Covid19 and Nitrox

[Bert van den Berg]

New Zealand has been one of the most locked down countries in the world for the past two years. Subsequently very few Covid19 infections to date and only 53 deaths (with or of Covid19) out of a population of 5M. While 90% of the population have been doubly vaccinated we have almost no natural immunity.

Recently the new Omicron variant has hit these shores and out in the community. The health system is not well equipped to handle the large number of expected cases. I had the LDS fill all five of my scuba tanks with 40% nitrox thinking that it may be useful if one of our family developed breathing difficulties but was unable to get a spot in the hospital.

I welcome information from medically qualified SB members on the advisability of this idea.

 

[tursiops]

If you are just trying to play the odds, full vaccination plus a booster seems to keep Omicron to a minor problem, perhaps even asymptomatic. I am NOT a medical professional.

No Omicron immunity without booster, study finds — Harvard Gazette

Traditional dosing regimens of COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States do not produce antibodies capable of recognizing and neutralizing the Omicron variant, reports a new study.

news.harvard.edu

Omicron: mRNA booster vaccine offers best protection

A new lab study finds that a booster dose of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine provides the best protection from the Omicron pseudovirus.

www.medicalnewstoday.com

 

[sea_ledford]

Not a doctor, but I don't think it would be very effective. Even if the patient was in a specific situation where high po2 is what is needed (rather than a ventilator), how long are 5 tanks going to last? How long are they going to be able/be willing to hold the reg in their mouth while they drool all over everything? I would think a max of 10 hours is about all you would get, and probably more like 4 or 5, if that.

It certainly can't hurt, unless you chose to put them on nitrox INSTEAD of going to a hospital. But I don't think the logistics work out in your favor.

My wife works at a hospital, not in patient care, so this is certainly 3rd hand info, but for the original variant and delta, people would go on vents and either get better relatively quickly (several days), would be on the vents for weeks to months, and would kinda get better, or would die. With omicron, people go on vents and are dead 3-5 days later.

 

[rongoodman]

If they're sick enough to need supplemental O2 in any form, they need more than a few hours on Nitrox. Get vaccinated and boosted.

 

[-JD-]

Not a doctor.

I got (2) 120s of 50% and a medical "E" bottle of O2 for the same reasons in March of 2020 when we were (I believe) the first county in the US to start lockdown. (Note: our lockdowns never got anywhere close to being as strict as the bottom of the world Commonwealth countries. YMMV as right or wrong - but certainly different.) At the time, world ventilator capacity was predicted to be a smallish fraction of the required capacity and I viewed it as a bridge option with (5) 80+ or immuno-compromised relatives locally.

Now I am seeing high fO2 as a more common therapeutic - as a primary alternative to, or to forestall the evolution to, ventilators - look at the O2 shortages that were/are in India as evidence on a massive scale and I have heard good results from some studies of hyperbaric therapy. If there are issues with breathing/efficacy then blood blood oxygen levels drop. Higher fO2 sources of breathing gas will help to compensate at least somewhat. I don't see it as a valid alternative to seeking medical treatment - if treatment is available. But I would sure rather have it if treatment was not available or delayed.

 

[Dogfoodboy]

I had the vid in October and ended up on O2 for about two weeks after an overnight in the hospital. I needed an O2 machine 24 hours per day.

The most important thing you need is a pulse oximeter to monitor your O2 levels to see if you're on the downhill slope.

Not sure if that helps your question

 

[waterone]

My wife works at a hospital, not in patient care, so this is certainly 3rd hand info, but for the original variant and delta, people would go on vents and either get better relatively quickly (several days), would be on the vents for weeks to months, and would kinda get better, or would die. With omicron, people go on vents and are dead 3-5 days later.

This is the first I read about people passing on ventilators faster for omicron than Delta..

 

[-JD-]

This is the first I read about people passing on ventilators faster for omicron than Delta..

Pure speculation on my part. Omicron seems to have a much higher spread, but lower rate of severe illness. My hypothesis is that statistically, the folks getting to the vent stage are much more "fragile" to start and don't have the reserve to hang on.

 

[Bert van den Berg]

I had the vid in October and ended up on O2 for about two weeks after an overnight in the hospital. I needed an O2 machine 24 hours per day.

The most important thing you need is a pulse oximeter to monitor your O2 levels to see if you're on the downhill slope.

Not sure if that helps your question

Every bit of information helps - thanks.

Got the pulse oxidizer. Bought enough of them to hand out to grown son and daughter and a spare.

 

[rongoodman]

Every bit of information helps - thanks.

Got the pulse oxidizer.

Pulse oximeter.