogen, concentrate oxygen and pump it through the pipe of patients, so that they can breathe pure oxygen. Concentrators can supply at least 5-10 litres of oxygen per day. Using oxygen concentrators has some advantages -- they are portable and have a continuous power source; they can work 24x7 and don't need to be replaced or refilled. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to setup an oxygen concentrator at home -- <ol><li>Oxygen concentrators should be placed at least 1-2 feet away from a wall because it needs enough space to circulate the air and tends to get hot upon continuous use.</li><li>Join the humidification bottle if your doctor has prescribed it to you. A humidification bottle is prescribed if the oxygen flow rate is greater than 2-3 litres per minute.</li><li>Connect the oxygen tubing to the humidification bottle or an adaptor. If you’re using a humidification bottle, insert your oxygen tubing into the port on the bottle or if you’re using an oxygen adaptor, attach the tubing to it in the same way. Use distilled water or filtered water only in the humidification bottle. Distilled water is the water which has been through the process of distillation i.e boiling the water and capturing the steam which rises from the water and allows the steam to condense. Whereas in reverse osmosis (RO), the water molecules are allowed to pass through but not the contaminants. </li><li>The concentrator will have an air filter that concentrates clean air, make sure you place that filter before using the machine. It should be washed at least once a week with warm water only and use it after it gets dried.</li><li>Start your oxygen concentrator at least 10-15 minutes prior using it as it takes a little while for the device to concentrate pure oxygen.</li><li>Don’t use extension cord to plug in the concentrator as it requires a lot of power to function and might risk fire as well.</li><li>You will hear the sound of processing once you switch it on. Always make sure to check the light which indicates that the device is working properly.</li><li>Before using it, locate the litre control knob which may be marked with litres per minute (LPM) such as 1, 2, 3. Set the knob to prescribed LPM. If not sure, please consult your doctor for clarification.</li><li>Please ensure that the tubing doesn’t have any kinks or bends as it may hamper the oxygen supply and also make sure there are no gaps in the sides of your mask you’re using to breathe.</li><li>In case if you’re using a nasal cannula, adjust it upwards into your nostrils for high levels of oxygen.</li></ol>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/battlegrounds-mobile-india-pre-registrations-to-begin-on-may-18/articleshow/82702403.cms">PUBG Mobile: Battlegrounds Mobile India pre-registrations to begin on May 18 – rewards, maps and more</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/ratan-tata-backed-moglix-is-the-13th-unicorn-from-india-this-year/articleshow/82702143.cms">Ratan Tata-backed Moglix is the 13th unicorn from India this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/elon-musk-hints-that-tesla-may-dump-its-billion-dollar-bitcoin-investment/articleshow/82699553.cms">Elon Musk hints that Tesla may dump its billion dollar Bitcoin investment — here’s why his tweets have so much power</a>

COVID-19: Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use an oxygen concentrator at home

