An Oxygen Tank Shortage in Mexico Amidst the Pandemic Leaves Residents Desperate
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After the second wave of covid-19 hit Mexico this winter, the demand for oxygen tanks skyrocketed, and the country found itself facing a national shortage of the devices at the worst possible time. An oxygen black market cropped up, with organized criminal groups hijacking trucks filled with oxygen tanks or stealing them from hospitals. For the many Mexicans who distrust their country’s healthcare system, the best option for caring for their sick relatives is to care for them at home—which, for the sickest patients, can require a constant stream of purified oxygen pumped into their lungs. This leaves their friends and family members desperately searching for oxygen tanks and rushing to refill them multiple times a day.