Prognosis
Did 88% of Ventilator Patients Die? The Science Isn’t So Simple
Health-policy experts and a weary public are struggling to make sense of it all
A nurse treats a Covid-19 patient at a hospital in New York on April 24.
Photographer: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images
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On April 22, researchers at Northwell Health, a major hospital system in the New York area, reported a stunning 88% death rate among Covid-19 patients on ventilators. The number was published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association and made headlines across the country.