As the initial outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it causes, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread beyond Wuhan, China it has become a pandemic affecting over 178 countries. Of patients admitted to the ICU, upwards of 85% developed the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and most if not all required mechanical ventilation. The beneficial effects of prone positioning for ARDS have been well described. Coupling the reported benefits of prone positioning in COVID-19 associated ARDS patients with the known beneficial effects of early prone-positioning in the treatment of ARDS, it is not surprising that many hospital systems are advocating prone positioning for treatment of ARDS in patients with COVID-19. However, as the pandemic continues to progress in the United States and the number of new cases grows as new clusters emerge, the possibility of 'rationing' ventilators becomes more real. Therefore, therapies that prevent the need for mechanical ventilation are desperately needed. Given the distinct benefit that patients with COVID-19 have with prone positioning, the overarching hypothesis of this trial is that patients with high risk for respiratory failure may also benefit from prone positioning.
