Between 50-88% of Patients who require Ventilators didn't make it. <New York>
In comparison, Civil War surgeons had mortality rates of ~25-30%.. in the 1860s
//Gasp...!!
I had heard the same about the dubious benefits of a ventilator. Another thing I have read is that most of the people who have died have a combination of serious illnesses, like heart disease, diabetes, etc. Some are even saying that many of the people who have succumbed to the illness may have had little time left either way. People who are overweight also apparently are more likely to have breathing difficulties than others.
Isn't it hard to compare this to the Civil War? I imagine most of the mortalities in Civil War surgeries were from infection, since we hadn't really figured out sterilization and antiseptics.