Re:Pfizer is testing a pill that, if successful, could cure ...
by taxicabjesus on Tuesday April 27, 2021 @10:56AM
(#26956756)
> 1) How is something that kills you slowly more toxic than something that kills you quickly?
Pure CO2 will knock you out in 4-6 breaths, and cause your expiration in 10-20 minutes. Laboratory animals are routinely euthanized with co2 [0]. Pure O2 will cause your expiration in 4-6 days through the accumulated damage of reactive oxygen species.
> 2) Don’t doctors provide severe COVID patients with pure oxygen? If it’s toxic, why would they do that?
This is bad medicine. Early 20th century medical investigators figured out best practices for oxygen support, but the insights got forgotten, now they're just in the old papers in the libraries.
> 3) How does pure oxygen kill you? What’s the mechanism?
Pure CO2 will knock you out in 4-6 breaths, and cause your expiration in 10-20 minutes. Laboratory animals are routinely euthanized with co2 [0]. Pure O2 will cause your expiration in 4-6 days through the accumulated damage of reactive oxygen species.
[0] "Expose the animals to CO₂ until complete cessation of breathing is observed for a minimum of 2 minutes (a total of approximately 5 to 10 minutes is usually required)" - https://www.bu.edu/researchsupport/compliance/animal-care/wo...
> 2) Don’t doctors provide severe COVID patients with pure oxygen? If it’s toxic, why would they do that?
This is bad medicine. Early 20th century medical investigators figured out best practices for oxygen support, but the insights got forgotten, now they're just in the old papers in the libraries.
> 3) How does pure oxygen kill you? What’s the mechanism?
tl/dr: Hyperventilation.