[In Press] Outcomes of COVID-19 patients admitted to Australian intensive care units during the first four months of the pandemic

To the Editor: Burrell and colleagues captured data from 77 hospitals containing 91% (n = 204) of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) intensive care unit (ICU) cases during the first four months of the pandemic.1 Overall mortality (n = 30, 15%) for mechanically ventilated and non-ventilated patients in this study was lower than other published data. In contrast, overseas reports have indicated mortality rates for patients with COVID-19 admitted to ICUs of 40%, 44%, 60% and 70% in the United Kingdom, China, Italy and the United States, respectively.2 Evidence indicates that within developed countries, mortality rates associated with COVID-19 vary according to physiological parameters but also markedly according to location.3 Low ICU bed occupancy and the distribution of cases across a large number of institutions1 has positively influenced Australian COVID-19 mortality rates.