At the start of the pandemic, experts recommended 'very early' invasive mechanical ventilation for COVID patients while avoiding alternatives like high-flow nasal oxygen. Mortality rates for intubated patients ranged from 50% to 72.8%. Studies later found intubation within 48 hours was associated with increased mortality. Once providers abandoned early intubation in favor of alternatives, both intubation rates and death rates dropped significantly. Those who questioned the protocol early were dismissed.