World Needs 620,000 Cubic Meters of Oxygen a Day With Current Rate of COVID-19 Cases - WHO

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th June, 2020) The world needs about 620,000 cubic meters (21.9 million cubic feet) of oxygen a day given the current rate of 1 million new COVID-19 cases per week, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.

"WHO estimates that at the current rate of about 1 million new cases [of the coronavirus] a week, the world needs about 620,000 cubic meters [of oxygen] a day, which is about 88,000 large cylinders," Tedros told a virtual briefing.

According to the WHO chief, 80 percent of the market is owned by several companies, and many countries are experiencing difficulties in obtaining oxygen concentrators as demand outstrips supply.

"WHO and the UN partners are working with manufacturers across the world through a variety of private sector networks to buy oxygen concentrators for countries that need them most. Ongoing talks with suppliers in recent weeks have enabled WHO to buy 14,000 oxygen concentrators, which will be sent to 120 countries in the coming weeks," Tedros added.

The UN health agency has identified further 170,000 oxygen concentrators, which could be purchased over the next six months for $100 million.