inclusion criteria: * patient, family member or legal guardian has provided written informed consent. * age ε 18 years. * confirmed sars-cov-2 infection with compatible symptoms and a positive rt-pcr. * admission to the icu with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure attributed to sars-cov-2 infection. * icu length of stay of less than 7 days prior to randomization with or without mv and without signs of improvement in respiratory failure (murray score at randomization greater or equal to the murray score at icu admission).

inclusion criteria: * patient, family member or legal guardian has provided written informed consent. * age ε 18 years. * confirmed sars-cov-2 infection with compatible symptoms and a positive rt-pcr. * admission to the icu with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure attributed to sars-cov-2 infection. * icu length of stay of less than 7 days prior to randomization with or without mv and without signs of improvement in respiratory failure (murray score at randomization greater or equal to the murray score at icu admission).

inclusion criteria: - patient, family member or legal guardian has provided written informed consent. - age ε 18 years. - confirmed sars-cov-2 infection with compatible symptoms and a positive rt-pcr. - admission to the icu with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure attributed to sars-cov-2 infection. - icu length of stay of less than 7 days prior to randomization with or without mv and without signs of improvement in respiratory failure (murray score at randomization greater or equal to the murray score at icu admission).

inclusion criteria: - patient, family member or legal guardian has provided written informed consent. - age ε 18 years. - confirmed sars-cov-2 infection with compatible symptoms and a positive rt-pcr. - admission to the icu with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure attributed to sars-cov-2 infection. - icu length of stay of less than 7 days prior to randomization with or without mv and without signs of improvement in respiratory failure (murray score at randomization greater or equal to the murray score at icu admission).