New Study Recommends Less Reliance on Ventilators in Some COVID-19 Treatment Scenarios

A medical mannequin wearing a ventilator is seen in Andover, England, on April 9, 2020. Leon Neal/Getty Images

The death rate of COVID-19 patients could be reduced through new guidance, including using ventilators more sparingly in some cases, a team of physician-researchers said in a new study published on Tuesday in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

In the study (pdf), researchers said some oxygen-deficient COVID-19 patients may not need to be put on ventilators because they can cope remarkably well with hypoxemia, or a low level of oxygen.