ARDS in the time of corona: context and perspective

For more than 2 years, COVID-19 has been holding the world at awe with new waves of infections, novel mutants, and still limited (albeit improved) means to combat SARS-CoV-2-induced respiratory failure, the most common and fatal presentation of severe COVID-19. In the present perspective, we draw from the successes and-mostly-failures in previous acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) work and the experiences from COVID-19 to define conceptual barriers that have so far hindered therapeutic breakthroughs in this deadly disease, and to open up new avenues of thinking and thus, ultimately of therapy.