As <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword> cases in <keyword id="1334" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="china" source="Orion">China</keyword> continue to rise, Beijing will soon start distributing Pfizer's Covid-19 drug <keyword id="12474541" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="paxlovid" source="Orion">Paxlovid</keyword> to the community health centres in the coming days, the CNN reported citing state media. According to the state-run China News Service, after getting trained, community doctors would dispense the medicine to Covid-19 patients and also disseminate information on how to use it. "We have received a notice from officials but it is not clear when the drug will arrive," CNN cited a worker at a local community health centre in Beijing's Xicheng district as saying. Paxlovid remains the only foreign Covid drug that has been approved by China's regulator for nationwide use, but access to the medicine is a challenging process. China's National Health Security Administration informed on Sunday that Pfizer's Paxlovid oral medicine, which is used to deal with Covid-19, couldn't be included in the "register of drugs in the basic medical insurance", as the corporate's citation was too excessive, media reports said. Meanwhile, the demand for Indian generic drugs has shot up in China amid the ongoing Covid surge in the country, with specialists cautioning that dubious variations of those drugs were flooding the market. Due to the large and quick supply of Paxlovid, demand for Indian generic variations via Chinese e-commerce platforms has gone up. "On the Chinese e-commerce platforms... At least four generic Covid drugs produced in India -- Primovir, <keyword id="16008657" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="paxista" source="Orion">Paxista</keyword>, Molnunat, and <keyword id="16008658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="molnatris" source="Orion">Molnatris</keyword> -- have been listed for sale in recent weeks. Primovir and Paxista are both generic versions of Paxlovid, while the other two are generic versions of Molnipiravir," Chinese media outlet Sixth Tone reported. Following countrywide demonstrations over its 'Zero Covid' policy, China abruptly abandoned it last month after nearly three years of lockdowns, quarantines, and mass testing. The rapid policy change has triggered panic buying of fever and cold medications, resulting in significant shortages at pharmacies and online shopping platforms. Long lineups have become the norm outside fever clinics and hospital wards in the country's capital, Beijing, and elsewhere, according to CNN. After China abandoned its 'Zero Covid' policy about two weeks ago, regional numbers of infected persons with coronavirus point to explosive outbreaks and overstretched healthcare systems, wrote Chang Che, Asia technology correspondent for The New York Times (NYT). However, the intensity and magnitude of the country's first nationwide outbreak have remained a mystery as official figures from the central government remain low. China's healthcare system, catering to 1.4 billion people, is reportedly under tremendous strain because of the steep prices of drugs manufactured by multinational pharmaceutical giants. As things stand, the hospitals are all full, whether government or private, a report said, adding that there is no place for more patients to get admission. Getting a bed is out of the question, while walkways and aisles are full of patients lying on damp floors, the report said. The majority of the patients are left to their fates outside of the government health apparatus, the report said, adding that millions do not have access to medicine, oxygen, respiratory machines or other medical equipment. The only thing they access is a medical drip, it said. Fears of the elderly losing their lives either to the infection or their comorbidities are growing because of these inadequacies, reported The HK Post, adding that most of the elderly patients are developing other health complications, especially lung infections. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covovax-vaccine-to-get-approval-as-a-booster-in-10-15-days-adar-poonawalla/articleshow/96843527.cms">Covovax vaccine to get approval as a booster in 10-15 days: Adar Poonawalla</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/online-schools-back-in-lucknow-as-cold-wave-intensifies/articleshow/96845569.cms">Online schools back in Lucknow as cold wave intensifies</a>

Indian generic drug Paxlovid in high demand in China amid Covid surge

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11912176" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="orlando" source="Orion">Orlando</keyword> officials are urging residents to limit <keyword id="15300" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="water" source="Orion">water</keyword> use amid <keyword id="11912175" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="liquid-oxygen" source="Orion">liquid oxygen</keyword> shortages.</li><li>Liquid oxygen supply is being diverted to hospitals to treat <keyword id="11893994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">COVID-19</keyword> patients as infections surge.</li><li>But liquid oxygen is also used to treat the water supply, a lack of which could impact the quality of the city's water.</li></ul>Orlando officials are urging residents to reduce their water consumption amid efforts to divert liquid oxygen used for cleaning the water supply to hospitals for COVID-19 patients.Liquid oxygen has been in high demand as the city faces a surge of <keyword id="11893194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus" source="Orion">coronavirus</keyword> patients, especially given the rapid spread of the Delta variant. As of Friday, the state reported a little more than 150,000 confirmed cases, surpassing 3 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the state.The Orlando Utilities Commission uses liquid oxygen to treat and remove hydrogen sulfide in water for drinking and other uses."Demand for liquid oxygen is extremely high as the priority is to use it to save lives and to treat critically ill patients," Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said at a news conference Friday. "There are impacts to the supply that OUC normally receives.""Our hospitals are experiencing the highest number of unvaccinated, critically ill patients at this point as any other point during the pandemic," Dyer continued. "Many of these patients require liquid oxygen."Dyer and the OUC asked residents on Friday to reduce their nonessential water consumption, including limiting watering their lawns, washing their cars, and taking short showers."If we are unable to reduce water demand, hospital needs continue, and the supply remains limited, OUC water quality may be impacted," Linda Ferrone, OUC Chief Customer and Marketing Officer, said in a <a href="https://www.ouc.com/about-ouc/news/2021/08/20/mayor-dyer-and-ouc-encourage-customers-to-limit-watering-lawns-immediately-to-conserve-resources-needed-to-treat-covid-patients">statement</a>. "But, we believe that will not happen if everyone does their part to conserve water."The "extremely high demand" and shortage in liquid oxygen, according to Dyer, comes as <keyword id="11910362" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida" source="Orion">Florida</keyword> Gov. Ron DeSantis <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/desantis-threatens-withhold-paychecks-school-board-defy-his-mask-ban-2021-8">continues to wage a war</a> on mask mandates and vaccine requirements. The state faces one of the highest coronavirus infection rates in the country, correlating to Florida's low vaccination rates.As of Thursday, about 65% of eligible residents in Orange County, Florida, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as the total number of confirmed cases in the county approaches 200,000, according to data collected by the <a href="https://newsroom.ocfl.net/media-advisories/press-releases/2021/07/coronavirus-updates-6/">Orange County government</a>. Dyer credited the possible impact on the city's water quality to low vaccination rates in the city."It's another result of what happens when the residents do not get vaccinated," the mayor said.

