The COVID-19 epidemic has placed a huge burden on the Chinese health care system. This crisis has dramatically affected the delivery of critical care due to a lack of resources, lack of prediction models and of course the lack of effective pharmacotherapies. Front line critical care clinicians desperately require these tools.

There should be a focus on high-risk patients, e.g., male, > 60 years old, and patients with comorbidities. Additionally, a standard protocol for SARS-CoV-2 infection recommended by World Health Organization should be widely implemented.

It is crucial that our staff is trained to employ standard protocols for management, which may help implement evidence-based ventilatory and general ICU care in the face of an overwhelming workload.

More importantly, in the context of a multidisciplinary team, intensivists should act as leaders, ensuring that severe patients receive standardized treatment.

Based on data reported by the National Health Commission of China, there have been about 2000 new confirmed cases and > 4000 suspected cases daily over the past week in Wuhan.

About 15% of the patients have developed severe pneumonia, and about 6% need noninvasive or invasive ventilatory support.

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