I'm pretty certain that we will find out in the near future that the use of ventilators, especially for elderly patients & those with underlying conditions, has done more harm than good and have exasperated the cytokine storm.
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Ventilators are primarily used to address issues where not enough oxygen is getting to the LUNGS, but the problem that most COVID-19 patients have is not about getting oxygen to the lungs; it's getting oxygen from the lungs and into the bloodstream.
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The ventilators can actually do (& likely ARE doing) damage to the lungs - which are already inflamed & susceptible to pressure-induced injury. This is likely amplifying the inflammatory response of the lungs, elevating cytokine release, & hurting the poor little alveoli
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Im not a doctor, but I'd recommend a good Interleukin-6 (IL-6) inhibitor instead of high-pressure (or even low pressure) mechanical ventilation.

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-end of thread-