inclusion criteria: positive microbiological evidence of sars-cov-2 or another respiratory virus infection (eg, other coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus) following institutional diagnostic standards clinical and radiological diagnosis of pulmonary infection requiring noninvasive or mechanical invasive ventilatory support plus administration of rising supplemental oxygen concentrations treatment of sars-cov-2-infected patients with dexamethasone (or equivalent) administered by mouth or intravenous (iv) injection diagnosis of ards (pao2/fio2 ≤200 with positive end-expiratory pressure ≥5 cmh2o) in accordance with berlin 2012 criteria1 (measured on or after the fourth day after the start of corticosteroid therapy in those patients for whom it was prescribed) serum crp level greater than upper limit of normal (measured on or after the third day after the start of corticosteroid therapy in those patients for whom it was prescribed) on 2 consecutive days age ≥12 years

inclusion criteria: positive microbiological evidence of sars-cov-2 or another respiratory virus infection (eg, other coronaviruses, respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus) following institutional diagnostic standards clinical and radiological diagnosis of pulmonary infection requiring noninvasive or mechanical invasive ventilatory support plus administration of rising supplemental oxygen concentrations treatment of sars-cov-2-infected patients with dexamethasone (or equivalent) administered by mouth or intravenous (iv) injection diagnosis of ards (pao2/fio2 ≤200 with positive end-expiratory pressure ≥5 cmh2o) in accordance with berlin 2012 criteria1 (measured on or after the fourth day after the start of corticosteroid therapy in those patients for whom it was prescribed) serum crp level greater than upper limit of normal (measured on or after the third day after the start of corticosteroid therapy in those patients for whom it was prescribed) on 2 consecutive days age ≥12 years