With the coronavirus still rampaging across the globe, liquid oxygen (LOX) is being diverted towards hospitals. This has left launch suppliers like SpaceX and United Launch Alliance (ULA) in a precarious position as LOX is needed to get into space. SpaceX officials confirmed this week the shortages are going to affect the company's busy launch schedule.

       SpaceX is the benefactor of a lucrative NASA contract to launch crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).

       A Falcon 9 rocket carrying supplies to the orbital lab is presently pencilled in to launch on August 28, following a 10-day delay.

       According to a Florida Today report, a recent surge in COVID-19 infections has led to a spate of delays along Florida's historic Space Coast.

       Gwynne Shotwell, president of SpaceX, said on Tuesday: "We're actually going to be impacted this year with the lack of liquid oxygen for launch."

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       "We certainly are going to make sure hospitals have the liquid oxygen they need."

       Ms Shotwell appeared on a panel of the 36th Space Symposium, held in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

       She pleaded for anyone with spare oxygen to "send me an email".

       The same liquid oxygen used to put rockets into space is being used in hospitals to help patients on respirators suffering or dying from Covid.

       SpaceX's signature Falcon 9 rocket burns a mix of cryogenic LOX and rocket-grade kerosene to get into orbit.

       The rocket's reusable first stage is powered by nine Merlin engines that burn through about 39,000 pounds of LOX and 25,000 of kerosene to produce 1.7 million pounds of thrust at sea level.

       SpaceX said: "These engines are also used to reorient the first stage prior to reentry and to decelerate the vehicle for landing."

       The second stage, which pushes satellites and spacecraft into orbit, is powered by a single Merlin Vacuum engine.

       This stage burns through about 7,300 gallons of LOX and 4,600 gallons of kerosene.

       Similarly, the Starship spacecraft, which is still in the development stage, will burn through a mix of oxygen (O2) and methane (CH4) to launch.

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       To put the figures into perspective, Adventist Health White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles, California, has been recently forced to increase its LOX reserves from 6,000 gallons to 9,000.

       But according to a report in Stat News, this increased supply is only expected to last the hospital about two weeks.

       Mara Bryant, operations executive at Adventist Health, said: "When you're talking about Covid, running out of oxygen would be your worst nightmare.

       "You need a high flow of oxygen to try to help people breathe as they fight the virus."

       When coronavirus attacks the lungs it can make breathing a laborious task.

       In more critical cases, patients are unable to breathe without the aid of a machine.

       Ms Bryant added: "Our problem was that we were consuming oxygen so fast, we started to get pressure fluctuations in our system. You don’t want to see that.

       "Oxygen needs to flow regularly to be safe for patients."

       According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are more likely to develop serious complications from Covid.