We can put a patient on oxygen without intubating them. High flow oxygen can provide up to 60 liters per minute. We can prone patients, and provide them with nutrition to help support their immune system. We save many patients with supportive care.

We can’t however cure the virus. And if it progresses far enough then no amount of oxygen will save a patient. These cases are hard because we have to watch someone die without any means to save them. Doing cpr on a patient with covid can feel pointless. If the lungs do work then no amount of chest compressions, oxygen, and cardiac drugs will save that person.