Orlando urges residents to limit water use as liquid oxygen for treating the water supply is being diverted to hospitals for COVID-19 patients

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>, Twitter, and <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="WhatsApp">Whatsapp</keyword> have been flooded with desperate calls for COVID-19 help from people in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>.</li><li>Doctors, politicians, and patients are seeking <keyword id="6355647" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Oxygen">oxygen</keyword>, ICU beds, and blood plasma.</li><li>India's COVID-19 daily cases hit a world record on Sunday, with 350,000 new cases.</li></ul>In India, social-media platforms are flooded with requests for oxygen, intensive care unit (ICU) beds, and blood plasma amid the deepening COVID-19 crisis.India recorded <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-india-cases-rising-record-infections-coronavirus-2021-4">more than 350,000 daily COVID-19 cases</a> on Sunday, breaking the world record for the fifth consecutive day.Doctors, politicians, and COVID-19 patients and their loved ones are using hashtags #CovidSOS and #COVIDEmergency2021 in Twitter posts to plead for supplies, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/25/22402273/twitter-whatsapp-facebook-triage-center-india-oxygen-hospital-coronavirus">The Verge</a> first reported. <a href="https://chat.whatsapp.com/Hr4LlyNHLiuETGzmdVgpsR?fbclid=IwAR0ahsmXkoHIPgxyzBmG6kf7E9HNeVNtLVAI6MtGsxwQz4Ug7-mWDgzThgU">Groups on WhatsApp</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/humankindglobal">Facebook</a> such as HumanKind Global are full of people searching for blood plasma and oxygen to help COVID-19 patients, The Verge reported.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/humankindglobal"></a>Hospitals in the country are struggling to cope with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-to-help-india-with-covid-19-crisis-through-vaccine-production-supplies-2021-4">shortages of beds and oxygen supplies</a> - some say they only have a few hours' of oxygen supply left. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-indias-crematoriums-have-started-to-melt-so-many-bodies-2021-4#in-the-indian-state-of-gujarat-gas-and-firewood-furnaces-at-crematoriums-have-been-running-so-long-without-a-break-that-metal-parts-have-begun-to-melt-15">Crematoriums are also starting to melt</a> from operating for so long.Prashant Kanojia, member of the Rashtriya Lok Dal party in India and a former journalist, on Sunday <a href="https://twitter.com/PJkanojia/status/1385751693627838465">tweeted with the hashtag #CovidSOS</a> that a hospital in Meerut, north India, needed urgent oxygen supplies.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-modi-india-failed-in-critical-hour-of-need-2021-4">Hospitals in India are turning patients away and COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing. But Prime Minister Modi is on the campaign trail and ignoring the crisis.</a>In response to a <a href="https://twitter.com/bainjal/status/1383048960365850632">thread by journalist Swati Chaturvedi</a> to amplify people's requests for help, <a href="https://twitter.com/abmoitra/status/1383096513417592834">one Twitter user </a>said her relative was a critical cancer patient who couldn't be transferred to ICU because there were no beds available.Another <a href="https://twitter.com/ankitkaul/status/1383066917624111106">Twitter user replied to the thread</a>, saying that their friend's father was "extremely critical" and needed a ventilator urgently in the National Capital Region of India.Vinay Srivastava, an Indian journalist who had COVID-19, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/covid-19-india-journalist-live-tweeted-oxygen-levels-before-died-2021-4">tweeted on April 16 that his oxygen levels</a> had dropped and that he needed medical help. He was denied healthcare because he didn't have the right paperwork, local media reported. He died the day after his Twitter plea.Hemant Rajaura, a <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> reporter for Hindustan Newspaper, <a href="https://twitter.com/hemantrajora_/status/1386375534402179079?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1386375534402179079%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Fhemantrajora_2Fstatus2F1386375534402179079widget%3DTweetweet">tweeted</a> on Sunday that the oxygen supply in Irene Hospital in New Delhi had dropped, endangering patients. The day before, he <a href="https://twitter.com/hemantrajora_/status/1386210932431355909">tweeted</a> that Delhi needed 700 tons of oxygen to cope with demand, but that only 330 tons was reaching the city.The US on Sunday said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-to-help-india-with-covid-19-crisis-through-vaccine-production-supplies-2021-4">it would provide supplies</a> for testing, drugs, personal protective equipment, ventilators, and vaccines to help India fight its current coronavirus wave. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/covid-vaccine-tracker-global-distribution/?sref=Hhue1scO">Less than 2%</a> of India's population is fully vaccinated.

