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I belive I heard it reported that there are only 150 ventilators nationwide

Funny you should bring that up.

The New York Times today had a long article and informative on this potential shortage.

According to the article, there are approximately 105,000 mechanical ventilators, nationwide. In any given flu season, around 100,000 are in use at any given time. The Strategic National Stockpile has 4-5,000 additional for distribution. Unfortunately - according to the National Emergency Plan issued last November - we would need approximately 742,500 at any one time (assuming the pandemic doesn't get any worse than a lower case scenario).

In other words - if this thing hits - somebody's gonna get left out. And without a mechanical ventilator, he/she ain't gonna last long once this thing settles into the deep lungs, which is where it heads.

By the way, these ventilators cost around $30,000. So, it is unlikely the Average Joe can get one to stash in his basement. Besides, the world's largest manufacturer of these things says they can ramp up production only to about 10,000 a year. So there still won't be enough to go around - even if you could afford one.

Here is the Link, but you have to register to read it...

"By the way, these ventilators cost around $30,000. So, it is unlikely the Average Joe can get one to stash in his basement."

I'm not an average Joe Blow. I know where I can "borrow" a bottle of pure anhydrous oxygen at 2000 PSI. I have the regulator and the ball flow indicator needed. Pure oxygen is like some sort of drug. You get wide awake, think and act quickly. And all the bad things in your body get oxidized and dumped when you go to the bathroom. Fighter pilots breathe it. That's why they are always bright-eyed and bushy tailed:)

A couple years ago I applied for a patent on a simple "Double Chamber Oxygen Bag" a DCOB if you will.
The bag was meant to replace the oxygen bag on an EMT's mouth to mask apparatus. The device would isolate the EMT's breath from the patient. Probably about $5 to make it.

Patent office challenged it by saying a previous inventor "foresaw" my version of his rube goldberg.

Neither the US Army nor the manufacturer of the face mask were interested. Although some ER doctors and an army doctor thought it was a good device.

In light of the bird flu I should maybe recontact these people again.