About two-thirds of COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation die, a 3,883-person study shows.
Researchers examined data for 3,883 COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care units in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reported to the United Kingdom's Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre.
Of the 3,883 patients studied, 871 patients died, 818 patients were discharged alive from critical care and 2,194 patients were last reported as still receiving critical care.
The data shows 1,053 patients required advanced respiratory support via mechanical ventilation, of which 698 (66.3 percent) died.
Of the 444 who required only basic respiratory support, 86 (19.4 percent) died.
The data also shows that a higher proportion of COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation died compared to patients without coronavirus who had viral pneumonia and who needed ventilation (35.1 percent).
Previously, three studies reported that a majority of COVID-19 patients who needed mechanical ventilation died. These studies had far smaller study samples.