Doctors and COVID-19 patients in India are turning to social media in desperate pleas for oxygen, blood plasma, and ICU beds

<ul><li> The availability of beds in a hospital has become a scarcity, while the demand for oxygen cylinders has shot up as India battles the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.</li><li>For people, who are COVID-19 positive and are in home isolation, the Indian government has announced a medically approved technique of ‘<keyword id="9066740" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="proning" source="Orion">proning</keyword>’ to help increase your <keyword id="2242156" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="oxygen-levels" source="Orion">oxygen levels</keyword>.</li><li>Proning will help in increasing oxygen levels at home.</li></ul>(Disclaimer: This should not be considered medical advice. Please check with your doctor on medical procedures.) India continues to battle a severe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also resulted in hospitals being overburdened. The availability of beds in hospitals has become a scarcity, while the demand for oxygen cylinders has shot up, as more and more people see their oxygen levels dipping. Hospitals are advised for people whose oxygen levels are dropping beyond 92% saturation level. For people, who are COVID-19 positive and are in home isolation, the Indian government has announced a medically approved technique of ‘proning’ to help increase your oxygen levels and keep them in the safe zone (above 94%). <div type="ExtQuote" text="Proning is the process of turning a patient with precise, safe motions, from their back onto their abdomen (stomach), so the individual is lying face down." auname="Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India"></div> For patients who are isolated at home, it is important to stay in a well-ventilated room and <keyword id="11156501" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="practice-proning" source="Orion">practice proning</keyword> when there is a mild problem in breathing and oxygen levels have dropped below 94, but not beyond 90-92. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Here’s how you can practice proning, as advised by the Indian health ministry" comment="subhead" text="Here’s how you can practice proning, as advised by the Indian health ministry">Here’s how you can practice proning, as advised by the Indian health ministry</cmsannotation> Proning with pillows – Lie down on the bed and place one pillow below the neck, one or two more under the chest through upper thighs and two pillows below the shins. <div type="image" title="proning1" msid="82251717" hostid="261"></div> You can also try proning by following the below mentioned steps for 30 minutes each – Sleep on your belly – Lay down on your left side – Lay down on the right side – Sleep on your belly – Sit up with a pillow on your back <div type="image" title="proning" msid="82251721" hostid="261"></div> However, avoid proning immediately after meals and ensure that you aren’t uncomfortable in any given position. “Keep a track of any pressure sores or injuries, especially, around bony prominences,” as mentioned in the ministry bulletin. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-choose-the-right-pulse-oximeter/articleshow/82228819.cms">Pulse oximeter buying guide - here's how to choose the right oximeter for home</a>

How to increase blood oxygen levels at home for covid patient as advised by the Indian health ministry

