Fact Check: Is it safe to use oxygen concentrator in a closed room?

There is no danger of oxygen levels depleting in a room when one uses an oxygen concentrator. Pulmonologists say a well ventilated room is advisable for Covid patients, but there is no such advisory for using an oxygen concentrator.

By Chayan Kundu: Recently, actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood advised people to use oxygen concentrator with doors and windows open as it extracts oxygen from open air. He said it is harmful to keep the room shut and turn on the AC while using this device.

The message went viral, with netizens either sharing screenshot of Sood's tweet or posting similar messages on Facebook.

During the shortage of oxygen cylinders for Covid patients, oxygen concentrators have emerged as a helpful device to provide supplementary oxygen to patients with respiratory disorders. Oxygen concentrators are devices that help concentrate oxygen from the ambient air and deliver pure oxygen to individuals by removing nitrogen.

India Today Anti Fake News War Room (AFWA) has found that there is no danger of oxygen levels depleting in a room when one uses an oxygen concentrator. Pulmonologists say a well-ventilated room is advisable for Covid patients, but there is no such advisory for using an oxygen concentrator.

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AFWA spoke to two leading pulmonologists in the country to know the usage and effect of oxygen concentrators in the perspective of the viral claim.

All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) director Dr Randeep Guleria straightaway called the claim "fake". "It extracts oxygen from the air it sucks in and absorbs the nitrogen. That is how it works. Rooms have enough air and ventilation. This does not happen. Chronic lung disease patients have been using concentrators for almost 10 to 20 years with no such problem," said Dr Guleria.

Dr JC Suri, director and head of department at Fortis hospital, Vasant Kunj, said, "It is always advisable that a Covid patient should stay in a well-ventilated room, but there is no such specific advisory for using an oxygen concentrator."

We studied the manuals of a few leading companies that manufacture oxygen concentrators and did not find any caution against using the device in a closed-door, air-conditioned room. Rather, in some manuals, it says, "There is never a danger of depleting the oxygen in a room when you use your oxygen concentrator."

An oxygen concentrator takes in room air, removes nitrogen from it, and provides up to 95 per cent pure oxygen. The device does not store oxygen but concentrates oxygen from the ambient air and delivers it to the user.

The intended function and use of an oxygen concentrator are to provide supplementary oxygen to patients with mild or medium respiratory disorders. But it should not be used as a device for supporting or for sustaining life. Patients with critical respiratory conditions need other life-supporting devices and critical care.