Although crude mortality did not differ between variants, adjusted risk of death was
highest for patients treated with ECMO infected with the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The higher virulence and poorer outcomes associated with the delta strain might relate
to higher viral load and increased inflammatory response syndrome in infected patients,
reinforcing the need for a higher rate of vaccination in the population and updated
selection criteria for ECMO, should a new and highly virulent strain of SARS-CoV-2
emerge in the future.
Explore special articles published online first to coincide with presentations at ESICM European Society of Intensive Care Medicine s Annual Conference.