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Desperate Indians are turning to a black market in <keyword id="6355647" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Oxygen">oxygen</keyword> as stocks dwindle amid a <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> surge. </li><li>Oxygen shortages have taken hold in several countries, with rampant price-gouging.</li><li>Reports from around the world detail cylinders being sold for ten times their normal price.</li></ul><keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> is having to deal with a black market for oxygen amidst a record-breaking COVID-19 surge that has exhausted supplies in many hospitals. It is a trend that has been seen in many countries around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six hospitals in India said Thursday that hey had run out of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-hospitals-run-out-of-oxygen-amid-covid-19-surge-2021-4">medical oxygen</a>, one of the most important treatments for those struggling with COVID-19 symptoms.Demand for oxygen is likely to shoot up in coming days in twelve states in India as the country continues to report hundreds of thousands of new cases each day, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-which-states-are-worst-hit-why-is-oxygen-transportation-difficult-7277038/">the Indian Express reported</a>.<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/oxygen-cylinders-remdesivir-being-sold-on-black-market/articleshow/82185040.cms">The Times of India reported Thursday</a> that the average cost of an oxygen cylinder has "skyrocketed", to 20,000 to 25,000 rupees, about $250-330.One man in India told AFP that he paid 45,000 rupees, about $600, for a cylinder of oxygen. That is about nine times its normal price, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210422-india-s-covid-19-shortages-spur-black-market-for-drugs-oxygen">AFP reported on Thursday</a>.One advertisement circulated on social media offering a cylinder for 30,000 rupees, about $400. Another offered it for 35,000, about $460, <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/noida/making-hay-in-the-black-market-remdesivir-sold-at-rs-40000-oxygen-cylinder-at-rs-35000/articleshow/82187715.cms">the Times of India reported</a>.<a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD?name_desc=false">According to World Bank data</a>, the Gross National Income per capita in India is $2,120 per year.India is not alone in facing this issue. 25 countries around the world are reporting a surge in demand for oxygen, mostly in Africa, <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/25-02-2021-covid-19-oxygen-emergency-impacting-more-than-half-a-million-people-in-low--and-middle-income-countries-every-day-as-demand-surges">the World Health Organization (WHO) said</a>. More than half a million COVID-19 patients need oxygen treatment every day, <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/25-02-2021-covid-19-oxygen-emergency-impacting-more-than-half-a-million-people-in-low--and-middle-income-countries-every-day-as-demand-surges">per WHO estimates</a>. That means 1.1 million oxygen cylinders every day. Brazil, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/americas/mexico-covid-oxygen-shortage.html">Mexico</a>, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/07/peru-jungle-iquitos-coronavirus-covid-19">Peru</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/18/world/middleeast/egypt-hospital-oxygen-covid.html">Egypt</a>, Nigeria and other countries all reported shortages at the height of COVID-19 surges, and many had to deal with black markets praying on the vulnerable.In Peru last year, the price of a cylinder of oxygen was pushed well over $1,000, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/07/peru-jungle-iquitos-coronavirus-covid-19">The Guardian reported</a>.One woman reported paying nearly $1,300 for a cylinder, a markup of 1,000%, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/peru-coronavirus-oxygen-tank-price-gouging/2020/06/17/3e0f5392-b0bc-11ea-8f56-63f38c990077_story.html">The Washington Post said on June 18, 2020</a>. In Mexico too a black market thrived amid a nationwide shortage, with demand up sevenfold, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/americas/mexico-covid-oxygen-shortage.html?referringSource=articleShare">The New York Times reported</a>. Trucks transporting oxygen were held up at gunpoint, according to local reports, and prices for oxygen tripled on the black market, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/americas/mexico-covid-oxygen-shortage.html?referringSource=articleShare">The Times reported on February 9</a>. At the height of the shortage crisis in Brazil's Manaus region in January, the price of a 50-liter oxygen container went up 6.5 times, to almost $1,200, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210319-covid-leaves-brazilian-amazon-city-struggling-to-breathe">France 24 reported</a>.Oxygen shipments were guarded by police. Some sellers were caught painting fire hydrants green to pass them off as containers, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210319-covid-leaves-brazilian-amazon-city-struggling-to-breathe">France 24 reported on March 19</a>. Black markets aren't the only reason for a price hike. Transportation and infrastructure also contribute to the increase. Oxygen is often produced by factories, and transported by cooled tankers over long distances. In richer countries, the oxygen is taken in liquid form by cooled tankers to the hospitals. This means the oxygen, which takes less space in liquid form, is cheaper to transport.But most hospitals in poorer countries around the world don't have this sort of infrastructure. They have to rely on the transport of heavy gas metal cylinders over long distances to reach the hospital. That incurs logistical and transport costs, passed on to the patient, <a href="https://elemental.medium.com/theres-a-global-shortage-of-medical-oxygen-covid-19-is-making-it-worse-14553be5da09">according to a Medium post by Craig Spencer</a>, a medical professor in New York and a board member of Doctors Without Borders.Small rural hospitals in Kenya and Nigeria, pay 5 to 10 times more for a cylinder of oxygen than a London hospital does, <a href="https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2020-08-09/lack-of-oxygen-leaves-covid-19-patients-in-africa-gasping-for-air">according to an investigation from the UK's Bureau of Investigative Journalism</a>. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/09/world/americas/mexico-covid-oxygen-shortage.html?referringSource=articleShare">According to The Times</a>, at the height of the oxygen shortage in Mexico, a cylinder of oxygen cost more than $800, up to 10 times the cost paid by a US hospital. Most states in India have redirected their oxygen production, which is used for instance in the iron, steel and glass industry, towards meeting the oxygen need, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-which-states-are-worst-hit-why-is-oxygen-transportation-difficult-7277038/">the Indian Express reported</a>. But here, again, the problem is transport, and India is huge. Oxygen production is mostly done in eastern India, whereas the demand for oxygen is higher in the western part of India and other parts, <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/view-how-india-could-pump-oxygen-into-the-oxygen-supply-chain/articleshow/82200183.cms">The Economic Times has reported</a>. Because of the increased logistics and transport, the cost of refilling a cylinder in India has been hiked fivefold, from about $1-5 to $6 to $26, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-which-states-are-worst-hit-why-is-oxygen-transportation-difficult-7277038/">The Indian Express reported</a>.India's police has been cracking down on the black market for oxygen. The government of the Uttar Pradesh state of India has said it would invoke the National Security Act and Gangster Act to combat black marketing of oxygen, <a href="https://twitter.com/airnewsalerts/status/1385415125012787207?s=20">All India Radio News said in a tweet on Thursday</a>. India plans to import 50,000 metric tonnes of medical oxygen to deal with the crisis, <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-which-states-are-worst-hit-why-is-oxygen-transportation-difficult-7277038/">the Indian Express reported</a>. It also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-coronavirus-oxygen-express-trains-hospital-shortages-2021-4">set up an "Oxygen Express" train to get supplies to hard-hit states</a>.Some experts blame the government for not putting the infrastructure in place to avoid this situation in the first place. "We were aware that the second wave was coming but we didn't plan to avoid unfortunate incidences like shortages of drugs, beds and oxygen," <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-56757405">epidemiologist Dr Lalit Kant told the BBC</a>.

