CPAP Machines Were Seen As Ventilator Alternatives, But Could Spread COVID-19

[Warpy]

1. They never were much of an alternative

because they don't deliver enough pressure to force air through swollen, narrowed airways. They provide a gentle breeze. People with reduced lung capacity need more of a gale.

They might have been useful for people who were holding a marginal 02 saturation of 87-90%, but I never could see how they'd be useful to people who'd drop down into the 70s and below.

I live in a state with a lot of vents and ECMO units because we're the hantavirus hotspot. I just hope the people who survive coronavirus on them aren't as crippled as so many hantavirus survivors have been.