MANILA - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday urged the public not to hoard oxygen tanks amid the continuing COVID-19 threat, saying these may either explode within homes or harm patients when used excessively.

The FDA issued the appeal after several Filipinos have been reportedly buying and storing several oxygen tanks at home in case a family member experiences difficulties in breathing due to COVID-19.

"Huwag naman po magho-hoarding o magtatago ng mga tangke ng oxygen sa bahay. Kahit for standby purposes lang, hindi naman po 'yan tama," FDA chief Undersecretary Eric Domingo said.

(Let us not hoard or store oxygen tanks at home. It's not right even if it's for standby purposes only.)

"Highly flammable and combustible po 'yan. Puwede po talaga sumabog 'yan," he said in an online press conference.

(It's highly flammable and combustible. It can explode.)

"Daig po niyan ang LPG. Mas malakas po ito so hindi po talaga tayo dapat nagtatago ng oxygen tanks sa mga bahay," he said.

(It is worse than LPG. It can create a bigger explosion so we should not keep oxygen tanks at home.)

• No shortage in medical oxygen supply ahead - FDA

Patients who are recuperating at home should be monitored when using oxygen tanks, the FDA chief said, noting that concentrated or pure oxygen are like medicine that should only be taken upon a doctor's advice.

"Medical grade oxygen is classified as a drug," Domingo said.

"Mayroon pong toxicity ang oxygen at puwedeng ma-injure ang ating baga kapag gumagamit tayo ng pure oxygen nang hindi tama," he said.

(There is toxicity in oxygen and our lungs may be injured if we do not use pure oxygen properly.)

So far, the Philippines' consumption of oxygen tanks remain below 50 percent of the available supply, Domingo said, without citing specific figures.

"Wala pa po tayo nararamdaman na shortage," he said.

(We are not yet experiencing a shortage.)

• Philippines to export excess oxygen supply to Indonesia amid COVID-19 pandemic

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