India's COVID-19 surge is highlighting a ruthless, global black market for oxygen, where sellers jack prices up to 1,000%

<ul><li>A new technology developed by a team of engineers at the Washington University in St Louis can directly coerce oxygen and hydrogen from salty water, making the process much cheaper.</li><li>When humans eventually do visit <keyword id="47638" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mars">Mars</keyword>, this new technology could help them breathe on the alien planet and create fuel for the trip back home.</li><li>Meanwhile, on Earth, the same technology could allow for longer submarine missions and deep-sea exploration of uncharted waters. </li></ul>A new technology that turns Mars’ salty water into fuel and oxygen could be an even bigger boon for defence and exploration here on Earth. Taking briny water and turning it into hydrogen and oxygen isn’t easy. Still, engineers at the <a href="https://source.wustl.edu/2020/11/new-tech-can-get-oxygen-fuel-from-mars-salty-water/">Washington University</a> in St Louis have found a new way to coerce oxygen and hydrogen directly from saltwater. The process can produce 25 times more oxygen than the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilisation Experiment (MOXIE) using the same amount of power. MOXIE is currently on its way to the Red Planet aboard the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) <keyword id="9577365" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="perseverance-rover">Perseverance rover</keyword>. When humans eventually do visit Mars, this new technology could help them breathe on the alien planet and create fuel for the trip back home. However, before our species is ready to travel the 97.3 million kilometres to Mars’ harsh climate, the same technology can prove useful right here as home. "Our Martian brine electrolyzer radically changes the logistical calculus of missions to Mars and beyond. This technology is equally useful on Earth where it opens up the oceans as a viable oxygen and fuel source," said Vijay Ramani, one of the lead authors of the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (<a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2020/11/24/2008613117">PNAS</a>). Unanswered questions on Earth What makes this new technology special is that the system has been designed in such a way that there’s no need for heating or purifying the water source. "Paradoxically, the dissolved perchlorate in the water, so-called impurities, actually help in an environment like that of Mars," said Shrihari Sankarasubramanian, who was a part of Ramani’s research team. The bigger boon is that a system that can work with salty water can significantly make water electrolyzers everywhere — even right here on planet Earth — a much more economical proposition. While intended for use on Mars, its usefulness is not limited to the Red Planet. According to the study, the same technology can be used to create oxygen on demand for <keyword id="117400" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Submarines">submarines</keyword> allowing them to remain submerged for longer during reconnaissance missions just by being cheaper. The capability to create oxygen from saltwater at a reasonable cost can also prove useful for deep-sea exploration to visit some of the most mysterious parts of the planet. This could include the darkest corners of the Gakkel Ridge, the Greenland coral reefs, and, of course, the deepest place on Earth — the <keyword id="985546" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mariana-Trench">Mariana Trench</keyword>. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/pubg-mobile-india-is-still-fighting-its-ban-as-indigenous-clone-fau-g-makes-its-debut/articleshow/79503526.cms">PUBG Mobile India is still fighting its ban as indigenous clone FAU-G makes its debut</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million — valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a>

