Dear Friends,

When older people greet each other from six feet away, I’ve heard them say: “I’d like a younger person to get the ventilator.”

But ventilators are no panacea for COVID-19, reports National Public Radio:

Most coronavirus patients who end up on ventilators go on to die, according to several small studies from the U.S., China and Europe. And many of the patients who continue to live can’t be taken off the mechanical breathing machines.

“It’s very concerning to see how many patients who require ventilation do not make it out of the hospital,” says Dr. Tiffany Osborn, a critical care specialist at Washington University in St. Louis who has been caring for coronavirus patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Continue reading →