Gov’t Urged to Administer Oxygen to COVID-19 Patients Wisely

President-elect nominee of the Medical Association of Jamaica, Dr. Roger Hunter calls for focus less on oxygen therapy when treating COVID-19 patients and more on permissive relative hypoxia, unless absolutely necessary, citing the need to conserve the drug amid the public health crisis.

Dr. Hunter says administering too much oxygen at very high flow to patients with blocked airways can be deadly, and is calling on the Government to recommend to the nation, early, home-based treatment. He insists this inevitably saves lives and money and reduces the burden on the public health system.

The Government is being advised to administer medical oxygen to hospitalized COVID-19 patients sparingly and wisely.
He says it is always best to unblock the airways of those infected rather than blowing oxygen into partially blocked airways. Additionally, Dr. Hunter says regimented oral hygiene, sunbaths, vitamins, and prescribed medication, including antibiotics are also crucial in combating the virus.

He says every household in Jamaica must have access to a COVID-19 enabled or competent doctor who can administer early home-based treatment. The COVID-19 treatment practitioner says steam inhalation at least three times per day for 30 minutes is important in the successful reduction of oxygen demand. He notes the importance of every household having a pulse oximeter and infrared thermometer.

Dr. Hunter says a shortage of oxygen during oxygen-focused care has directly resulted in the deaths of COVID-19 patients across the island.

He has treated some 350 COVID-19 patients from infants to the elderly free of cost, of which he says no more than two have died, due to seeking treatment when their oxygen levels were already too low. Who says persons with an oxygen saturation of 94 % do not need supplemental oxygen.

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