New technology to create fuel and oxygen on Mars could help humans explore the deep sea here on Earth

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some <keyword id="6354803" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Los-Angeles">Los Angeles</keyword> hospitals are struggling with shortages of oxygen to treat COVID-19 patients, the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-29/oxygen-supply-shortages-bedevil-hospitals-already-overwhelmed-by-covid-19-patients">Los Angeles Times</a> reported. </li><li>COVID patients typically require ten times as much oxygen as non-COVID patients, and demand has strained the pipes of aging hospitals. </li><li>Los Angeles has seen a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases during the holidays, and public health officials are worried about the city's ability to handle any further surges. </li></ul>At least five hospitals in Los Angeles County declared themselves internal disasters and were forced to reroute ambulances to other facilities over concerns about oxygen supply, the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-12-29/oxygen-supply-shortages-bedevil-hospitals-already-overwhelmed-by-covid-19-patients">Los Angeles Times</a> reported. The Times reported that several hospitals were facing shortages of oxygen canisters and that pipes in hospitals were breaking down because of the high volumes of oxygen being sent through the system.Non-COVID patients typically require around six liters of oxygen a minute, according to the Times, but COVID-19 patients need 60 to 80 liters a minute.Los Angeles has seen a surge of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths following the holidays. At one hospital, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/los-angeles-hospital-forced-treat-covid-19-patients-gift-shop-2020-12">the gift shop and chapel had been converted to treatment areas.</a>As of Monday, Los Angeles had an average of more than 14,000 daily new cases over the past week, according to data compiled by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/california-coronavirus-cases.html">The New York Times.</a>The LA Times added that the positivity rate of COVID-19 tests is now at 17% in LA County, which more than four times the positivity rate the county had on November 1. When it comes to oxygen, the demand is so high in some hospitals that the system can't maintain the needed pressure. In other cases, the high flow of oxygen has caused the pipes to freeze. Public health officials and <keyword id="6354525" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="healthcare">healthcare</keyword> workers have said that they don't see the surge peaking anytime soon and they are concerned that the healthcare systems may not have the capacity to properly treat everyone if cases keep climbing. "All indicators tell us that our situation may only get worse as we begin 2021. The rate of community transmission remains extraordinarily high…. As cases continue to remain at these alarmingly high levels, hundreds more people are likely to die," Barbara Ferrer, LA County's public health director told the Times.Dr. Tamara Chambers, an ICU physician at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center told Business Insider that the issue isn't just with limited beds to host patients, it's also having enough qualified healthcare workers to treat all the incoming patients. Chambers said healthcare workers at her facility have gotten ill with COVID-19 themselves meaning there's less staff to take care of patients. "I think we're being referred to as the frontline, but really we're the last line. We rely on public health and safety measures. We rely on people to stay home. We are trying to be the last line and provide the last level of care and support but there's only so much we can do," Chambers said. "The hospital is only so big, only has so many workers."Chambers encouraged Americans to take precautionary measures to avoid hospitals all together. "It's really imperative that everybody stays home, socially distances, and follows all of the public health measures," she said.

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India's COVID-19 surge is highlighting a ruthless, global black market for oxygen, where sellers jack prices up to 1,000%

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