The looming shortage of ventilators around the world has been all over the news, but what is being done. The New York Times article discusses the ingenious solutions to this world wide problem. Some alternatives include the use of sleep apnea machines, hair salon driers being used as personal negative pressure chambers, and even something as simple as flipping patients on their stomach (this improves oxygen levels when in respiratory distress).
Further more, this shortage has also proved that a lot of the accepted knowledge on acute respiratory distress syndrome is not completely reliable. Many doctors don't understand how COVID-19 patients with low oxygen levels are still able to breath on their own as this was thought to be unlikely in someone with ARDS. Patients have been noted to have oxygen saturations in the 70s and 80s with stable heart rates and brain functions. In response to the shortage, many companies have stepped up to the plate and began manufacturing ventilators including Tesla. The company plans to repurpose auto parts to build more ventilators.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/17/health/ventilators-coronavirus.html (Links to an external site.) https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/06/video-tesla-building-ventilators-for-covid-19-patients-from-car-parts.html (Links to an external site.)
- By Laura Palacio Morales