False: The U.S. is facing a shortage of oxygen required to treat patients.

By: Sunil Kumar
November 22 2021

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Since January 2021, there has been no official report on a shortage of medical oxygen in the U.S. COVID-19 has saturated healthcare systems around the world. In many countries, hospitals have been running out of oxygen, resulting in avoidable deaths and hospitalized patients' families paying a premium for limited oxygen supplies. Media reports in January 2021 stated that there was a shortage of medical oxygen in South California. The shortage impacted hospitals and health care facilities. Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security reported that the shortage occurred due to the surge of patients who needed oxygen therapy for their COVIOD-19 treatment. Since January 2021, there have been no official medical or media reports on the shortage of oxygen in the U.S. On the contrary, there were reports of the U.S. supplying oxygen to third-world countries. As of February 25, World Health Organization (WHO) stated that more than half a million people in low and middle-income countries need 1.1 million cylinders of oxygen every day, with 25 countries registering demand spikes. USAID published a press release on May 6, 2021, stating that the United States would help India during its second wave of COVID-19. The U.S. delivered six planeloads of life-saving supplies to New Delhi. In April 2021, around 318 oxygen concentrators were sent to India. Neither the U.S. government nor the companies that produce medical oxygen have mentioned any such shortage in the consecutive months. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.