About a fortnight ago I read about the impending disaster of ventilator shortages worldwide, it irked me. I couldn’t understand how such a seemingly simple process of oxygen saturation in covid-19 patients might be the deciding factor on whether they live or die. I’m not an emergency room physician nor a doctor not a scientist i’m a bloody bartender (out of work as of yesterday ) ok so I’ll keep this question purely theoretical I promise you I don’t have plans of heroism my wife is 34 weeks pregnant through all this and all my time and energy are devoted to her.

Having said that, the question of getting O2 into patients where and when it may be needed in a complete disastrous breakdown of society and systems is very intriguing to me. I have preliminary designs of a makeshift ventilator made from household items, but i’m stuck on the chemistry of H2O2 -> O2. Using yeast or blood as a catalyst, does the reaction create sufficient pressure to propel the O2 down a length of tube from the reaction chamber (empty plastic bottle) to the mouthpiece via a simple one way valve (not leak proof). Or will there need to be and intermediate step between the reaction and the mouthpiece to accelerate the flow of O2?

Another catalyst for H2O2 decomposition is the manganese dioxide found in alkaline batteries.

The pressure developed depends pretty much entirely on the absolute amount of H2O2 available and the size of the container.

Pressurizing oxygen is not necessary trivial. A number of seemingly innocuous materials become highly flammable in a pure oxygen atmosphere.

Welding supplies merchants may have small oxygen cylinders available; presumably the medical oxygen canisters that are normally available online have sold out?

I assume all O2 stockpiles are being set aside for the hospitals.
Our country (australia) is about to go on stage one lockdown for non essential services so this might be too late anyway since consumer hydrogen peroxide is found in hair supply stores which will all be closed as of tomorrow.

I also read that sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide 1:1 diluted in water gives off O2 but the reaction as far as I gather is far more potent to use a non technical term.

Thanks for your help mate.