Africa Is Running Out Of Oxygen
As COVID surges, so does demand for oxygen. And oxygen manufacturing plants simply can't keep up. That's bad news not only for severely ill COVID-19 patients but others in need, including newborns.
Hospital wards across Uganda are filling with COVID-19 patients as the country faces an aggressive surge in cases. One of the biggest issues have: a serious shortage of oxygen.
Over the last month, the number of daily reported infections has increased tenfold, showing no signs of letting up. Cases have jumped from less than 100 a day in mid-May to 1,584 on June 18th. "ICU bed capacity is now full, almost at 100%," says Willy Tabu, a physician based in Kampala who helps coordinate Mercy Corps response to the pandemic.
